Chapter Title: The Offer

Chris POV

Her words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of their implications. My gaze never left her face, studying every shift in her expression. She knew something—something important—and she was offering it to me now.

The mention of Ethan Blackwood had struck me deeper than I had anticipated. Ethan, the man I had come to rely on, the one who had helped shape much of what the Blackwood Union had become, suddenly felt like a question mark in the equation of power I had so carefully constructed. To hear that he might not be as loyal as I believed? It unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.

Her eyes flickered briefly, almost as if she sensed my internal struggle. I took a moment to compose myself, narrowing the space between us, leaning in slightly. The idea of her information being valuable was a temptation, but it came at a cost. She was a daughter of the fallen nobility, someone who had already lost everything. Was she just desperate, or did she genuinely possess insight into something far deeper than a simple grudge?

"If your information proves to be as valuable as you claim," I said, my tone steady, "I will grant you a place not just in the Blackwood Union, but in my family. You will not simply be a subject of my rule, but someone with real influence."

Her gaze didn't waver. She was calculating, I could tell. But something about the way she held herself—no longer cowering as an ex-royal but standing tall as a woman who was making a calculated decision—told me she was serious.

"I'm offering you a future," I continued, "something that far exceeds any title you once held. You'll have a place in my chamber, an ear to listen to you, and the power to influence the direction of the Blackwood Empire."

The words felt like they carried weight, like the gravity of my offer was sinking in, and I saw the briefest flicker of consideration cross her eyes. She wasn't foolish—she knew the kind of power I wielded now. She had probably heard rumors of how quickly I could bring the fall of anyone who opposed me. Yet she stood there, still willing to engage in this dangerous game.

"What do you want in return?" I asked, cutting to the heart of it. If she was going to play this card, then it was only fair to make her spell it out.

"I want my family's legacy protected," she replied without hesitation. "I want them to be remembered for something more than their fall from grace. Not their titles, but their contributions to the empire. I want a place for them in history, a place that can't be erased by a single decree."

Her request was strange, almost sentimental for someone who had lost everything, but there was a quiet desperation in her voice, an echo of the past that lingered even as she looked toward the future.

"And I want the right to ensure that no one who has betrayed you from within your circle will be allowed to thrive," she added, her voice growing firmer. "I want to be a part of your inner circle, not just as an observer, but as someone with real power to act, especially when it comes to dealing with traitors."

Her eyes hardened as she spoke those words, as if she knew more than I could see—like she had been watching the movements of those within my ranks more closely than anyone else had. She had heard whispers, perhaps even seen things that I had not. But then again, anyone who had been part of the court before its fall knew how to observe the subtle plays for power.

"You'll have that," I said, my voice colder now, focused. "I'll give you what you've asked for, provided you deliver on your promise. If I find out you've played me or withheld vital information, I will destroy everything you care about, no matter your new status in my empire."

Her eyes flickered at my words, but she didn't flinch. Good. She was made of sterner stuff than I had anticipated.

I took a step closer to her, my presence imposing, letting the silence stretch between us for a moment before I spoke again.

"Do you truly understand what you're asking for? This isn't a game. Once you enter this world, there's no turning back. Every move will be watched. Every word you say will be scrutinized. If I offer you this place, you'll have to prove your loyalty, not just to me, but to the entire empire."

"I understand," she replied without hesitation. Her voice was low, steady. "And I will prove it to you. I have no desire to play games anymore. I just want to be useful."

"Then it's settled," I said, my decision final. I turned to leave, but before I did, I glanced back at her, noting the fire that had been lit within her eyes. She had something to prove, and I suspected she wasn't just doing it for her family. She was doing it for herself.

"Consider this your final chance. Don't waste it."

With that, I turned and walked away, my mind already spinning with the new information she had given me—and the unexpected alliance

I had just formed.

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End of Chapter