Chapter 275: The Nation’s Bride

 (Skylar's POV)

The sound of the broadcast still echoed in Skylar's mind.

"On the first of next month, I will take Skylar Everly as my wife."

The words had been spoken before the entire nation, before the world. A decision made. A future sealed.

Yet, she had never agreed.

Skylar stood in front of the towering window of the estate Chris had placed her in—a grand, heavily guarded mansion in the heart of the city. From here, she could see the streets below. The people. The soldiers. The empire he had built.

And now, she was being made a part of it.

The door behind her opened with a smooth, controlled motion. Ethan.

She turned slightly, her expression unreadable. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

Ethan sighed, stepping inside, his sharp gaze assessing her. "It wasn't exactly a secret."

Skylar clenched her jaw. "It was to me."

Ethan crossed his arms. "You think you really had a choice?"

A bitter laugh almost escaped her lips. "I should have. But that's not how Chris works, is it?"

Silence.

She turned fully now, facing Ethan head-on. "What do you want from me?"

Ethan exhaled. "Not me. Him. He wants you prepared. The wedding is in three weeks. That's barely enough time for the security protocols alone."

Skylar shook her head, a bitter edge creeping into her voice. "A wedding. You make it sound so normal."

Ethan gave a small smirk, but there was no humor in it. "Nothing about this is normal, Sky."

She knew that. She had always known that.

But it didn't make it any easier to accept.

Chris had chosen her. Declared her as his. Before the world. Before her.

And there

was nothing she could do to stop it.

Yet.