Chapter 10 - The Final Move
The private jet soared smoothly above the clouds, cutting through the golden rays of the setting sun as it headed toward the Swiss Alps for our first international summit.
I stood by the window of the cabin, holding a crystal glass of amber liquor, watching the endless expanse of the horizon. Marcus sat across the aisle, reviewing security clearance documents for our arrival, while Elena managed the encrypted communications terminals at the back of the jet.
My phone vibrated on the small mahogany table beside me. I picked it up. It was an anonymous text message from an unknown number—a number I hadn't seen since the day of Carl's funeral.
The message contained only a single sentence:
May you like
“Checkmate, my love.”
A soft, genuine smile touched my lips. I set the phone down, turned back toward the window, and raised my glass to the empty sky, to the dying man who had changed my life forever, and to the powerful queen I had finally become.
