I Lied [On Hiatus]

Man of Infamy

Cookie finally entered the Empire building after getting a ride from a cab. She ended up throwing her money at the man she presumed to be a 'serial suicidal bomber'. It was the fact that he threw racial slurs at her before she even got a chance to settle into the seat.

'Man, if he done said some stuff that hurt my daughter... Oh, it's going to be me and him. And yes, Boo Boo Kitty can get it too.' Cookie gave herself a mini speech as she walked up the stairs with her leather mini sticking to her curves nicely. She was so absorbed in finding out where her daughter was that she missed seeing Shawn, Keyla, Jamal, Andre, Vernon, and Lucious standing in the glass office.

She bumped into Becky on accident and went to apologize. Then she caught sight of Anika and wanted to walk up to the bi--

Hold up.

Was Shawn and Lucious in the same room?

Did he--

Did she--

'Cookie, I've been looking for you. Lucious told me to get you in the conference room ASAP. He's still waiting.' Becky gestured to the glass office that Anika had just walked through. Cookie grimaced but nodded at her ex-husband's assistant. 'This must be critical if he needs so many people at his side. Are you expecting any new artists, Cookie?'

Becky was ignored as Cookie made her way towards the glass office with eyes only for the girl glaring at the man with his signature smirk intact.

--

Three hours before, Shawn had whipped around with Keyla to discover none other than Andre. Who, by the way, she didn't know was her biological brother. Keyla, however, had connected the dots when Shawn had told her that her mother was Cookie Lyon.

'Who wants to know?' His voice so cold and unfeeling that Shawn almost shivered at how harsh he sounded.

She stood there like a deer caught in the headlights until Jamal stepped forward. He gave the girl a questioning look before turning to his brother. What he had been searching for had yet to surface on Shawn's mind?

'I think she's a new artist, Dre. I mean look at her style... Raw talent at its finest just waiting to be molded by the best. Maybe, I should take her to Mom.' Jamal spoke for Shawn as if she wasn't good enough to introduce her damn self.

Shawn stepped up like she didn't even have time for their little chit chat to take place.

'Actually yes and no. I am an artist, but that's not why I came here. Since you must be the infamous Lyon heirs, I must tell you that I'm not just some random chick...' Keyla pulled her back to see if she was really ready to tell the world that she is the daughter of Lucious Lyon. Shawn just gave her a look of fierce determination. So Keyla dropped her hold with a nod of approval.

'My name is Shawn Steelson, but my name was originally Ciara Lyon.' Shawn got the words out without a bumpy start or finish.

It would have been fine to take photos of their shocked faces but a throat was cleared from behind her and she couldn't resist.

And she came face to face with the Man of Infamy, Lucious Lyon.

'You heard that, Vernon? I'm not only the proud father of three pathetic sons but now I have a daughter that I never met before. Get me Becky.' Lucious looked sickly as he stared at the girl in front of him. She had his hazel eyes and piercing stare, but she had Cookie's curvy figure and those curls were all his. 'And all four of you follow me this way to my office. Now!'

Shawn let the rude attitude roll off her skin like it was nothing. She had dealt with worse, but seeing as those people ended up with black eyes... Well, you get the message. Keyla playfully punched her shoulder to remove the obvious tension that had gathered in Shawn's posture.

'Who sent you? The paparazzi! A rival company! Who?!' Lucious announced as they finally made it to the office. He slammed the table hard and everyone watched in shock. Shawn had never had so much anger directed at her and from someone she barely knew was rare.

She took a look around and took deep breaths. Her eyes were not growing cloudy, they were finding a way to see through all the years she had missed being with her real family. This was not a warm welcome that she expected.

Becky walked in before she could speak.

'Yes sir, Mr. Lyon.'

'Get me Cookie ASAP. We have a discussion to see through.' He dismissed her just as quickly and Vernon returned into the glass office to be his right hand man. 'No one leaves until the answers I need are given to me.' Shawn ran a hand through her curls with a deep sigh. She probably should have done this at her house, on her turf.

--

Cookie walked in and rushed to hug her daughter. Shawn reluctantly hugged her back, not sure what to do. The others just watched with several emotions playing on their faces.

'What did you do, Lucious?' Her voice was harsh and she expected an answer. The look she gave him had a shudder inducing effect.

'What did you do, Cookie?' Lucious retorted with a sour look on his face. The couple glared each other down.

Shawn took a step back as the tension between them was all too real. Andre looked like he leaned towards his father more and Jamal leaned the way of his mother. She didn't want to be the atomic bomb to land and change their entire life.

'She IS your daughter.' Cookie stated like it wasn't hard to believe. Who would? They barely knew the girl existed until she stepped through those doors.

Lucious shook his head suddenly tickled by the simple thought. Anika grasped his shoulder as if to give him a massage. He shook his head in disapproval. She stepped back with an annoyed look at Cookie who gave her a small smirk.

'I can leave... I don't need to be here.' Shawn finally said. This obviously was a mistake that she wished she could erase.

'No, you wanted this. You were ready for this, right?! This is what being a Lyon is! If you want in on THIS family, you take this man, my three boys, and me. We are so dysfunctional that I feel ignorant for even believing different but that's us...' Cookie started as she saw the look on Shawn's face. It was the same one she wore when she finally told her family to stop wasting their time on watching her rot in jail.

'Go back to your family and live normally like you were before but if you choose us then you choose the Empire and everyone in it.' The air was thick as Shawn stared at each person in the room. 1/5 of the Empire was missing but he wasn't completely out of the picture.

What if she did stay?

How would this scar her in the future?

Is she really ready to acknowledge them?

One day at a time, right?

Should she immediately jump into the Empire?

Or reject them?

Or pretend that she is a new artist on the come up?