The Queen || ✔

Chapter 55: King Wins

Charles

I never believed in God. I wasn't an atheist either. I just had no belief at all, I was just there. A man with no faith and no direction. But when Hera came to me an hour before Claudia did, I knew that this was God.

She told me that she wished to stay with me. She told me that she still loved me though I caused her pain. She was treating me the same way she treated Claudia, or used to treat her. I couldn't believe my eyes.

But seeing her cry like this was just heartbreaking. I didn't like seeing her like this. Then it was Claudia, I wanted to be mad at her for all that she had put me through, but seeing her break down in front of me was not that satisfying.

I always hoped for the day I'd see her break down again. The day she stops fighting so much and the day she finally becomes weak. That day was here and that moment was now, because the apple of her eye was turning her back on her and choosing me. I didn't feel achieved, but couldn't help but accept that I had accomplished the impossible. Hera was her mother's life, so that meant that if Hera came to me, she'd leave her mother lifeless. Claudia was better of dead than this empty.

Hera looked unapologetic though she was drowned in her own tears. She may have been emotional, but she was speaking with certainty. She meant every word. The final blow was when Hera said that she didn't trust Claudia, that sent Claudia into a tirade of emotions. She looked shocked, angry, heartbroken, confused and in denial all at once.

Claudia shook her head in denial, and Hera whispered to me that she wanted to leave. Not yet, Bullet still had to print the papers he was setting up.

They were transfer papers. They stated that if Claudia signed, she'd transfer everything that she inherited from Luther King to me. I'd have to compensate her with a ten percent cut for her cooperation, that may have seemed like a little, but ten percent of the King fortune was more than enough for her to buy her own country. She would be safe and well looked after once she signed, she'd never have to see me again.

They meant that once she signed, it would be an automatic divorce and we'd never had to cross paths again, we'd both leave alive. They meant that she'd never have to be reminded of her past again, she could finish off her high school career or start a business since she was such a great business woman. She made the empire's profits triple in only four months of being an active member.

This was it, the end of the rivalry between me and Claudia. Once she signed the papers, we'd never have to see each other ever again. I didn't know if this was what she wanted, but I was hoping with all of me that it in fact was.

"Done." Bullet said, then the printer machine in my office started working. The whole room stayed silent while we waited for it to stop, Claudia was still unsure of what was happening, Hera was still sobbing softly and I was thinking about Claudia's reaction once I gave her the papers.

"What are those?" Claudia asked with a very shaky voice, she definitely sounded different.

"Transfer papers." I said, feeling no need to hold the truth back from her. "You sign those and everything becomes mine."

"Everything?" She whispered, trying to process my words.

"I'll give you a ten percent compensation for your cooperation, but... yes, everything. You'll be set for life, I promise, and I'll pay for all of our children's education. Mason included."

"Is it?" She asked, I couldn't sense any emotion in her tone, I was starting to think that she was going mad.

"Yeah... and I'll stay away from you. Your name will be erased from the empire, the mansion, my life and Claudia King will become Claudia Bryan again."

"Divorce?"

"Automatically. It'll be like we never got married to begin with. All twenty-five years will be erased, just how you want it."

"Is that what you think I want?" She asked, smirking slightly.

"Isn't it?"

"Charles... I want many things. But letting everything go that easily, I'm not so sure that's on my list."

"Ma..." Hera spoke up, and we both looked at her, "... stop being so greedy."

Once the printer stopped working, Bullet moved towards the papers and took them. He walked back to me and Claudia came closer. Once she took her first step, I saw it buried in her waist, not a gun. A dagger, my father's. It glimmered against her brown skin, there was no way I wouldn't see it.

"Let me see those papers." She extended her arm and I handed them to her. She took the papers and read them.

Claudia looked up to me, then to Hera, then to Bullet. She stayed looking at Bullet for a very long time, almost like they were communicating with their eyes, then she looked at me again.

"Pen." She said, I felt so relieved.

I gave her the nearest pen I could find and watched her as she signed on the dotted line and initialed every page. My whole life seemed complete in my eyes and I knew that finally, I was going to be happy. Finally, after so long, I'd be so happy.

"Here you go." She gave the papers to me with a smirk on her face and I took them thankfully.

"Check the signatures daddy..." Hera spoke up with her face covered by both of her hands.

"I wouldn't fake my signature Hera, I get you don't trust me anymore, but you still know how I operate."

Hera stayed silent because she knew that it was true. Claudia wouldn't gain anything from faking her signature, so she wouldn't have done it.

"Thank you." I said to her.

"No... thank you. You've freed me." She smiled and I knew that it was a genuine smile.

Suddenly, just as we were about to shake hands, the police stormed in and everything fell apart.