The midnight mix

Chapter three

The heavy double doors of the boardroom swung open, and the atmosphere shifted from "chaotic" to "suffocating."

A kind man had retired months ago due to health, and the man who stepped in his place was a sharp contrast. CEO Shigeru was a man who looked at a singer and saw a spreadsheet. He walked in with a designer suit that cost more than most people's houses, but his eyes were cold and hollow. Behind him trailed his son, a smug, well-dressed man named Akio, who immediately locked his eyes on Liora.

Liora’s expression didn't just go cold; it went frozen. she subtly shifted her chair, trying to put more of Cassian’s frame between herself and Akio. Liora had rejected Akio three times already once at a gala, once over flowers, and once when Akio tried to buy his way into Liora’s private studio.

"Let’s get to the point," the CEO barked, slamming a folder onto the mahogany table. "The projections are in. We are looking at the possibility of losing the Grammy for the first time in five years."

The room went deathly silent. Even Cairo, who usually had a retort for everything, blinked in genuine shock. For five years, he and Liora had traded that trophy back and forth like a crown. The idea of it leaving their building was unthinkable.

The CEO turned his gaze to Liora, sharp and accusing. "Your numbers are dipping, Liora. You haven't produced a chart-topping hit this year. You’ve been... distracted."

Cassian’s hand was on the table in an instant, his voice a low, protective hiss. she is twenty years old, Shigeru. It was her graduation year. She finished her degree while maintaining a world tour. Her 'distraction' was a major life achievement."

The CEO sighed, unimpressed, before swinging his head toward Cairo like a predator. "And you? Your last single debuted at number three, not number one. What was your excuse?"

Axel didn't lose his smile, but his eyes blazed with a fierce intensity. "It was the month of his heavy-weight boxing match! A spectacular victory that brought millions of eyes to our brand through the sports world! Cairo is an athlete as much as an artist!"

"I don't pay you to be an athlete. I pay you to be a star," Shigeru snapped. He leaned forward, his eyes darting between the two rivals. "The public is getting bored of the 'Solo stuff' act. They want something new. Something explosive."

Cairo scoffed, leaning back and crossing his massive, scarred arms. "And let me guess... you want us to do a press conference and say we're best friends?"

"Worse," the CEO said, a cruel light in his eyes. "You two are going to do a Collaboration Album. Four songs. A joint music video. And a shared press tour. If we combine the 'Midnight Beauty' fans with the 'Rap Monster' fans, we don't just win the Grammy we own the industry for the next decade."

Liora’s eyes widened. "A collab? Our styles don't even match. It would be... chaotic."

"Then make the chaos sound good," Shigeru dismissed. "You have three months. If this fails, I’ll be looking into restructuring your contracts. And Liora..." The CEO looked at his son, Akio, who was smirking from the corner. "Maybe you should spend some time with Akio to talk about 'inspiration.' He’s very fond of your work."

Cairo noticed it then the way Liora’s hand trembled slightly under the table. He saw the way Liora looked down, her ink black hair falling forward to hide her face. Cassian’s violet eyes shifted to Akio, then to the CEO.

Cairo knew that look. It was the look of someone being backed into a corner by people who thought they owned them. It was the same look he had when his aunt and uncle stole his home.

"Four songs?" Cairo’s gravelly voice cut through the tension. He didn't look at Liora, but he stood up, his 6'1" frame towering over the table. "Fine. We'll do it. But we do it our way. No interference from your son, and no 'restructuring' talks. We’ll give you the Grammy, but you keep your distance."

Liora looked up at Cairo, stunned. Cairo wasn't just agreeing to the music he was drawing a line in the sand to protect them both.

The heavy door to the boardroom hadn’t even fully clicked shut behind the CEO before Akio stepped forward. He didn't have his father’s power, but he had a double dose of his father’s arrogance.

He leaned into Liora’s personal space, the smell of his expensive, cloying cologne clashing with Liora’s elegant rose scent.

"Hey, beautiful," Akio murmured, his eyes scanning Liora’s slim figure with an ownership that made Cairo’s knuckles turn white. "My father is right, you know. You’ve been quiet lately. Maybe dinner with me is exactly the 'inspiration' you need to find your voice again."

Liora didn't flinch. She didn't even look up at first. She just slowly adjusted the cuff of her navy sweater. When she finally looked at Akio, her dark blue eyes weren't cold they were incinerating.

"Dinner?" Liora’s voice was like a silk ribbon hiding a razor blade. "I’d rather eat the gravel from the company parking lot. Your 'inspiration' sounds like a boring lecture on how to be a disappointment to a family legacy. You don't want a dinner date, Akio; you want a trophy. Go find a museum and leave me out of your mid-life crisis."

