Chapter 430: The Throne Was Mine

Skylar Blackwood – A Battle of Wills

I watched as Chris reclaimed his empire with a single breath.

He hadn't fought for it.

He hadn't negotiated.

He hadn't pleaded.

He had simply walked in and taken it.

Just like that.

And everyone bowed.

Except me.

I sat on the throne, my fingers gripping the armrests, the weight of the crown heavy on my head.

For ten years, I had ruled.

For ten years, I had carried this empire through war, betrayal, and ambition.

While he was hidden. Watching. Waiting.

And now?

He thought he could return and demand it back?

I met his gaze—cold, unwavering, powerful.

The same man I had once loved.

The same man I had once buried.

The same man who was now challenging everything I had built.

"Summon the officials," he had commanded. "I will remind them who they serve."

I let out a breath, slow and measured.

"You assume too much, Chris."

His smirk didn't falter. "Do I?"

I straightened my back. "You may be alive, but the empire has changed. The people follow me now."

He took a step closer, his presence suffocating. "The people follow power, Skylar." His voice was soft, but dangerous. "And you and I both know who holds it."

I didn't look away. I couldn't.

This was a battle of wills, a war fought without swords.

Classic stood beside him, tense, unreadable. He had wanted this throne, yet his father had stripped it from him in mere moments.

Christiana was watching too, eyes flickering between us, understanding the game in ways Classic never could.

And Ethan?

He stood at Chris's side, silent but ready. Always ready.

I exhaled. "You expect me to step down just because you returned?"

Chris chuckled. "Step down?" He tilted his head. "Oh no, my love. I expect you to fight for it."

The entire hall stilled.

A challenge.

Not just to me.

To the empire.

I knew this man.

He wasn't asking for my surrender. He was testing me.

And I?

I had never backed down from a fight.