Empire: HAKEEM & SASHA

Chapter 6: Empire

•Hakeem Pov•
I woke up with a pounding headache from last night's hangover. As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw Sasha lying next to me, her blonde and brown hair spread out on the pillow. The only thing covering her was the sheet draped over her chest. For a moment, I just lay there, admiring her, but then a knock at the door jolted me back to reality.

Groaning, I rolled out of bed and grabbed my pants, quickly putting them on. I didn't want to wake Sasha, so I quietly closed the bedroom door behind me and went to see who was knocking. When I opened the door, there stood cookie in all her fierce glory. Before I could say anything, she brushed past me and made herself comfortable on the couch.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" I asked, a bit annoyed at her unexpected entrance.

She looked at me with that intense gaze of hers and said, "I need you to perform at Paris Fashion Week. I've got a new song for you." She handed me a flash drive, her eyes never leaving mine. "Also, there's an Empire x Nike collab coming up. Are you interested?"

Without hesitation, I replied, "Yeah, I'm in."

"Good," she said, standing up and heading toward the door. "Meet me at Empire in a few hours." With that, she was gone, I watched Mom strut out the door, her presence lingering in the room. The flash drive she handed me felt like it weighed a ton, filled with promises and expectations. Just as I was processing everything, Sasha emerged from the bedroom, her blonde and brown hair tousled, curiosity in her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked, approaching me.

I couldn't help but smile at her. "Mom wants me to perform at Paris Fashion Week," I said, holding up the flash drive. "And there's a Nike deal on the table."

Her eyes lit up. "Can I perform with you?"

I nodded. "I'm down, but we need Mom's approval first."

She agreed without hesitation, and we quickly got ready to head to Empire. With the flash drive securely in my pocket, we made our way to the studio, excitement buzzing between us.

Lucious's Pov

I sat with Thirsty and Andre, discussing the Empire x Nike collaboration. Andre had done a solid job putting it together, and the sketches of the shoes were impressive. However, one design caught my eye for the wrong reasons.

"What's up with this one?" I asked, pointing it out.

Andre sighed and agreed to have the artist fix it. "But I also want shoes for the top five artists right now," I said, looking at both of them. "Sasha, Hakeem, J-Poppa, Titan, and Jamal."

Andre looked concerned. "That'll stretch the budget,Pop" he warned.

Thirsty sided with me, and after some back and forth, Andre reluctantly signed off on it. He left the room, trying to figure out how to make it work, while Thirsty and I continued strategizing.

Jamal's POV

Me, Michael, and Becky were about to split a bottle when my phone rang. It was Cookie. I answered, and she immediately launched into her plan.

"I need you to do a song and a collab for the Nike commercial and Paris Fashion Week," she said.

I grinned. "I'm in," I replied.

"Meet me in an hour," she instructed before hanging up.

Becky noticed the smile on my face. "What are you grinning about?"

I told her and Michael about Cookie's plans, and they both congratulated me. This was going to be big, and I couldn't wait to get started.

Hakeem's POV

Sasha and I stepped into the studio, our excitement palpable. But our expressions changed the moment we saw Tiana and Mom already there. Tension hung in the air as I asked, "Mom, what's going on?"

She looked at me with a firm resolve. "I want you on the track with Tiana to perform the song on the flash drive."

I shook my head. "No way."

"It's for a good cause, Hakeem," she insisted. "Sasha can be on the next song."

Disappointment washed over me, but Sasha squeezed my hand. "It's fine, Hakeem. You go ahead," she said, kissing me before leaving the room hurriedly.

Guilt gnawed at me as I watched her go. I turned back to the studio, where Tiana was waiting, her eyes locked on me. Mom instructed us to get started, and as the beat for "Slide" began, Tiana sang her part while I bobbed to the rhythm. When it was my turn, I launched into my rap, trying to push the guilt aside.

Sasha's POV

I walked straight to Lucious's office, determination fueling my steps. "How can I join the Paris Fashion Week and Nike collab?" I asked him.

He leaned back, a knowing smile on his face. "You already in,You'll have your own shoe collab and song, Sasha. We'll put together a great presentation for you."

Relief and excitement surged through me. I shook his hand, thanking him before heading back to the studio, eager to share the news with Hakeem. But when I arrived, the sight before me made my blood boil. Cookie was gone, and Tiana was on her knees in front of Hakeem, who looked like he was enjoying every moment of it.

Fury and hurt collided within me. Without a word, I stormed out, my heart in pieces. Tears blurred my vision as I opened my notes app, pouring my pain into lyrics. An hour later, with a mix of anger and sorrow, I found an engineer and began recording "Save My Pain," a raw diss track aimed at Tiana and Hakeem. I ignored Hakeem's calls, channeling all my emotions into the song.

Hakeem's Point of View

Back in the booth, I tried to focus on the track, but the guilt and confusion were overwhelming. When the session ended, I checked my phone, finding multiple missed calls from Sasha. I dialed her number, but she didn't answer.

Sasha's Point of View

Hours later, after relentless work, I released "Save My Pain" everywhere. It was a cathartic release, but the ache in my heart remained.