To the world, Vincent Blackwood and Anastasia Vasiliev were two unstoppable forces destined to collide. The financial titans, the two ruling monarchs, the only ones capable of standing against each other. Their names were spoken in hushed whispers, their power feared, their intelligence unmatched.
Yet, in truth, there was no battle between them.
There never had been.
The world simply did not understand.
For Vincent, Anastasia was his everything. His goddess, his ruler, his reason for standing at the top. No matter how powerful he became, no matter how far he ascended, he would always belong to her. Even after seizing control of the Blackwood empire and reshaping it into an indomitable force, he had never once thought of surpassing her.
Because he knew he never could.
Because he knew he never wanted to.
Anastasia was not simply powerful—she was inevitable. The world thought they were rivals, but Vincent understood the truth. There was no competition between them. He had already lost to her long ago, the moment he had fallen in love with her.
And he would lose to her again and again if it meant he could stay by her side.
The world saw Vincent as a cold-blooded ruler, a man who had crushed his own family to rise above them, a man who had seized the underground world with ruthless precision. They saw a monarch ruling over the shadows, feared even by the most dangerous organizations.
But they did not know that every step he took, every empire he built, every kingdom he burned—he did it all for her.
He never let his power outgrow hers.
He never let his influence surpass hers.
He had rewritten the balance of the world, but only in a way that would ensure Anastasia's place above all.
The world could speculate all they wanted about their supposed rivalry. The businessmen who feared their names could place bets on which empire would reign supreme. The underground forces could whisper about the coming war between the Vasilievs and the Blackwoods.
But it would never come.
Because there was no battle between them.
Because there were only two rulers, standing at the top of the world.
And Vincent?
Vincent was simply waiting for the day Anastasia would finally claim him.