Chapter 15: The Weight of an Empire
(Keifer's POV)
London mornings were cold.
Colder than anything I remembered back home.
The sky outside my office window was gray, covered with thick clouds as the city slowly woke up below. Cars moved like tiny ants on the busy streets while people hurried to work.
From the top floor of the building, everything looked small.
Controlled.
Predictable.
Unlike my life.
I sat at the head of a long conference table while the board members continued their discussion.
"…the European expansion will increase profits by at least twelve percent," one of them said.
Another man pushed a folder toward me.
"Mr. Watson, we also need your approval for the new investment contracts."
Everyone in the room was watching me.
Waiting.
Judging.
A few months ago I was just another student.
Now I was the one running a company worth billions.
I flipped through the documents calmly.
Numbers.
Contracts.
Business plans.
It all felt strangely easy.
"Approved," I said simply.
The executives exchanged impressed looks.
One of them spoke carefully.
"You've adapted to this position faster than we expected, Mr. Watson."
I didn't respond.
Instead I closed the file and leaned back slightly in my chair.
Running a company wasn't the hard part.
Making decisions.
Negotiating deals.
Managing people.
None of that was difficult.
What was difficult…
Was the silence after work.
The empty penthouse.
The nights when there was nothing to distract my mind.
The chairman cleared his throat.
"There is also the matter of the Singapore partnership."
"Schedule the meeting," I said.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir."
The meeting continued for another thirty minutes before I finally stood up.
"That's all for today."
The room immediately filled with movement as everyone gathered their papers.
"Good work, everyone," I added.
They nodded respectfully.
"Thank you, Mr. Watson."
One by one they left the room until I was alone again.
I walked toward the large glass window overlooking the city.
London looked powerful from up here.
This city respected wealth.
Power.
Influence.
And now…
I had all three.
My phone vibrated on the table behind me.
I didn't need to look to know what it was.
The call from earlier.
Jay's voice still echoed in my head.
"I hate you, Mark Keifer Watson."
My jaw tightened slightly.
Those words had cut deeper than anything else ever had.
But I deserved it.
Because the truth would only make things worse.
If she knew about Yuri's threats…
If she knew what kind of danger she was in…
She would never stay away.
And that was exactly what Yuri wanted.
So it was better this way.
Better if she hated me.
Better if she believed I used her.
At least she would stay safe.
My assistant knocked on the door.
"Mr. Watson?"
"Yes."
"You have a call from the New York branch."
I turned back toward the desk.
"Put it through."
She nodded and left.
The office phone rang.
I answered it calmly.
"This is Keifer Watson."
A man's voice spoke from the other side.
"Sir, the investors are impressed with the results from last quarter."
"Good."
"Your leadership has increased the company's value by almost four billion in just a few months."
I listened quietly.
Four billion dollars.
The world would call that success.
But none of it meant anything.
Because the only person I wanted to tell about it…
Was the one person who would never speak to me again.
The call ended a few minutes later.
I placed the phone back on the desk and leaned back in my chair.
Somewhere across the ocean…
Jay was probably laughing with her family.
Teasing her brothers.
Living her life.
Without me.
And maybe that was exactly how it should be.
Because sometimes loving someone meant accepting something painful.
Watching them live happily…
Even if you weren't part of their world anymore.