Chapter 6 - The Fall of the KingVanessa Quinn had already backed away into the crowd, her face ghost-white, desperately trying to disappear into the sea of silk and tuxedos. She knew a sinking ship when she saw one, and Dominic Vance was plunging straight to the bottom of the lake.
Two burly security guards in dark suits stepped out from the shadows of the dais, grabbing Dominic firmly by his shoulders and hauling him to his feet.
“Sir, you need to leave,” the head guard stated flatly.
“No! Wait! Evelyn, please!” Dominic screamed as they dragged him backward across the polished marble floor, leaving a trail of shattered champagne glass in his wake. “You can’t do this to me! I’m the King of the Lake! I made you! I made you!”
“You didn't make me, Dominic,” I called out softly over the commotion. “You just gave me a reason to build my own throne.”
The heavy oak doors slammed shut behind him, cutting off his frantic cries.
The ballroom remained suspended in stunned silence for three full seconds before Richard Mercer raised his champagne glass, letting out a warm, booming laugh that broke the tension.
“Well!” Richard announced to the room, a wide smile spreading across his face. “It seems the Meridian Gala has a new guest of honor. Ladies and gentlemen, to the true architect of Chicago’s future—Evelyn Sterling!”
The room erupted into thunderous applause.
May you like
Investors, politicians, and socialites who had spent years bowing to Dominic Vance now rushed forward, competing for the chance to shake my hand, offer their congratulations, and pay homage to the new queen of the city.
For the rest of the evening, I stood on the executive dais, not as a decoration on a powerful man’s arm, but as the master of the entire board.
