ꨄThe Debutanteꨄ

84.

...

One week later

...

Hakeem swung the front door open with his leg, kicking the front of it with the tip of his shoe. Cookie came from her bedroom, a confused look on her face. "Why in the hell?" She called. He sat three brown bags from his arms on the floor, huffing afterwards. "Don't be kicking my damn door, boy!" Cookie said, approaching him and yanking at his ear.

"I'm trying to bring the stuff in!" He said, scratching the back of his neck. "Be careful." Cookie said, crossing her arms. Anika came out of Cookies bedroom, a smile growing on her face after seeing Hakeem. "Hey, Anika..- Hi...! It's nice to see you..." She said, giving him a tight hug.

After she pulled away, she bent down to pick up one of the bags. Cookie started to take it from her arms. "I got it- The kitchens only ten feet feet away- I know, but...- I got it, I promise." Anika said, gently combating against Cookies insisting. "Okay...but just take that one. I'll get the other two." She replied. Cookie nodded. She walked away.

Hakeem shook his head. "Yo why you got me running errands for y'all just because you don't wanna come outside?" He asked. "Because you know that if I do step foot outside I'll have to hide myself. Which isn't easy when you've been gone from work for six months. You know people are talking. They're looking for me and Anika. Nobody in the public knows about her getting shot." Said Cookie.

"What y'all gone do about Empire?" He asked. "What is there to do? Lucious left me alone, and I'm here with Anika. That's all that matters to me right now." Said Cookie. "Me and him have been going at it, lately.- You didn't mention that you know he shot Anika, did you?" Cookie asked. "Nah. But I made it real clear I'm not cool with him." He mumbled.

"Lucious just wants to sit on top of his money, and he can continue to do so because I am done giving a damn." Cookie grinned. Hakeem shook his head. "Nah, ma...you don't know?" He asked. "Know what?" She asked. "Empire's going bankrupt, ma.." he said. Cookies eyebrows furrowed for a moment. "What?" She asked. "Dad's losing money. He thinks me, and Jamal don't know. Andre already stated monitoring it last month. The music artists don't wanna work with him anymore. The producers aren't making music the way the artists need it, and he can't find a replacement head of A&R that lasts for more than a week." Said Hakeem. "Are you serious?" Cookie asked.

Anika trailed out of the kitchen, licking her teeth. "What's going on?" She asked. "Empire's going bankrupt.." Cookie said. "What..?!" Anika asked. "Are you serious?" She asked. "Yeah. Porsha already quit two days ago. She said she can't work with dad." He said. "Porsha quit?" Asked Cookie, her voice sounding surprised, despite the fact that she herself always sent countless threats to Porsha about firing her.

"That must have been why she's been calling me. I haven't read her recent text messages..." Cookie replied. "Well what is she going to do? Hold on, this is crazy." She continued. "So he's really been pretending like everything at Empire was fine this entire time?" Anika asked. Hakeem nodded, and Anika scoffed. "Ugh! His pride just disgusts me. We're the ones who had the company kept together this entire time." She continued.

"I need to call Andre." Cookie said. "It's chaos..." Hakeem said.

...

"He left?" Cookie asked Andre, her head tilting to the side. Anika had gone with her mother, who was determined to see her on a daily. Andre and Cookie sat on the couch in her living room. "Yeah, he did. Blake said his sales have been declining constantly. He couldn't take it anymore. Look." Andre said, turning towards his laptop to show his mother the sales statistics over the past six months.