Chapter 33: The Blackwood Heir

The dim glow of the city lights stretched far beyond the tinted windows of Chris's private office, perched high above the world in one of Blackwood's many towering structures. Here, in this space, he wasn't just Chris—the reserved university student blending into the crowd.

Here, he was Christopher Blackwood.

The true power behind Blackwood. The richest heir in the world. The one whose influence extended beyond borders, whose decisions could shift markets, and whose name—if spoken in the right circles—could make kings kneel.

And yet, very few knew.

Ethan stood across from him, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. "I pulled everything I could on Zayne." He tossed a file onto the desk. "It's worse than we thought."

Chris leaned forward, flipping the file open. His eyes scanned the neatly compiled documents, each one revealing something deeper than the polished public image Zayne Lancaster displayed.

"A front," Chris muttered.

Ethan nodded. "Exactly. The real estate? Luxury brands? Just a façade. He's got underground dealings tied to offshore accounts—some of which even I had trouble tracing. Arms trade, discreet financial manipulations, and connections to certain people that should've been buried in the dark."

Chris's fingers hovered over one particular name in the file. His eyes darkened. "So this is who's backing him."

Ethan crossed his arms. "Which means this isn't just about Skylar anymore. If Zayne is making a move on her, there's a bigger play here."

Chris closed the file, his mind already working three steps ahead. Zayne didn't just stumble into Skylar's life. He was placed there.

Someone wanted Chris distracted.

Someone was testing him.

Ethan watched him carefully. "What's the move?"

Chris leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest. In the public eye, Ethan was the chairman of Blackwood—the face that handled things while Chris played the role of an ordinary student. But behind closed doors, they both knew where the real power lay.

Chris's voice was calm, but the weight behind it was absolute. "We start pressing. Quietly. If Zayne has skeletons, I want them out in the open. If someone's backing him, I want to know who."

Ethan smirked. "So we're going for the slow burn?"

Chris's eyes flashed. "No. We're going for checkmate."

Zayne thought he was untouchable.

He was about to learn the hard way—no one challenges a Blackwood and walks away unscathed.