Chapter 10 - The Queen’s Reign
Six months later.
The Obsidian Resort & Casino was thriving like never before. Without Julian’s ego-driven mistakes and reckless spending, our profit margins had soared. I had personally overseen the opening of two new sister properties in Macau and Monaco, expanding the Vanguard syndicate into a global powerhouse.
It was New Year's Eve.
I stood in the exact same VIP penthouse where this entire saga had begun. The room had been completely renovated, erasing every trace of Julian and his terrible taste. It was sleek, modern, and unapologetically mine.
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, holding a glass of vintage champagne, looking down at the Las Vegas Strip. The city was a river of light and energy, pulsing with life.
My grandfather, Alistair, walked up beside me, leaning on his cane. He looked down at the city, then over to me, a rare, genuine smile gracing his hardened features.
“You’ve done well, Victoria,” he said quietly. “The board is terrified of you. The competitors respect you. You have proven yourself worthy of the bloodline.”
“I had a good teacher,” I smiled, clinking my glass against his.
“Do you ever think about him?” Alistair asked, his sharp eyes studying my face.
I took a sip of the champagne. It was crisp, cold, and perfect.
I thought about Julian sitting in a federal penitentiary, staring at a concrete wall, serving a fifteen-year sentence. I thought about the twelve years I had spent shrinking myself to make him feel tall.
“No,” I answered honestly. “I don't think about the foundation once the skyscraper is built. He was just the dirt we poured the concrete over.”
Alistair chuckled, a deep, satisfied sound. “Spoken like a true Vanguard.”
I looked back out over the glittering empire below. The fireworks began to detonate over the Bellagio fountains in the distance, painting the night sky in brilliant shades of gold and crimson.
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I didn't need a king to rule. I had built this castle with my own hands, and I would hold it with an iron grip. The world had assumed my life ended the night I was escorted out of the lobby.
They didn't know it was simply the night I decided to stop playing the wife, and finally become the owner.
