The next morning, Sevyn went to the Carter mansion and found Robyn in the game room playing Nintendo Wii. She took a deep breath and walked over to the sitting area.
"Hey, what's up?" Robyn asked, barely looking up at her sister-in-law.
"What are you going to do about Chris?" Sevyn asked, her tone demanding as she placed her hands on her small hips.
Robyn frowned. "What about him? He's upstairs taking a shower."
Sevyn rolled her eyes and grabbed the remote control, hastily switching off the television so she could have her full attention. "I'm talking about Onika. Chris and August are obsessed with her! Doesn't that bother you?"
Sitting up on the sofa, Robyn looked at her with annoyance evident on her face. "I don't know about you, Sevyn, but my marriage is rock solid. I don't have to wonder what Chris is doing every minute of the day. If that's the way you and August's marriage is, then I'd consider seeing a therapist." She got up to walk out of the room when Sevyn pulled her back.
"It doesn't bother you at all that our husbands spend every minute of the day with her?" she asked, shaking her head in dismay. "My marriage is secure too, but I still think it's suspicious. I would think you of all people would see right through it. You don't trust anybody. I mean, look at the way you warned everyone against Beyonce. And you were right. She took off and left your father."
"Yes, I was right about Beyonce," Robyn beamed proudly. "But you're dead wrong about Chris. He loves me and he would never do anything to hurt me. August, on the other hand, has always been a playboy. I don't know how your marriage has survived this long. So if anyone has anything to worry about, it's you."
With that, she turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Sevyn alone with a look of frustration on her face. Why was Robyn turning a blind eye to what was going on? Onika was trying to steal their husbands away from them and she couldn't care less.
Sevyn bounded out of the room and down the hallway to the foyer. Before she could open the front door to leave, Chris came down the stairs and called after her. She turned and stopped dead in her tracks, eager to confront him. "What's going on with you and Onika?" she insisted, her eyes menacing.
Chris frowned as he came off the last stair and stopped before her. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Nothing's going on with me and Onika."
"All August ever talks about is Onika. Onika this and Onika that." Sevyn threw her arms up in resignation. "Well I'm sick of it!"
Folding his arms across his lean chest, Chris looked down at her. "I'm Onika's manager," he said. "So obviously I have to spend time with her. But that's the extent of our relationship."
"Oh please!" she exclaimed.
Suddenly an idea occurred to him. He realized that if he fueled Sevyn's suspicions, maybe she would confront August about it and he would have to reassure her by spending less time with Onika. If that happened, his problems would be over. The jealousy he felt over their closeness would be a dead issue.
"Whatever is going on with August and Onika is something else all together," he continued. "I know they spend a lot of time together when I'm not around, but I guess you'll have to ask him about that yourself."
He turned and started down the hall, smiling wickedly. After just a few steps he heard Sevyn race out of the house and slam the door shut behind her.
That night at the Valley Beach Club, the restaurant was quickly filling with customers in anticipation of Onika's debut. Chris was rushing around the dining room, ensuring that every last detail was taken care of. When Marjorie Stahl arrived with several other reporters from Rolling Stone and other big industry magazines, he spent a few minutes telling them how lucky they were to have received tickets for such a highly anticipated event.
"Onika's going to be a star!" he said repeatedly to reporters from People and Billboard magazine. He figured if he was going to make a go of living life on the straight and narrow, he might as well put all he had into it. There was definitely money to be made with Onika.
Walking across the room, he felt someone grab his arm and he spun around with a toothy smile, prepared for anything. Except for....
"You didn't show up last night," Karrueche hissed, glaring at him and pointing her finger inches from his eyes.
Her sudden appearance threw him into a panic. This night was much too important to have her ruin it for him. "What are you doing here?" he whispered, grabbing her small arm and pulling her out into the lobby of the restaurant.
"I told you that if you didn't come to my motel room last night with the money, I was going to make you very sorry!" she shrieked. "I swear I'll tell the police where to find you, Julian. You'll go to jail and whatever life you've assumed this time will be over."
"Would you keep your voice down," Chris demanded, gripping her arm tightly.
Neither of them noticed Onika watching them from behind a pillar in the lobby, dressed for her performance in a blue sequined gown and hearing every word they said.
"I'll get you your money. I've kind of had my hands full. Now go back to your motel room and wait for me there. I'll bring it by tonight after the show."
Karrueche shook her head in frustration. "What show?" she asked, looking in at the crowd of people gathered into the restaurant. "What exactly are you doing here, anyway?"
"I told you, I'm starting a new life here," he insisted. "Now leave before you ruin it for me."
Karrueche shrugged his hand off of her arm and pulled away. "Leave you alone so you can get away with murder?" she asked in disbelief. "I don't think so. I'm going in there and telling everyone what a fraud and phony you really are."
She turned and started back into the dining room. Chris watched her with wide eyes, sweat pouring from his forehead.
Meanwhile, at the Carter mansion, Sean was sitting in his study when Leilani entered and got his attention. "There's a Mr. Sallis here to see you," she said.
"Thank you, Leilani," he replied, standing up as Cutty Sallis walked into the study, briefcase in hand.
Sean walked around his desk and shook the man's hand. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Mr. Sallis," he said. "I realize it's a bit unorthodox to hold a business meeting this late, but I understand you're leaving for the east coast in the morning."
"I take it your calling me has something to do with the offer I made you the other day in your office," Sallis said.
