Chapter 105: A Call Before the Storm

The city lights stretched endlessly beyond the glass windows of Blackwood Tower. Chris stood near the edge of his office, phone in hand, his reflection staring back at him. His campaign team had dispersed for the night, but rest was the last thing on his mind.

Tomorrow, he would either become the most powerful man in the country—or be reduced to just another failed candidate.

A slow exhale. Then, he scrolled through his contacts, hesitating for only a moment before pressing the call button.

Skylar.

The line rang twice before she picked up.

"Didn't think I'd hear from you tonight." Her voice was light, but there was something unreadable beneath it.

"Aren't you going to ask why I'm calling?" Chris leaned against his desk, smirking slightly.

"I already know."

Silence stretched between them. The weight of the past, the choices they had made, the unspoken tension—it all lingered in the space between their breaths.

"Do I have your vote, Skylar?" he finally asked, his voice quiet but firm.

A soft chuckle. "That depends. Are you asking as Christopher Blackwood, the man I once knew? Or as the future president of this country?"

Chris exhaled, closing his eyes briefly. "What if I said both?"

Skylar didn't answer immediately. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer, almost nostalgic. "Then I suppose my answer is the same as it's always been… You already know where I stand."

His fingers tightened around the phone. He could hear the layers in her words—loyalty, conflict, maybe even something more.

"Then I'll see you on the other side," he murmured.

A pause. Then, almost as if she were smiling, she said, "Good luck, Chris. Not that you need it."

The call ended.

Chris set the phone down, staring at the silent screen.

He didn't believe in luck.

He believed in power. And tomorrow, he was going to take it.