“I’m not becoming a bargaining chip,” she added.
But Harold suddenly grabbed her wrist with surprising strength.
“Heirs don’t get to choose comfort,” he said. “The Maddox family offered an alliance. Marriage.”
The Maddox family was one of the few wealthy dynasties powerful enough to rival the Jamesons.
“You choose tonight,” Harold said weakly. “Eric. Jason. Or Logan. I don’t care which one. Just make sure the empire survives after I’m gone.”
Victoria left the room feeling like part of her freedom had already been signed away.
That evening the grand ballroom of the Jameson Seven Star Hotel glittered with chandeliers and flashing cameras. Investors, politicians, and reporters packed the room.
Everyone had come to witness her decision.
Victoria walked down the staircase wearing a midnight blue silk gown that shimmered under the lights like armor.
At the bottom stood the three Maddox brothers.
Eric Maddox, the oldest, greeted her first. His beard was perfectly trimmed. His smile looked rehearsed.