Chapter 397: A Crown’s Weight

Skylar Blackwood

The moment Classic was released, I knew something had changed.

He wasn't the same man who had been detained.

He was quieter. Sharper.

More dangerous.

I watched as he walked into our chambers, his movements controlled, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him. He hadn't spoken a word since he left the council hall.

I rose from my seat. "Classic."

He didn't look at me right away. Instead, he went to the bar, pouring himself a drink. He took a slow sip before finally turning to me. His eyes—those piercing Blackwood eyes—held something deeper than just anger.

Disillusionment.

I felt my chest tighten. "What did he do to you?"

Classic exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "He taught me a lesson."

I frowned. "By having you detained?"

His lips curled in a cold, humorless smile. "By making me choose between love and power."

I stepped closer. "That's not a choice you should have to make."

"Isn't it?" His gaze met mine. "Because today, I learned that no matter how much I value family—it's still a battlefield."

I hated this. I hated what Chris had done, the way he had manipulated the situation just to test his own son.

Classic set down his glass. "He wanted to see if I'd lose control. If I'd let my emotions cloud my judgment."

I swallowed. "And did you?"

He studied me for a long moment. "I reacted exactly as he expected."

I reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. "That doesn't mean he was right."

Classic ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe not. But one thing is clear now—I can't afford to make that mistake again."

There it was.

That shift.

I had always known Classic was strong, but this? This was different.

His father had pushed him. Broken something in him.

And in its place, a ruler was emerging.