Chapter 7 - The Queen's ThroneOne year later.
The grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel in New York City was filled with hundreds of literary elite, celebrities, and international news reporters.
The occasion was the annual National Book Awards.
My novel, The Shadows We Build, had spent twenty-four consecutive weeks at the top of the international bestseller lists. Critics had called it a masterpiece of modern prose—a fierce, triumphant story of resilience, betrayal, and rising from the ashes.
I stood behind the backstage curtains, wearing a breathtaking custom white silk gown that flowed like liquid silver down my body. A delicate diamond tiara rested in my styled hair, sparkling under the warm stage lights.
A warm, heavy hand slid gently around my waist from behind.
I leaned back into the solid, comforting chest of my husband.
Ryan pressed a soft kiss against the side of my neck, his arms wrapping tightly around me, holding me against his heart.
"Nervous, my love?" Ryan murmured into my ear.
"Not at all," I smiled, turning in his arms to look up into his dark, beautiful eyes. "I have the most powerful man in the world standing behind me."
"Correction," Ryan smirked, leaning down to press a sweet, lingering kiss to my lips. "The most powerful man in the world is standing behind you. You run this empire now, Mrs. Blackwood."
"And now, the winner for Best Fiction Novel of the Year..." the presenter's voice boomed over the loudspeakers in the main auditorium. "...Ellie Blackwood!"
Thunderous applause erupted across the auditorium, deafening and joyous.
Ryan held my hand, kissing the knuckles gently before stepping back to let me take the stage alone. "Go claim your throne, my queen."
I walked out from behind the curtain into the blinding white spotlights. Hundreds of people stood up, giving me a standing ovation—publishers, famous authors, critics, and high-society icons.
Far back near the technical booths, standing near the security doors, I caught a brief glimpse of two people working as part of the venue’s temp catering crew, clearing empty glasses from tables.
It was Daniel and Vanessa.
They were wearing plain black server uniforms, their faces pale, their eyes filled with hollow regret as they watched me stand under the golden lights of the stage. Daniel held a tray of empty champagne flutes, his hands shaking as he stared at the woman he had once called "unambitious."
I didn't linger on them. I offered them no anger, no nod, and no victory glare. They were merely shadows of a past life that had no place in my brilliant present.
I stepped up to the crystal podium, placing my hands on the edges, and looked out at the radiant crowd. My eyes found Ryan, standing near the side of the stage, watching me with boundless, fierce pride and unconditional love.
I smiled, raising my trophy into the light.
"To anyone who has ever been told they weren't enough," I said into the microphone, my voice echoing clear, strong, and triumphant across the grand hall. "Never let someone who doesn't know your worth define your future. Build your own empire, protect your heart... and never be afraid to rewrite your story."
The crowd erupted into wild cheers once more.
May you like
As I walked off the stage, Ryan caught me in his arms, lifting me slightly off the ground as his lips claimed mine in a fierce, passionate kiss that sealed our forever.
The story that had started with one impossible request at table nineteen had ended not in revenge, but in a love that was real, magnificent, and entirely ours.