Akio’s face turned a brilliant shade of red. "Now, listen here__"

"No, you listen," Liora cut him off, leaning in close so only Akio could hear the ice in her tone. "I don’t care who your father is. If you touch my studio door again, or try to corner me in a hallway, I won't just reject you. I’ll make sure the public knows exactly why the CEO's son is banned from my floor. Now, f-ck off."

To punctuate the sentence, Liora calmly raised her middle finger, holding it right in Akio’s face with a blank, beautiful expression.

"I... I forgive that!" Akio sputtered, trying to save face. "I forgive you because you're beautiful! You're just temperamental!"

Liora rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. Cassian stepped in then, placing a hand on Liora’s shoulder. "Liora," he scolded softly, though his eyes were fixed on Akio like a hawk. "Language. You’re a professional."

Liora immediately shifted. The "Midnight Beauty" vanished, replaced by a pouting twenty-year-old. "But he’s breathing my air, Cassian-san."

Cassian sighed, reaching up and catching Liora in a sudden, affectionate headlock, ruffling her ink-black hair until it was a mess. "Vocal cords are for singing, not for swearing at idiots. Let's go. We have work to do."

The Studio: Cairo’s Turf

They moved to Cairo’s studio a room that smelled like leather, high-end electronics, and energy drinks. While Cassian and Axel huddled in the corner over a tablet, planning the logistics of a four-song album, the two "Solo people" were left to their own devices.

It took approximately thirty seconds for the fighting to start.

Cairo was leaning back in his producer’s chair, spinning a pencil between his fingers. He looked at Liora, who was perched on a stool, looking entirely too "pretty" for a recording booth.

"So," Cairo started, a devilish glint in his eye. "How does it go again? I want to make sure I get the 'vibe' right for our big debut."

Cairo took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and began to sing in a high-pitched, mocking falsetto that sounded like a cat being stepped on.

"mOoN tElL mE iF i cOuLd... sEnD uP mY hEaRt tO yOu... pLeAsE lOoK aT mE i'M sO sAd..."

Liora slammed her hands over her ears, her face flushing pink. "Stop it! Stop! Cairo, oh my god, you sound like a dying bird! You’re mangling the melody! It’s art, not a playground taunt!"

"Art? It sounds like a funeral for a goldfish!" Cairo cackled, enjoying the way Liora was vibrating with annoyance. "You need some rhythm, midnight! Some grit! Some... Rap Monster energy!"

"If you put 'Rap Monster energy' on my ballad, I will personally delete your entire hard drive," Liora snapped. She jumped off the stool and marched over to Cassian, clinging to her manager’s arm and hiding her face against Cassian’s shoulder. "Cassian-san! Tell him he’s tone-deaf! He’s ruining my masterpiece!"

Cassian didn't even look up from his tablet, simply reaching up to pat Liora’s hair. He had basically adopted Liora years ago, and he was used to this "spoiled younger Sister" routine. "He’s just trying to get a rise out of you, Liora. Ignore him."

Axel, on the other hand, crossed his arms and looked at Cairo with a booming laugh. "Cairo! Knock it off! You’re twenty-two years old, not twelve! Show some respect for your partner’s vocal range!"

"She started it with the water bucket!" Cairo pointed a thumb at Liora.

"You started it with the keypad!" Liora yelled back from behind Cassain.

The two managers shared a long, weary look. They were both thirty-two, at the peak of their careers, and they were essentially full-time babysitters for the two most talented, most annoying "idiots" in the music industry.

"Alright, enough!" Cassian barked, his voice finally cutting through the noise. "Here’s the deal. Two songs will be written by Liora, in her style, her lyrics, but Cairo provides the bridge and a verse. Two songs will be written by Cairo, his beats, his rap, but Liora provides the hook and the harmonies."

Axel nodded vigorously. "A perfect balance! And today, you will both step into that booth. We aren't leaving until we have at least four lines recorded from each of you on a shared track."

Cairo and Liora looked at each other. The teasing stopped. The air in the room changed.

Cairo stood up, ruffling his white hair. "Fine. Let's see if the 'Midnight Beauty' can handle a real beat."

Liora straightened her oversized navy sweater, her dark blue eyes turning serious. "Let's see if the 'Rap Monster' can actually hit a note without sounding like a chainsaw."

They stepped into the booth together. The 6'1" boxer and the 5'6" ballerina of pop. For the first time, their voices were about to meet on the same track.