Michael stepped into the grand parlor, dusting off the last remnants of the long road trip.
Seeing Mary and Elizabeth hurrying toward him, a broad smile of genuine love and affection lit his face.
"My two favorite women in the world!" he exclaimed, his deep voice carrying across the foyer.
They laughed, each taking one of his arms and pulling him into a tight, dual embrace. They guided him toward the settee.
"Oh, Michael, we were so worried!" Mary murmured, smoothing his hair back. "Tell us everything. How was the trip? Did you like the university?"
Michael stretched, leaning back comfortably. "The travel went well—the car performed flawlessly the whole way. And yes, I liked the campus very much."
Elizabeth gave him a stern look, though her eyes were filled with motherly concern. "But why, Michael? Why couldn't you have chosen Columbia University here in New York? It's practically in our backyard."
Michael reached out and put his arms around both of their shoulders, his voice softening. "Because, Mamas, it has to be Harvard. It's for the prestige and, more importantly, the connections I need to make in the next few years. That's where the nation's future leaders are being trained."
Mary nodded, acknowledging the hard logic of his ambition. "If you insist, but you promise to call?"
"Every day," Michael affirmed. It was a promise he could keep easily, especially since the Kingston Telephone Company (KTC) had recently completed laying the long-distance lines necessary to provide reliable communication between New York and Massachusetts.
As they settled into a lighter mood, Elizabeth's eyes sparkled. "We have a surprise for you, Michael."
"Oh?" Michael's interest piqued immediately. "What is it?"
Both Mary and Elizabeth stood, leading him from the parlor and across the Persian rugs toward the dimly lit library. In the center of the room, positioned on a heavy wooden easel, was a large canvas completely draped in a heavy linen cloth.
Michael stopped short, his jaw slackening. He looked from the covered object to the expectant faces of his mothers. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked, the excitement in his voice unmistakable.
Mary and Elizabeth exchanged a silent, satisfied glance. Even securing a million-dollar deal rarely excited Michael this much.
Michael approached the easel and, with sudden reverence, carefully pulled away the covering cloth.
On the canvas was a vortex of midnight blue and iridescent yellow: the unmistakable, swirling landscape of The Starry Night. The heavens looked like they were exploding in thick, rolling paint, stars spinning in a fierce, chaotic light over the quiet homes of the village below. The emotional force of the work hit him instantly.
Michael stood motionless for a long moment, simply absorbing the painting. "It's beautiful," he finally whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Mary and Elizabeth knew exactly how much he loved Van Gogh. Two years earlier, during a family trip to Paris, Michael had seen a painting—Café Terrace at Night—and it had immediately captivated him. That painting, a bright, luminous depiction of a street café, had resonated with a deep, silent part of his soul. They had spent a staggering 100,000 French francs (almost $20,000 in American money) to acquire it, and Michael had never forgotten the feeling it gave him.
The artist behind the painting, Vincent van Gogh, was only beginning to gain critical recognition in the world of art. He had died in 1890 after years of poverty and mental illness, having sold only a single painting during his lifetime. In 1905, fifteen years after his death, Van Gogh was still far from being a household name. His fame was primarily limited to a small circle of avant-garde artists, critics, and collectors who were slowly discovering the brilliance and emotional intensity of his work.
Michael was not a pretentious art connoisseur; truthfully, he didn't know much about painting technique or history, but Van Gogh's raw, honest work simply connected with him on a profound level. He already collected and treasured Starry Night Over the Rhône, Wheatfield with Crows, and Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background, along with several self-portraits of Van Gogh, each one acquired in the last two years.
"Son, are you crying?" Elizabeth asked softly, noticing the shine on his cheeks.
Michael touched his face in surprise, finding it wet, and let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "I... I don't know," he admitted. It was profoundly rare for him to show such open emotion.
He turned swiftly, enveloping both Mary and Elizabeth in a tight, grateful hug. "Thank you, Mamas. Again."
As they pulled back, Michael looked back at the canvas, his professional curiosity returning despite the emotion. "So, how much did it cost this time?"
His spending on these unique pieces had amounted to nearly $200,000 in the last two years.
Elizabeth supplied the answer with a casual shrug that belied the immense figure. "This one was $50,000 , Michael. We knew you had to have it."
($1.75 million dollars in 2025 after adjusting for inflation.)
Michael let out a sharp, low whistle at the figure. "Fifty thousand! It's certainly getting costly to acquire them, but the paintings are absolutely worth every penny."
As the three of them stood admiring the new canvas, the door to the library opened, and John and George entered.
John smiled broadly and moved to give Michael a hearty hug. George followed suit.
"So, you bought another painting, huh?" John asked, his eyes immediately assessing the scale and richness of the canvas.
"You are wasting money, Mary and Liz," George grumbled good-naturedly, though he knew better than to truly protest.
They ignored his grumbling.
John turned his attention to Michael. "Seriously, Michael, what will you do with all these paintings? Our walls are already full."
Michael's eyes shone with excitement. "These paintings deserve to be appreciated and enjoyed by the whole world. After some years, I am thinking of opening a museum, after acquiring the works of other artists."
