Rebuilding Our Empire

Who Can We Trust

Back at the hospital

No One's POV

Tiana called her friend April to bring her a change of clothes since she definitely wasn't going to leave now that Hakeem was awake. As she headed towards his room, Eddie cut her off. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"What do you want Eddie?" Tiana stated in an irritated tone. Of all places to be, why did he have to be there. He already took Empire. Tiana couldn't understand why he still was around after finally getting what he wanted.

"I wanted to talk to you. I thought I told you to stay away from the Lyons." Tiana looked to the ground. Eddie didn't know about her little rendezvous with Hakeem whenever he was out of time. She looked up at Eddie with hateful eyes. "Look, there's nothing for us to talk about. I'm done being your puppet. You had me turn against the only family I've had these past few years. Cookie was like a mother to me. I have other things to think about now. It's not just me- "

"And what about your career? What about your life, separate from what the Lyon's think they can constantly control?" Eddie slightly yelled at Tiana. She backed away from him, scared that he might lay a hand on her. "Cookie was my manager before you decided to control me, not just my career. She didn't judge. She letme live my life, and when it came to my career, she took it seriously without tearing me apart. The only one who has been controlling me completely was you. Now I have to do what best for me and my child. So, I'm done. Go find another artist to kill, the same way you killed Tory", Tiana stated calmly before walking away.

"By the time I get done with publicity, you won't have a career for Cookie to manage. No one is going to work with a washed-up artist who has the attitude of a 2-year-old. But, nonetheless, you've made your decision. Have fun struggling with the Lyon family. You deserve it," Eddie let out a chuckle. Tiana felt herself starting to worry all over again. If it wasn't about Hakeem or their baby, it was about Eddie coming after her. She had to do something. She can't just go from the number 1 artist of Empire to just being the number 1 baby mama of Hakeem Lyon. She stood in the same spot, not noticing Becky and Chicken had been watching the entire encounter. Everyone has seen first-hand how quick Tiana turned her back on the Lyons. They weren't about to watch her use them again, especially considering she still has something to lose, unlike the Lyon family. Becky walked away to call Lucious.

Andre's Apartment

Andre laid still in his bed. He finally is back on his normal medicine regimen, so he wasn't having an episode ever since he was released from the hospital, but he was still fighting his demons. He saw his father calling his phone, but he didn't answer. He had too much on his mind. Anika died because of him.

He wanted her to appear crazy in front of the entire world, so she would be discredited. She didn't deserve to be CEO of Empire. All she ever did was sleep her way into the A & R position and thought that by being with his father, that kept her safe to do what she wanted, even though he clearly never showed her any loyalty.

He spent half of the night wide awake. He worried about his baby brother. Hakeem didn't deserve to have been shot. If anyone deserved anything bad to happen to them, it was Andre. He felt like he should've been dealt with for all the wrong he had done to his family in the past. He pitted his parents against each other as soon as his mother came home, he made his 2 younger brothers fight each other multiple times and sometimes hoping one would kill the other so there would be less competition. He tried to kill his father and almost killed his mother as well. He felt he didn't deserve to live an easy life. Yes, the horrendous deeds that he did were done while his medications were out of whack and his symptoms were taking over, but someone has to pay for those deeds. Don't they?