Chapter 10 - The Sovereign Queen
One year after the night at the Grandeur Hotel.
The Grand Ballroom was lit once again with gold leaf, crystal chandeliers, and white Italian marble. The occasion was the annual charity gala for the Saint Jude’s Children's Neurological Foundation—a charity entirely funded and managed by the newly established Hart-Romano Trust.
Four hundred guests filled the room. The socialites, executives, and politicians who had once looked through Lena as if she were invisible now lined up near the private entrance, waiting for an opportunity to speak to her.
Lena Hart stood near the head table, wearing a breathtaking gown of emerald silk that matched her eyes. A single strand of flawless black pearls circled her neck. Her hair was styled in a sleek, modern crown, and her posture was that of a woman who commanded respect without ever having to raise her voice.
Beside her stood Victor. He wore a crisp black tuxedo, looking formidable and proud. His dark eyes rarely left Lena’s face, watching her move through high society with an effortless grace that overshadowed every aristocrat in the room.
Dmitri stood ten paces away, dressed in a sharp suit, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd with watchful vigilance, though his expression was far more relaxed than it had been a year ago.
Near table four, fourteen-year-old Toby sat in a comfortable armchair, talking brightly with two pediatric specialists. He was walking with a light cane now, his recovery defying every medical prediction.
At 9:15 PM—the exact time the glass had been poisoned one year ago—the head banquet manager stepped toward the dais with a silver tray bearing two glasses of vintage champagne.
The room quieted slightly as guests watched the tray approach.
Victor picked up one glass. Lena picked up the second.
They stood together at the edge of the dais, looking out over the magnificent room.
Victor raised his glass, his dark eyes locked onto Lena’s green ones with deep, unshakeable devotion.
"To the maid who hit me," Victor said, his low voice carrying a warmth meant only for her.
Lena smiled—a brilliant, stunning smile that illuminated her whole face. She raised her crystal glass, tilting it slightly to catch the light of the chandelier overhead.
May you like
"To the man who learned to listen," Lena replied softly.
They touched their glasses together. The clear, ringing sound of crystal echoed through the Grand Ballroom, drowning out the ghosts of the past and marking the beginning of an empire built not on fear, but on absolute, unbreakable loyalty.
