Defending Our Empire

We Need to Make Amends

*A little note at the end of the chapter for yall Undefined Destiny fans.*

Sitting in his office, Lucious unraveled a bundle of letters. His anger made him reflect back to when Cookie was locked up. Maybe she hinted at telling him that she was messing with someone else. Maybe he just didn't open the letter and read it. It wasn't an easy time for him mentally then. He wanted her home. He wanted his family back. But everytime he saw her or read a letter, he fell into a sunken place.

I miss being just about the music about as much as I miss hearing you cry at night from hunger because I was too busy being about music to go make money to feed you. He hated that time frame. He took Cookie's Four Hundred Thousand and bought the first building for Empire. No plan laid out. Nothing more in his brain but to create something. He didn't want her time in prison to be for nothing but he also wanted to occupy his mind.

The first day he bought it, he stayed there for 3 days straight just thinking. He was wracking his brain trying to put this company together. Trying to see his own vision, Cookie's voice droned on and on in his head. He heard her voice so damn much it became his second mind. If his first mind couldn't put something together, his second one definitely could. He skimmed through letter after letter. Where did she tell him? Did she tell him?

Opening one envelope, he noticed the letter was pretty thick. He sat back and read it word for word, line for line. How did he not notice this packet Cookie sent? He looked at the date of the postage stamp, realizing it all made sense. This was after Dottie got killed. He was actively avoiding her in every way he could. Turning his focus back to the letter, he continued to read what she had to say.

I've been in love with you since I was 15 years old and not once did I ever think you would do me like this. It was supposed to be Cookie and Lucious forever. You and Me. All you'd ever need remember? I was enough for you and I know that I'm not physically there with you everyday but baby I'm here. I'm right here. This shit is hard as hell without you. I want to hear your voice. I want to see you. I want to smell your cologne again. I want to fall asleep to your heartbeat again. I want you to hold me and kiss me. I want you Lucious. But I guess my time has run out. I thought it would take years before you just abandoned me like that. Hell I might've been okay with you fucking another bitch as long as you wrapped it up but we ain't even made it a year. Just tell me why. Why are you doing this to me? I'm sacrificing everything for you. Why are you doing this? I don't know why I'm wasting my time asking you this when you've made your decision. It's my own fault. Chasing a dream, a fantasy. Convincing myself that I meant something to you. I wasn't shit to you I guess. I should've listened to my daddy about you. He told me you'd break my heart and bring me down. Don't get no lower than this. But it's whatever. You moved on so I guess I should too. I wrote you one last song. It's the last thing you'll get from me. Goodbye Lucious.

Lu wiped a stray tear away, flipping the page and revealing the song she wrote. Mouthing the words, his guilt grew 10 fold by the time he finished it. Had he opened this letter and went to see her, she wouldn't have moved on to the likes of Damon Cross. If he had read shit before signing away, the divorce papers would've never been sent. The red light on his intercom lit up, his newest secretary calling in. "Sir Yana is here to see you."

He wiped his face and bundled up the letters, throwing them in his bag. "Let her in." Straightening up his desk, he forgot to put the song away as well. "What's up Yana?" He asked a she walked inside. "Ummm you told me to come here." She sat across from him, his energy sending her through a whirlwind. "Are you okay?" She looked at him, wondering if he'd relax for a second.

"Yeah just busy. So I want to get you in the studio. See how you sound in the booth. How's your writing going?" "I.... I haven't really been able to write lately. It comes and goes. I don't know if I'm just stressed or worried about the wrong thing." Yana eyed a piece of folded paper, words written all over it. "What is usually your muse? What moves you the most?" Lu stood up, needing a stiff drink to keep his mind on business and not his wife.