Title: The Unraveling

POV: Chris Blackwood

The moment the door to his chamber burst open, Chris didn't need to look to know who it was. Christiana's voice, panicked and filled with emotion, echoed through the room before she even spoke.

"Father, stop!" she shouted, rushing in, her face flushed with urgency. "He is my fiancé. The world knows!"

Chris's gaze flickered to the door just as Christiana stormed into the room, her breath quick with worry. His grip on the edge of his desk tightened, but he remained still, his face betraying no sign of emotion.

For a moment, the two of them stood there in silence. Christiana was out of breath, her hands clasped tightly at her sides, her eyes wide with disbelief. She looked like she had just been thrust into the middle of a storm—her heart racing as if the very foundation of everything she knew had cracked.

"Father," she repeated, more softly now, her voice almost pleading. "You can't do this. Baron Elias is my fiancé! The world is watching us, waiting for us to—"

Chris held up a hand to silence her, the authority in his gesture unmistakable. "Christiana," he said, his tone still calm but with a hard edge, "I know exactly who he is. And that makes this worse, not better."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off, his voice cold now. "This man, your fiancé, betrayed me, Christiana. He betrayed the entire Blackwood Union, and you expect me to turn a blind eye because of some... connection?"

Christiana shook her head in disbelief, her eyes flickering between Chris and the guards dragging Baron Elias away. She could see the cold resolve in her father's expression, but it wasn't enough to quell the tide of emotions that were swirling within her.

"Father, please," she said, her voice trembling. "We're in the public eye. This is the man I'm supposed to marry. The one who's been by my side through everything. If you do this, you're not just punishing him. You're punishing me too!"

Chris's gaze softened for a brief moment, his daughter's words clearly striking at something deep within him. But that softness quickly vanished, replaced by the hard ruler who had built an empire from nothing.

"No," he replied, his voice firm and unwavering. "He's the one who chose to betray us, Christiana. And you, as my daughter, should have known better than to get involved with someone so blinded by ambition. There are consequences to every action, and this is his."

Christiana stepped forward, desperation filling her voice. "But, Father—" She stopped herself, her eyes flashing with both frustration and hurt. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the reality of the situation was dawning on her.

"You have no idea what this is doing to me," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "This isn't just about loyalty. This is about love, about my future. You can't take that away from me."

Chris's gaze hardened once more, and he stepped closer to her, the space between them filled with the weight of everything that had led to this moment.

"I didn't take anything from you, Christiana," he said quietly, but with finality. "I'm ensuring the future of the Blackwood Union. Everything I've done, I've done to protect this family and this empire. You think I don't care about you? You think I haven't considered what you want? But I have to do what's necessary to maintain control."

Christiana looked at him, her lips trembling as she fought to hold back the surge of emotion threatening to spill over. "You're my father, not just a ruler. Why can't you see that? Why can't you see that I deserve happiness too?"

Chris paused for a long moment, his face unreadable. "Happiness?" he repeated, his voice low. "Happiness is a fleeting thing. Power, Christiana, that's what lasts. And I will not have anything jeopardize that."

The air in the room grew thick with tension, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Christiana's heart raced, her mind caught between the love she had for Baron Elias and the loyalty she felt toward her father. She didn't know if there was any way to reconcile the two.

"You have a duty," Chris said at last, his voice softer but no less firm. "And as my daughter, you will choose the Blackwood Union over your personal desires. You will choose what's best for this empire."

Christiana's fists clenched at her sides. She knew this conversation was far from over. But for now, she had no choice but to accept what had already been set in motion. Still, she couldn't let go of the hope that, somehow, things could be fixed. She couldn't give up on her fiancé, not yet.

As she turned away, her father's cold, commanding voice followed her. "Handle this, Christiana. I won't repeat myself."

She paused, her back still turned to him, before whispering, "I will, Father. But you're making a mistake."

And with that, Christiana walked out of the room, her heart heavy with uncertainty, and the weight of the empire bearing down on her.