Chapter 285: The Throne and the Cage

(Chris's POV – The Aftermath of the Meeting)

Chris stood in front of the wide windows of the Oval Office—no longer just an office, but the throne room of his empire. The city outside was alive, but beneath the flickering lights, he saw what others could not.

Cracks.

The rebellion had always been inevitable, but their timing? Calculated. Whoever was behind it wasn't reckless; they were patient. Strategic.

And that made them dangerous.

Behind him, the doors clicked shut. He didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"You should rest."

Skylar's voice was soft, but he heard the weight behind it. Concern, maybe. Or something else.

Chris turned, taking in the way she leaned against the desk—her posture composed, yet her fingers gripped the polished wood just a little too tightly.

"You think I can afford to?" he asked, watching her reaction.

Skylar's eyes held something unreadable. "I think you want to believe you don't need to."

---

The Struggle Between Power and Love

Chris walked toward her, slow, deliberate.

"And what do you want to believe?" he murmured, reaching out to brush his fingers against hers.

She didn't pull away. Not yet.

"That you're still the man I fell for," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Chris exhaled, his grip tightening ever so slightly. "You doubt that?"

Skylar looked up at him then, really looked at him.

"You tell me."

Silence stretched between them—thick, suffocating. She had seen what he had done. What he was still willing to do. And yet, she was still here.

But for how much longer?

---

A King Cannot Afford to Be Weak

Chris finally pulled back, turning away. Emotions were distractions. And yet, she was the only one who could break past the walls he had built.

"They think I rule through fear," he said, voice cold again. "That I have no limits. No morality."

Skylar's voice was quiet but firm. "Do you?"

Chris glanced over his shoulder, eyes sharp. "What do you think?"

She didn't answer immediately. And that alone told him everything.

A slow smirk curled at his lips, but it wasn't amusement. It was the realization that even she was beginning to question him.

"I think," she finally said, "that you believe love and power can exist together. But one will always consume the other."

Chris let the words settle.

"And which do you think will win?" he asked.

Skylar hesitated. Then, softly—"I don't know yet."

For the first time in a long time, Chris felt something stir in his chest.

Doubt.

He had conquered nations. Bent the world to his will.

But Skylar?

She was the one thing he couldn't control.

And that terrified him more than any rebellion ever could.