Page 73 of Daddy's Christmas Obsession
"I want to see it all," she says with fierce determination. "I want to be your partner in everything."
"You will be," I promise. "My perfect, dark queen."
As she drifts off to sleep in my arms, I feel a satisfaction deeper than any business victory, any conquest I've ever achieved. Because this isn't just about possession anymore—it's about partnership. About finding someone who can match my darkness, who can stand beside me in the shadows without flinching.
Kyra Sinclair is dead. In her place lies a woman worthy of being called mine.
My queen. My equal. My greatest masterpiece.
And tomorrow, I'll begin showing her exactly what kind of empire we're going to build together.
Chapter twenty-two
Kyra
Iwake up on Christmas morning feeling like a completely different person than I was. Victor's arm is wrapped possessively around my waist, his breathing deep and even against my neck. The engagement ring catches the pale winter sunlight streaming through the windows, and I can't help but smile at how perfectly everything has fallen into place.
Not the way Victor thinks it has, of course. He believes he's orchestrated my complete corruption, turned me into his dark queen through careful manipulation and seduction. And he has, to an extent. I do love him—desperately, completely, against all logic and reason. I am changed by what we've shared, what we've done together.
But I'm not the passive victim he thinks he's created.
The truth is, I'm a fast learner. These past days have been an education in power, in manipulation, in getting what you want. Victor taught me that money equals influence, that influence equals the ability to make real change. He showed me how to be ruthless in pursuit of what I want.
He just doesn't realize I've been taking notes.
Yesterday, when I watched him calmly discuss his son's potential murder, when I felt that surge of power as I destroyed Aaron with words alone—that's when I understood. This world Victor has brought me into, this darkness he's introduced me to, it's not just about destruction. It's about having the resources and the will to make things happen.
And I know exactly what I want to make happen.
"Good morning, beautiful," Victor murmurs against my ear, his hand sliding up to cup my breast. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," I reply, arching back against him. "I can't believe everything that's happened."
"Neither can I," he says, and I can hear the satisfaction in his voice. "You've exceeded every expectation I had."
If only he knew.
I turn in his arms to face him, studying the man who thinks he's claimed me so completely. He's handsome, powerful, dangerous—everything I told him I wanted. But more importantly, he's wealthy beyond imagination and completely besotted with the woman he believes he's created.
"Victor," I say softly, running my fingers through his silver hair. "Yesterday was... intense."
"You were perfect," he assures me. "Absolutely perfect. The way you handled Aaron, the strength you showed—you're everything I knew you could become."
I let a shadow of doubt cross my expression, just for a moment. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm losing myself. If the person I'm becoming is someone I should be afraid of."
His arms tighten around me protectively. "You're not losing yourself, sweetheart. You're finding yourself. The real you, not the version you thought you had to be to make other people comfortable."
"But what if I go too far? What if I become so focused on having power that I forget why I wanted it in the first place?"
It's a carefully crafted vulnerability, inspired by everything he's taught me about reading people, about finding their weak spots and exploiting them. Victor wants to be my savior, my protector, the man who gives me everything I need. So I'll give him the chance to be exactly that.
"What did you want power for?" he asks gently.
"To make a difference," I admit, allowing genuine emotion to color my voice. "To save lives. To use my research to actually help people instead of just publishing papers that sit in academic journals. I wanted to change the world, Victor. Sometimes I worry that in choosing this life with you, I've given up on that dream."
I can practically see the wheels turning in his mind. The idea forming, taking shape, becoming something he'll convince himself was entirely his notion.
"What if you didn't have to give it up?" he says slowly. "What if choosing this life with me actually made those dreams more possible than they've ever been?"