"So more money went down the drain," George muttered, unable to help himself.
Michael clapped his father on the shoulder, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Dad, sometimes I really think you should do something to broaden your horizons other than business. Don't you think it's time to cultivate a little taste?"
They all shared a hearty laugh at the cheeky suggestion.
One by one, the family filtered out of the library, leaving Michael alone with the vibrant new painting. He needed to catch up on the status of various business ventures.
He first turned to Kingston Oil. The company had continued its relentless, quiet expansion, and the latest figures showed it now controlled 15 percent of all U.S. oil production and final sales, generating a profit of $12.1 million in 1904. It was an exponential growth, yet the comparison remained stark: Standard Oil still commanded almost 70 percent of the nation's entire oil supply. Kingston Oil was aggressively planning the construction of a massive new refinery in the Midwest to rapidly ramp up its production capacity and challenge Standard Oil's grip on the processing sector.
Next, he reviewed the publishing arm. Kingston Publishing had successfully opened major newspapers in several new cities. The New York Inquirer continued to be the flagship, boasting a massive daily circulation of 550,000. More impressively, the combined daily circulation across all the new city papers now exceeded 3 million copies generating $4.5 million in profits in 1904.
Next, he checked the status of Kingston Steel. The company was currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand, fueled by the aggressive urban development across the nation. The successful completion of the Sentinel Tower in Wall Street in 1903—a massive project that stands at 827 feet (252 meters) and contains 63 floors—cemented Kingston Steel's reputation. By the completion of Sentinel Tower, it became the largest building in the world, surpassing Philadelphia City Hall, which stood at 548 feet (167 meters).
The ongoing demand for steel for similar, new massive projects was now keeping the mills running around the clock.
Kingston Steel had bought several other steel mills and successfully purchased the Bethlehem Steel Company and its remaining subsidiaries from the United States Shipbuilding Company for approximately $7.5 million. This strategic move instantly established Kingston Steel as the second-largest steel producer in the USA, commanding a 21 percent market share, second only to US Steel, which dominated with a 63 percent share.
Kingston Steel reported profits of $6.5 million in 1904; the figure would have been considerably higher, but most of its capital was tied up in aggressive acquisitions necessary for rapid expansion.
The success of this landmark project also catapulted Kingston Construction, the division responsible for the tower's erection, into the top tier of national construction firms, demonstrating their capability to manage the most massive and complex urban developments. Kingston Construction reported a profit of $1.8 million in 1904.
The Kingston General Stores had continued its impressive expansion,now operating more than 1,200 stores nationwide, generating massive total sales of $50 million in 1904 alone. Despite this incredible scale, Michael's revolutionary streamlined retail model focused on low prices, generating profits exceeding $7.5 million in 1904 by maintaining a narrow profit margin of just 15 percent, with aggressive plans already in place to reduce it even further. This strategy firmly established Kingston General Stores as a dominant force in the American retail market.
Kingston Mining continued to be a diverse and highly lucrative operation, reporting substantial profits of $7.2 million in 1904. Critically, Michael had recently separated the iron ore mining operations, merging them directly under Kingston Steel to ensure tighter supply chain control. Kingston Mining's remaining portfolio—including extensive extraction of gold, copper, coal, bauxite, zinc, lead, aluminum, manganese, and silver—was performing exceptionally well, capitalizing on high global demand for base and precious metals.
Kingston Bank had quickly grown, establishing 22 branches in major cities and generating profits of $2.7 million in 1904.
Kingston Investments, which had evolved from the original holding company, Kingston Inc., had generated the highest financial returns of any Kingston venture, reporting a massive profit of $15 million. This extraordinary success was driven almost entirely by Michael's gift, making it the branch where his unique gift truly shined, transforming strategic intuition into immediate, immense wealth.
Then he reviewed Kingston Security Services. This division was less focused on immediate, massive profit and more on employee satisfaction and strategic stability. It now operates with a team of 1,500 security personnel across New York, Beaumont, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, providing essential protection for all Kingston properties while also offering services to external clients. While it generated a modest profit of only $750,000 in 1904, the services were known for offering excellent employee benefits, resulting in a highly loyal and satisfied workforce.
Overall, the nine major Kingston ventures generated a combined profit of $58.05 million in 1904.
Michael also reviewed the progress of the Kingston Telephone Company (KTC). While strategically vital KTC was currently not a profit center. The company now provides over 100,000 telephone services, validating the massive push for infrastructure. In fact, due to the aggressive laying of long-distance lines and necessary infrastructure building, the company posted a loss, requiring the family to invest $3.3 million of their own money last year. However, due to the aggressive laying of long-distance lines and necessary infrastructure building, the company posted a loss, requiring the family to invest $3.3 million of their own money last year. Michael noted this was an acceptable and necessary long-term investment, essential for the future growth of communications.
Michael closed the file folder, satisfied. The foundations were strong, the coffers were full, and the influence was growing.
All that remained was to finally unveil the thrilling future of Kingston Motors.