Margaret stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of her hotel suite, looking out at Singapore's glittering skyline. The room was more luxurious than any place she'd ever stayed—king-sized bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, marble bathroom with a soaking tub, and a living area larger than most apartments.
Earlier that evening, the restaurant manager had presented her with a lifetime exclusive card—the kind reserved for the restaurant's top VIP members. She'd tried to refuse, but Elena had insisted it was already arranged.
"Are you sure this isn't a dream?" Margaret had whispered to herself.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Elena stood in the hallway wearing an elegant dress.
"Ready for dinner?"
---
The restaurant occupied the top floor of the hotel, with views that made Margaret feel like she was dining among the stars. Their table was positioned in a private alcove that somehow felt both intimate and expansive.
After they'd ordered, Margaret couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "How do you handle all this wealth? It seems like... so much."
Elena smiled. "It is a lot. But you get used to it, believe it or not."
"I can't imagine ever getting used to this."
"It all came so abruptly for me too," Elena admitted. "I had dreams of being successful, running a company, making my mark. But not this successful. Never this level of wealth and influence."
She paused, her expression growing softer. "Brandon changed my perspective on the world in more ways than one. He showed me what was possible when you stopped thinking about limitations and started thinking about solutions."
Margaret noticed the way Elena's face lit up when she talked about Brandon. "You really care about him, don't you?"
Elena's cheeks flushed. "Brandon is my partner. Of course I care about him."
Margaret smiled knowingly. "I mean you care about him."
"I..." Elena looked down at her wine glass. "We work well together. That's all."
Margaret just kept smiling, and Elena quickly changed the subject. "Enough about me. What do you plan to do now? With your new life?"
Margaret's expression grew uncertain. "I honestly don't know. I've been stagnant for most of my life. Now that I have freedom, I don't even know where to begin."
"Did you have any aspirations? Before everything?"
"So many," Margaret said wistfully. "I wanted to be an actress, a model. I had all these dreams. But I never got the chance to pursue any of them."
Elena leaned forward with excitement. "Now you can! I have contacts in the movie industry. Brandon owns several movie studios. I'm sure we can help build your acting career."
"You and Brandon have already done enough. I couldn't ask for more." Margaret shook her head. "Plus, I'm a bit too old to be starting an acting career."
Elena looked at her seriously. "Margaret, you're forty years old. That's not too old to pursue your dreams. There are people much older who are doing exactly that. You don't have to worry about age or money or anything else. Brandon and I want to help you."
"But I don't deserve—"
"Stop saying that," Elena interrupted gently. "You deserve happiness and fulfillment just as much as anyone else. And honestly, Brandon and I have too much money. We have trillions to spend. Helping you chase your dreams is exactly the kind of thing we want to use it for."
Margaret's eyes widened. "Trillions? I thought you were billionaires."
Elena smiled and put a finger to her lips. "It's our little secret. The public thinks we're worth about eight hundred billion each. The reality is... significantly higher. But announcing that would cause all sorts of economic and political complications."
Margaret sat back in her chair, trying to process that level of wealth. It was almost incomprehensible.
---
The next morning, they had breakfast at a café overlooking Marina Bay before touring the Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Margaret felt like she was in a movie—every moment more beautiful and surreal than the last.
In the afternoon, they received private massages at a spa so exclusive that Margaret hadn't even known it existed. The evening brought them to a charity gala where Elena was one of the honored guests, introducing Margaret to celebrities and business leaders whose names she'd only read about in magazines.
By the time they boarded the private jet the next morning, Margaret felt transformed. Not just in how she looked—though the new wardrobe and professional styling certainly helped—but in how she saw herself and her possibilities.
---
Brandon's villa in China overlooked the Shanghai skyline from the top of one of the city's most exclusive residential towers. He'd just finished a tense meeting with manufacturing partners who were demanding better terms, threatening to cut ties if their requests weren't met.
He'd handled it with his usual combination of firm negotiation and strategic concessions, but it had been exhausting. Now he stood on the balcony, phone in hand, calling to check on Elena and Margaret.
"We're fine," Elena assured him. "Actually, we're on the jet heading back now. Margaret's been amazing—she's really opening up to the possibilities ahead."
Brandon felt tension he didn't know he'd been holding finally release. "Good. I was worried."
"Stop worrying so much. We had security the entire time, and Margaret is stronger than you think."
After hanging up, Brandon looked out at the city and felt satisfied. The China trip had been necessary, and Margaret had been in good hands with Elena. Sometimes things actually worked out.
---
Richard sat alone in his house, staring at his phone. He'd been calling Victoria all day with no response. Finally, in frustration, he hurled the phone against the wall where it shattered.
He grabbed his car keys and drove to the nearest bar—a dive place where no one would recognize him. The kind of establishment that was very different from the country clubs and executive lounges where he used to drink.
Hours later, he was thoroughly drunk, telling anyone who would listen about how his life had been destroyed by an ungrateful ex-son-in-law and a disloyal wife.
---
Victoria woke up around ten, stretching languidly in the expensive sheets of Garrett Thompson's penthouse apartment. She padded to the kitchen wearing one of his shirts and found him making coffee.
"Morning," she said, wrapping her arms around him from behind.
Garrett was in his mid-forties, distinguished-looking with silver at his temples. As a senior senator, he exuded the kind of power that Victoria found intoxicating.
"How'd you sleep?" he asked.
"Well. You tired me out." She winked. "You did the same to me, if I remember correctly."
Garrett laughed, handing her a cup of coffee. "Your phone was ringing earlier. Multiple times."
"Probably my father. I'll give him some time to cool off, otherwise I'll end up like my mother—trapped and miserable."
"What do you plan to do today?" Garrett asked, checking his watch.
"I thought we could spend time together."
"I'd love to, but I have to get to work. We're trying to pass another bill today."
Victoria's expression shifted to business mode. "How are things going with the Brandon case? Will they declare his company a monopoly?"
Garrett's face became more serious. "It's tough. Public sentiment is against breaking up his companies, and people aren't quiet about it. One wrong move and things will go sour—for us, not him."
"But you'll get him eventually?"
"Eventually, yes. But it won't be quick or easy. For now..." Garrett kissed her forehead. "You should just relax. Let me handle the politics."
As Victoria sipped her coffee, she smiled. Brandon might have won every battle so far, but she was playing a longer game. Senator Thompson was just one of several powerful men she was cultivating relationships with.
Brandon had money and technology, but Victoria was building something different—political leverage that could eventually bring even the mighty down.
She just needed to be patient.