ꨄThe Debutanteꨄ

51.

...

Continued

...

Tori looked down at Anika's lips as she held her arms that were placed around her own neck. Anika stared back up at her, and into those devilish eyes.

Anika then released a sigh, pulling her arms from being over Tori's shoulders. "We shouldn't...- Shouldn't what?" Tori asked. Anika shook her head. "I need to be focused on something else right now. I have to go. I have to look for someone." Said Anika, backing away.

"Wait, what?" Tori asked, Anika then turned away, then walking towards the exit of the balcony back towards the party. She began to call Cookie again, a worried look on her face hoping that she would answer. "Anika...!" Tori called, but Anika had already walked inside.

Tori watched her leave, releasing a light huff. She walked up to the balcony and leaned over it, sighing while looking out into the city.

...

Next Day

...

Anika walked frantically towards Cookies door. She knocked multiple times, even calling her name. But there was no answer. "Cookie...! Are you in there?" She asked. No answer. She scoffed. "Is she ignoring me?" She asked. She pulled out her phone and began to dial her phone number. She couldn't hear it ringing from the other side, and it went to voicemail after a continuous ring.

"Wow." Anika replied, then backing away from the front door and heading off to Empire.

...

Anika's heels clicked quickly towards Lucious' office. She opened the doors wide, and strutting in quickly. Lucious was in the middle of a meeting with someone from the board. The man turned and looked her way as if he had came at the wrong time. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize you had another meeting- No, I don't have another meeting. Anika what the hell are you doing barging in my damn office like you have authority around here?" Asked Lucious, a sinister tone in his voice as he rose up from his seat.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but where's Cookie." She asked bluntly. "So you mean to tell me you came barging up in here like the damn police because you wanna' where your little best friend is?" Lucious asked, looking down at her. Anika sighed, closing her eyes. "I just need to know where she is." She said. She hated to even have to come to him, but judging by how she couldn't find either him or her at the ASAs last night, she was sure that she was with him at some point.

"Look, if you're so damn interested in knowing, she's at my place." He said. Anika's eyebrows furrowed immediately. "What?" She asked. "Look, last night she drank so much she couldn't walk. I don't know why she did it, but I couldn't have her around those damn reporters and cameras up in there like that. So she's at the mansion dealing with her hangover. There. Are you up to date now?" He asked, a look of annoyance on his face.

Anika couldn't even manage to be bothered by him at the moment. She still had to process what had happened. She was hungover? At his place and not her own? Multiple thoughts began to run through her head.

"Now if you don't mind, I have a damn meeting to get back to." He said to her. She turned away, walking out of the room quickly and going towards the exit. Her mind was more fixated on Cookies situation rather than Lucious' attitude. She walked through the hallways and towards the main exit of the building. She knew how important her job was, but right now her mind was only focused on one thing.

...

She hit the knocker against the door multiple times, then turning her face to the camera by the door. "Cookie...!" She said. She let the knocker hit a few more times, her standing with her arms crossed and impatiently moving her knees. The door was then heard unlocking slowly from the other side.