𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘 | 𝐋𝐀 𝐋𝐔𝐕 𝐏𝐓.𝟐

twentythree.

Everything about this felt so surreal, like a scene straight out of an action film you could only imagine being apart of. Karlae knew the moment she signed her name on that dotted line to officially take the SGA up on their offer, the shit would come back to bite but definitely not in this way. No, this was something she never seen coming and her enemies knew that.

They had caused complete chaos all the way from the opposite side of the world. The east wing of the six thousand square foot headquarter building had been blown to bits and pieces, unfortunately taking a few lives down with it.

While the Beverly Hills Fire Department worked their hardest to quench the fires that were still ablaze, the policemen worked on blocking the entire area off, directing traffic by rerouting them as the roads were blocked, EMT's helped survivors into the back of their ambulance trucks and of course the annoying news reporters were outside trying to get full coverage and the inside scoop on what happened this evening.

"Excuse me, may we get a word from your client? Does she have anything to say to the families of the people who lost their lives today? What about the people behind this heinous act?"

"No, my client will not be speaking out at this time." Melissa "Missy" Vaughn, Lauren's representative answered back to dismiss the news anchor from their presence. With her back turned to the chaos, Lauren stood with her arms folded across her chest as it heaved up and down in vexation.

"Any idea who was behind this? Maybe then, we can try to figure out their motive. Who would seriously detonate bombs at a fashion house headquarters,
Lauren? Who would do this?"

"I got no idea." She said vaguely as he sighed and stuffed his hands in the pocket of his khakis. Lowering his voice, he got closer to her and said,"You're gonna have some serious damage control to do here, kid. Now I can help you out as much as I can, you know that, but alot of lives were lost today. These people's families are gonna have lots of questions."

"I know, Bingham." She said weariedly while rubbing her forehead in exasperation,"I know."

"Look," he said sternly, catching her attention and making her look directly into his eye,"to me, it looks like someone just wanted to attack a black owned business in Beverly Hills owned by a young, successful black woman. Just an attack driven by racism and misogyny that turned deadly, unfortunately. I mean with all these other local attacks, it adds up."

"If you say that's what it is then that's what it is, detect."

"Alright, that's the story we're going with and sticking to. Now let me get back to work," He began to walk off with a sigh before he thought to stop in his tracks and ask,"Are you.. gettin' back to work?"

She simply nodded her head once while adjusting the dark sunglasses that covered her teary eyes and said to him,"You know it."

Detective Bingham didn't have much to say after that. In response, he just nodded and walked off to leave her alone with Ermias and her representatives. "That shit on every news station, every radio station, every motha'fuckin' gotdamn—"

"Shit I'm already knowing it is," Ermias said quietly as he stood off to the side, speaking with his big brother Blacc Sam about the entire situation. "and shit you lookin at the tv nigga, imagine what the fuck I'm lookin' at out here."

Hussle had seen alot of shit in his life but this was different, this was more egregious than any shoot out, highway police chase, or gang war he'd ever been apart of or witnessed.