Chapter 64: The Price of Power

The silence in the room stretched, thick and suffocating. Every Council member felt it—the weight of the unseen force that was Chris Blackwood.

His voice, calm yet absolute, filled the space once more.

"Here's the reality you refuse to accept."

A pause.

"You need me. But I don't need you."

The tension in the air spiked. Some Council members shifted uncomfortably, while others clenched their jaws. Decades of power, influence, and control had placed them above governments. They had shaped industries, dictated economies, and crushed opposition.

But now, they were in the presence of something far greater.

Something untouchable.

Chris's voice carried on, unyielding.

"You have two choices."

Another pause.

"One—you resist. You walk out of this room with your pride intact, and in less than a month, every one of your businesses, investments, and assets will be crippled. Your banks will cut you off. Your stocks will plummet. Your allies will abandon you, not because they fear you… but because they fear me."

Ethan watched as the Council members exchanged glances, some of them realizing the terrifying truth.

Chris was already inside their world. Controlling it.

"Two." His voice was smooth, calculated. "You submit. You sign the deal I've placed in front of you, and in return, I allow you access to my world. You keep your positions, your industries continue to function… but under my control."

A single file sat on the table. Ethan slowly pushed it forward.

"Seventy percent," Chris stated, his voice unwavering. "Of everything you own. All companies, shares, assets. Blackwood takes seventy percent. The remaining thirty? Consider it a courtesy."

A cold, sharp silence followed.

Ethan watched as Hastings, one of the more vocal Council members, scoffed. "You expect us to just hand over everything? Decades of power, just like that?"

Ethan leaned forward slightly. "No," he said smoothly. "He expects you to understand that you don't have a choice."

Another Council member, an older man with silver hair and sharp eyes, exhaled. "And if we refuse?"

Chris's voice came through instantly. "Then you become irrelevant."

A heavy beat of silence.

Ethan tapped the tablet in front of him, and the massive screen at the front of the room lit up. Real-time data.

Several Council-affiliated businesses were experiencing sudden drops in stock value.

Key bank accounts were flagged under review.

Multiple high-profile partners had quietly withdrawn their support.

And worse… the Blackwood Corporation had begun acquiring their companies—silently, aggressively.

Chris had already begun dismantling them. Piece by piece.

Ethan smirked, watching the growing panic on their faces.

One of the Council members leaned forward, his voice tight. "You planned this before we even arrived."

Chris's voice was smooth, almost amused. "Of course I did."

Another beat of silence.

Then, Hastings scoffed again. "This is extortion."

Chris chuckled darkly. "No, Hastings. This is business."

Ethan watched as hands slowly moved, reaching for pens. Signing their names. Accepting their new reality.

One by one, they fell.

Ethan waited until the last signature was in place before gathering the documents.

Chris's voice cut through once more. "Welcome to Blackwood."

And just like that… the Council belonged to him.