Hesitating for a minute, Sean finally nodded and walked over to his desk. "I've decided to take you up on your offer, " he said. "That is, if H&Q Consolidated is still willing to loan me the money."
"The terms of the loan will remain as we discussed," Sallis replied. "I cannot alter them, Mr. Carter."
Sean nodded regretfully. "Twenty percent interest, and Rocafella Studios as collateral." The high interest rate he could deal with, but putting his studio up as loan security made his stomach turn flips. It was a risky endeavor, but he had no choice. He had to get that money to pay Terrance Howard back.
Sallis opened his briefcase and removed a set of contracts. He handed them to Sean and them showed him the check. "Sign on the places indicated," he said, pointing to several pages of the document.
Sean took a deep breath, picking up a pen and watching his hand trembling uncontrollably as he brought it down to the paper. Closing his eyes, he tried to think of the bind he was in. He had no other alternative but to go with H&Q Consolidated's offer.
Deciding he couldn't put it off any longer, he pressed down with the pen and quickly signed his name on all three pages. Slamming the pen onto the desk, he grabbed the check from Sallis and looked at it, somewhat relieved. He had to keep telling himself that it didn't have to be a big deal. He would simply pay it back and everything would work out fine. His studio would never feel the brunt of it.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Carter," Sallis said, shaking his hand and starting to the door.
"Same to you," he replied. "Leilani will show you out, Mr. Sallis."
After he'd left, Sean walked to the window and stared outside at the night sky. With a sense of relief, he picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Terrance Howard. "Terrance, it's Sean," he said into the receiver. "I've got your money."
Michael sat behind his desk at Jaguar Studios, swiveling back and forth in his chair as he gulped down a scotch neat. He looked up when the door opened and Cutty Sallis walked inside, handing him a few pieces of paper.
"He signed it?" Michael asked, smiling with exhilaration as he leafed through the contract.
"I just came from his house," Sallis replied.
Michael stood up, staring at the contract baring Sean's signature. "Poor Sean," he began. "If he only knew who he was actually borrowing this money from."
"Where did you come up with the name H&Q Consolidated, anyway?" Sallis asked, pouring himself a drink.
Michael snatched the glass away from him. "The phonebook," he replied."You can go now. I didn't hire you to drink my booze. I hired you because I needed an actor to play a part."
The actor shrugged and left the office, leaving Michael behind with a triumphant look on his face. Finally he would get his ultimate revenge on Sean Carter. It was only a matter of time now. Soon he would have control of his beloved Rocafella Studios.
Chris grabbed Karrueche's arm and pulled her back into the lobby at the club, covering her mouth with his hand to keep her from screaming. She struggled to get free of his grasp as he carried her across the lobby and threw her into a utility closet.
"What do you think you're doing?" she screamed, pounding on the door.
"I'm sorry to have to do this to you, Kae," he said, looking around for something to brace the door with. He grabbed a chair and propped it underneath the doorknob. "But I can't have you ruining my big night."
"You can't leave me in here, you bastard!" she shrieked. "I swear to God I'll scream my head off until someone lets me out!"
Chris sighed with frustration and rushed to the DJ booth in the restaurant, turning the volume up on the music that was being piped through the sound system. Hopefully no one would be able to hear her yelling from the closet. As soon as the night was over, he'd let her out and deal with her then.
He turned around just as August and Sevyn approached him, dressed in their best evening attire. "Everything looks great so far," August said, looking around happily at the crowd who had gathered to hear Onika's debut. "You really outdid yourself, man. Did you know there's a reporter here from Rolling Stone?"
Chris gave him a cocky smile. "Of course. I told you I'd make sure all the right people were here to see her."
"I have to give you credit," August said, shaking his hand. "You've earned your mark as her manager."
Sevyn rolled her eyes and broke away from his side. She didn't even know why she came tonight. She was miserable. Everywhere she turned people were talking about Onika and what a great discovery she was. They made it sound like she was the best thing since sliced bread.
She turned and saw Onika herself making a b-line across the room to where August was standing. She looked upset, and of course he was all too happy to console her with an arm around her shoulder and his usual seductive bedroom eyes transfixed on her. He didn't know when to turn it off, Sevyn thought to herself.
"I need to talk to you," Onika whispered to August, watching Chris out of the corner of her eyes. She didn't know what was going on with him and the girl he'd been arguing with in the lobby, but something was up. She knew it.
"You're not getting nervous, are you?" he asked.
Onika shook her head. "No, it's about Chris." She always knew there was something fishy about her manager, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Then yesterday he started asking questions about her relationship with August. Now she just saw him turn pale as a ghost when that girl showed up. It all seemed suspect to her.
"He's done a great job tonight, don't you think?" August asked, looking around at the restaurant buzzing with activity. "Can you believe he put this whole thing together himself? Onika, there are reporters here from every industry magazine. Your name is going to be on everyone's lips come tomorrow."
She managed a smile, realizing that she did have a lot to look forward to. And as suspicious as she was about Chris, she did owe a lot of it to him. Maybe she was being a little too judgmental about his shady personality.
"So what about Chris?" August asked. "Is everything okay?"
Onika nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I just wanted to thank you both for everything you've done for me."
August pulled her into a friendly embrace. "I'm just happy that your dreams are going to come true," he said.
Across the room, Sevyn glared at them, balling her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. After what Chris said to her earlier that day, she was more suspicious about August and Onika's relationship than ever. She'd held her tongue so far, but she could only hold it in so long before she burst.
