To Serve and to Seduce: A Queen Worth Breaking for

Vivica’s POV When I was little, Mama often told me that wealth came with a price... And as I got older, I began to truly understand what she'd meant. I was a billionaire now. A woman who could afford anything she wanted. A woman who had thousands of people at her beck and call... A woman who had paid the price for wealth. "Jamal, I need you to go faster. I snapped. Isolde will throw a tantrum if we arrive late." Isolde was my daughter. And I was on my way to her recital. I was the only parent in Isolde's life. My ex-husband Tristan had cheated on me with another woman while I had been pregnant with Isolde. Tristan and I had built an intentional life together. The empire I currently ruled was his idea, the underground fighting ring and clubs that gave me heavy returns. But I was the one who'd put in the work. And so, he had no claims on anything I owned. I had left him everything we'd built together after our separation became legal. The house we had bought as a couple. The car. I'd had nothing on my back except determination and grit. With a little baby who was less than six months old, I had begun to plan and execute. I had done a few questionable things... things I didn't regret, because they'd bought me this life that I now enjoyed. I grabbed my phone and thumbed through it, letting out a loud sigh. "Jamal, why can't this car go faster?" "Ma'am, I can't push past the speeding limit. Else, we'd be flagged down by the police. And that's the last thing we both want right now." Jamal was a former military man. Trained in every type of close combat. He was my driver, who also doubled as my guard. With the kind of life I led, it had become necessary to always move around with protection. Jamal was my protection. Even Isolde was never left alone. I made sure she was watched at all times. Home lessons would have been best for her, but I had wanted her to experience a relatively normal life. She was just five. A little too young to be hated on. For now, I was the public's target. And I was more than okay with being the target of their bullying if that meant Isolde was kept safe from it. I had just tucked my phone away when it happened. A thunderous crack exploded against the side of the Maybach. The entire car jolted. Tires screamed. Metal bent. My skull whipped sideways, smacking the window hard. Pain seared through me, and I clutched my head in my hands and fought the urge to scream. My heart thudded hard and fast as I realized that the car that had slammed into us was making a deliberate reverse and then hurtling forward again for a repeat. Jesus Christ. This was no drunk driver. This was a deliberate plan to kill. I looked wildly around, thinking fast on my feet. We needed help. And we needed it fast. I couldn't die. I couldn't leave Isolde behind. This world was too cruel. They would never love her like I do. No one could protect her like me. I needed to stay alive for my daughter. I needed to stay alive for her. And I was going to. Even if that meant unlocking the car right now and making a run for it. But before I could reach for the door handle, Jamal's voice cut through my chaotic thoughts. “Hold on!” Another impact. This time from behind. A second vehicle slammed into our rear, trying to pin us. My bag hurled forward, its contents spilling to the ground, including all my devices. There was more than one. Oh God. I saw the glint of a rifle through a tinted windshield. Not random. This was a setup. Jamal didn’t hesitate. One hand on the wheel, the other reached beneath his seat, yanked out a matte-black Glock, and fired through the driver-side window. Glass exploded outward. Two shots. Precision clean. He had been trained for this. The pursuing car swerved, clipped the median, and veered off with a screech. Maybe they hadn't expected us to be armed. Or maybe Jamal had gotten one of them. “Still coming?” I barked, ducking low to avoid their own fire. “No. Cowards backed off. At least for now.” Jamal’s voice was stone. “We need to move.” I looked wildly behind us. No more tail. But I knew better than to relax. Anyone who planned an ambush at rush hour wasn’t working alone. My ears were ringing, heart pounding—but not from fear. From fury. Who would dare try to f*****g kill me??? Janal drove at high speed for a while, and I just sat, numb and scared and unable to wrap my head around all that had just happened. "We can't go to the recital." I muttered after what seemed like forever. "Yes." Jamal nodded. "We can't risk your daughter's life like that, miss." "We need her picked up right now." I said with urgency as it suddenly dawned on me that whoever had come after me could go after her too. I grabbed my phone from the car floor, ready to make the call to be sure that my daughter was taken somewhere safe, but the screen had gone blank. I didn't bother to check the state of my laptop and iPad. "Take me to a phone shop right now." I ordered Jamal. "Yes, ma'am." He said, without questions asked. "Is your own device still in good condition?" I asked. Jamal nodded and instantly reached into his pocket for his phone. He handed it over, and I quickly scrolled through the contact, glad that he had the contact of the other guard who was always with Isolde. The man picked up on the first ring. "Jamal?" "This is Vicica. I want my daughter out of the school grounds right now and taken somewhere safe." I ordered. "Yes, ma'am. But—" " No, buts." I snapped. "Isolde is on the stage right now." The guard whispered, fear laced in his voice. "I do not care whether she's about to be given an award. What I do care about, Daniel, is the safety and life of my daughter. Get her out of there right now. And don't make me repeat myself." "Yes, ma'am." He acquiesced. "Good." Now, it was time to find out who wanted me dead.