All Chapters of Queen of the West: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

MONIQUETen years laterIt felt good to be back out in the city that never sleeps—New York, a city that had swallowed me whole and, in return, spat me out stronger.I watched my childhood and innocence engulfed in flames just shy of a decade ago. The first few years of my life after the tragedy were like getting dragged through razor wire... nearly impossible even, especially in a world I now called mine. I could have been assassinated along with my parents that night, but I managed to maneuver the part where I was the victim and slip out of the tragedy of being the timid kid orphaned by bullets. I had to burn those memories of being bullied as a teenager, and you know what else I did? I became well-acquainted with the dangers that my family attracted, those dangers that lurked due to power and position.I drove myself to 'The Dark Pulse' nightclub. It was one of the newer clubs in town, and its reputation was spoken about by people who knew it. It was not just an advertised spectacle

MONIQUEMy therapist once told me about the four stages of rage. Annoyance, frustration, hostility—and then fury. I didn't think I had felt the first three, not really. But that final stage? The white-hot, blinding intensity of fury? I felt it now, burning through me like a fire I couldn't control.I didn't cry when I watched my parents get murdered. I didn't cry at their funeral when they were lowered into the ground, the weight of grief suffocating me. But seeing the face of their killer? Discovering I had unknowingly spent the night with him, sharing an unforgettable, passionate encounter? That broke me in a way nothing else had.The tears came before I could stop them, hot and bitter. The anger surged inside me, unstoppable, until I was shaking with the force of it. I locked myself in my bedroom all morning, burying my face in the pillows, letting the rage consume me until I had nothing left but exhaustion.But I couldn't stay in that place. Not now. Not with so much at stake.A s

LIAMAs soon as I left Felix, my irritation still pulsing beneath the surface, I gave him a clear directive: "Dig into this 'Queen of the West.' I want to know everything by morning."This day kept getting better and better, with more mysterious women throwing themselves in my path.This Queen of the West woman, whoever she was, sounded more like a joke and a waste of time, and I had a feeling the stunt she pulled back in the game room wouldn't be her last.I walked out of the casino, the glitzy lights doing nothing to calm the storm inside me. Once in the back of the car, I pulled out my phone and started making necessary calls. The night and my initial plans were already ruined. I needed to reshape my plans to gain new and bigger deals... more partnerships and expand my dealings far beyond the country. That was the aim when I first started to build my empire from the ground up.I decided to call the hotel contractor working on my newest hotel, which would open in a few weeks. The ma

LIAMThe moment I rounded the corner and saw her, my heart nearly stopped. It was...her. I had my men fucking combing the entire city for her without any luck. Of course, I wouldn't tell her how obsessed I'd been trying to track her down.But here she was, standing in my building, looking at me like she belonged.Jesus fucking Christ, she was more than I remembered—even more striking in the light of day, her presence pulling all the air from the room, just like she had done at the club the other night. I caught myself staring, my mind spinning at how the hell she ended up here, of all places. For a second, the shock must have shown on my face, but I quickly concealed it."You," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though I couldn't quite hide the flicker of surprise.Her smile was slow, almost teasing, a knowing curve of her lips that did something to my mind and body. I couldn't tell if I was irritated or intrigued by this foreign disturbance from such a sinfully gorgeous woman. M

MONIQUEI wasn't one to use my body to get what I wanted, or in this sense, I would call it 'female privilege.' But I had started to figure out that I could get Liam wrapped around my finger if I agreed to play his little cat-and-mouse game. He already made it clear that he wanted to make me his "sex plaything." But how would I be that and still keep close tabs on his business affairs? I was handed the easy route on a platter of gold.We were in the middle of a meeting with the hotel contractor and licensor, the two men seated opposite Liam's massive desk while I stood by his side, ready to pass him any documents that required his signature. Liam was listening intently, his expression as sharp as ever, but I could feel his attention slipping—more toward me than the men sitting across from him. I could tell he was fighting it, trying hard to keep his focus on the business at hand, but every time I bent down or leaned closer to hand him a pen or paper, his eyes dipped lower, following th