Chapter 284: The Weight of Loyalty

(Ethan's POV – The Meeting Begins)

The dim glow of the chandeliers cast long shadows across the grand conference hall. Ethan stood near the far end of the table, his expression unreadable as the room buzzed with tense anticipation. This was no ordinary meeting.

Chris Blackwood, ruler of the new empire, sat at the head of the table, his fingers lightly drumming against the polished surface. Skylar was beside him, her posture composed but eyes sharp—she was no longer just the girl who had stumbled into his world. She was Queen now. But Ethan knew her well enough to see past the façade.

She was thinking. Calculating.

And so was he.

"You look like you're about to start a war."

Chris's voice cut through the silence, low and deliberate. His gaze locked onto Ethan, challenging, expectant.

Ethan straightened, jaw tight. "Depends. Are we ending one first?"

A smirk ghosted across Chris's lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. The tension in the room was suffocating.

The meeting had been called to address an escalating crisis—one that neither Chris nor Skylar could afford to ignore.

---

The Threat They Can't Ignore

A series of coordinated attacks had erupted in key cities—bombings, assassinations, movements that smelled of rebellion. Not reckless civilians, but organized resistance.

Chris's grip on power was tightening, yet cracks were forming in the foundation.

The screen in front of them flickered to life, revealing grainy footage of the latest attack. Smoke. Bodies. Chaos.

And then, the masked figure appeared on screen.

"You built an empire on fear, Blackwood. But fear doesn't last forever."

The voice was distorted, but the message was clear.

Skylar inhaled sharply. Chris remained eerily calm. Ethan? He felt something he hadn't in a long time.

Unease.

Chris leaned back, unbothered. "Whoever they are, they don't understand the game they're playing."

Ethan kept his arms crossed. "You're underestimating them."

Chris's eyes darkened. "And you sound like someone who thinks they have a chance at winning."

Silence.

---

Ethan's Struggle—The Divide Growing

Loyalty had never been complicated for Ethan before.

Chris had saved his life. Given him purpose. He was the man Ethan would follow into any war.

But now?

The things he had done. The lines he had crossed. The way people looked at him now—not just as a soldier, but as a shadow of Blackwood's rule.

He felt Skylar's gaze flick toward him, as if sensing his hesitation.

The old Ethan would have sworn allegiance without question.

The new Ethan?

He wasn't so sure anymore.

Chris's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Find them. I don't care what it takes. When you do, I want them brought here."

Ethan's jaw clenched. Here. Not dead.

He knew what that meant.

A public execution. A message.

And for the first time in years, Ethan wondered—what if the wrong people were winning?

---

The Aftermath—Skylar and Ethan's Conversation

As the meeting ended, Ethan lingered behind, watching as Chris and Skylar exchanged quiet words before he left. Skylar, however, stayed.

"You hesitated."

Her voice was softer than before, but there was no mistaking the weight behind it.

Ethan exhaled, turning toward her. "And you didn't?"

Skylar crossed her arms. "Chris sees threats. But you see something else, don't you?"

Ethan hesitated, then met her gaze. "I see people who think they're fighting for something real."

Skylar's expression wavered. Maybe she had thought the same thing.

Maybe she still did.

"If you ever doubt where you stand, Ethan—" She paused. "—make sure it's not too late to choose."

She left him with those words, and for the first time, Ethan realized—

He might already be running out of time.