Chapter 15 - THE GHOST PHOTOGRAPH
Back in the penthouse, the evening lights of Manhattan began to twinkle against the glass skyline like a constellation of digital currency.
Vivien stood alone in the master suite, her reflection framed by the vast city below. She walked over to the minimalist oak nightstand—the exact spot where she had casually discarded her wedding ring just days ago—and picked up a small silver frame holding a faded photograph.
It was a picture of her father, Viktor Vasiliev, smiling warmly on a sunlit pier in St. Petersburg, years before the betrayal, years before Matteo Vescari orchestrated his ruin under the guise of an ambitious business partnership.
Vivien traced the glass with her thumb, a soft, melancholic smile touching her lips.
"We took it all back, Papa," she murmured to the empty room.
The door behind her opened silently, and Luca stepped inside, keeping a respectful distance.
"The regional directors are assembled in the main lounge, mauna," Luca reported respectfully. "They’re waiting for your instructions regarding the European shipping lanes."
May you like
Vivien placed the silver photograph back down on the nightstand, adjusted the cuffs of her charcoal blazer, and turned around with the absolute, unyielding authority of a sovereign queen.
"Tell them I’ll be right there," Vivien said smoothly. "And let them know that from now on, the rules of the house have changed permanently."
