Chapter 10 - The Shadow King
Six months later.
The winter snow fell softly over the Vanguard estate. The black granite foyer had been completely remodeled, the dark stone replaced with bright, immaculate marble.
Arthur Vanguard stood at the top of the grand staircase, adjusting the cuffs of a ten-thousand-dollar bespoke suit. He was no longer a mechanic. He was the newly elected Senator, having ridden a wave of public sympathy and ruthless political maneuvering into office.
In the basement holding cells of a federal penitentiary, Genevieve was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The empire was secure.
The heavy oak doors of the foyer opened. Julian Cross walked in, his heavy boots echoing on the new marble.
"The offshore transfers are complete," Julian said, handing Arthur an encrypted tablet. "The Sokolov assets have been successfully absorbed into the blind trust. No one will ever trace it."
"Excellent work, Julian," Arthur said, his voice cold, distant, and eerily similar to his mother's. "You will remain on retainer. I have a feeling Washington is going to require a lot of... clean up."
"I don't do retainers anymore, Senator," Julian said softly.
Arthur frowned, looking down at the fixer. "Excuse me?"
"I fulfilled my contract with your mother," Julian said, turning his back on the most powerful man in the state. "I brought you into the light. What you do with it is your problem. I'm done."
Arthur watched as Julian walked out the heavy oak doors, disappearing into the falling snow. The fixer was gone, melting back into the shadows where he belonged.
May you like
Arthur turned around, looking at the massive oil painting of his mother that now hung over the staircase. He had won the war. He wore the crown. But as the heavy doors locked shut behind Julian, Arthur Vanguard realized the coldest truth of all:
At the top of the empire, you are always completely, utterly alone.
