𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 ❛ devanté swing.

074.

U AND I.
( CHAPTER LXXVII: the end of an era! )

'  𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟓.  '
uptown records headquarters ━━━ new york, new york !

DEJA VU CREPT UPON Milani as she walked through the lengthy silent hallway leading to Andre Harrell's office for what might've been the last time. Today was the official day that Milani had been talking upon the longest to what she could remember, ending a special era in her life.

She knocked on the door various times before she had opened it, Andre was staring at the floor, seemed to be a trail of full thought before Milani had made her presence known into the room.

"Hey Andre . . ." She greeted, closing the door behind her, she walked over to the chairs in front of his desk. "It's good to see you, Milani. I'm not mistaken to know that you're here to sign off?" He questioned, adverting his attention onto the woman, watching as she nodded her head slowly.

"Yes . . . I am." She assured, watching as he pulled out a stack of papers. "I have to say, this is very hard for me to do. I've been with you from the beginning and I've watched you grow into a beyond outstanding mother and superstar that the world most definitely needed. There was no doubt in my mind that you weren't going to make it."

"A demo tape, huh? And who's demo tape is this?" Andre questioned, looking between his newest intern, Sean Combs, Jeff Redd and his friend, Malcom. "My stepdaughter, Mr. Harrell. Her name's Milani, she wrote and produced her own song."

"Mhm." He hummed, slipping the tape and taking a seat, the three men listen to the soft piano cords play, as well as the beautiful voice had filled the spacious room. Andre sat up in his chair, folding his arms together, nodding and wincing from the lyrics she spoke upon, and the notes she hit.

After the demo tape had ended, he looked over at Rashaad and Jeff Redd. "Your stepdaughter, Milani . . . she's quite talented, too talented, actually. How old is she?"

"She turns eighteen in December, sir." He informed, Andre nodded his head. "Check this out, I'm looking into expanding my record company . . . she's right up the alleyway of the talent I need, the talent I want. She's unique, I can tell already, and if you'd allow me, I'd like to sign her to my label."

Rashaad's eyes grew wide, before he rapidly nodded his head from the offer. "That would mean the world to her, Mr. Harrell. She's got it in the bag, she's very talented, she most definitely knows her way around the music world. I'll take the offer up with her mother, thank you."