– Christiana's POV
They think I don't know.
They think I'm still the loyal puppet, the obedient Dictator of Blackwood, holding up Chris's banner with pride. Let them believe that. Let them all dance around their little rebellions, their agencies, their meetings in shadowed rooms.
I've already seen the endgame—and none of them are ready.
Skylar? Brave. Emotional. Predictable. Her agency is growing, but she's playing catch-up in a game Chris started building before she was born. And Chris… oh, Chris. My father. The God of the Empire. So brilliant it's almost cruel. But he's too confident now. Too certain.
And that's where I come in.
I moved through the Dictator's Hall in silent grace. Guards bowed, advisors paused mid-sentence, but I didn't stop for anyone. Not today.
Today, I was making moves of my own.
I stepped into the lower chamber—off-grid, unmonitored. This was my place. My reality. Beneath the empire's shining towers, I'd built my own layer of power. Silent. Unseen. Ruthless.
Waiting.
"Report," I said.
Three figures emerged from the shadows—my private intelligence circle. Not part of the empire. Not part of Chris's network. Mine.
"Skylar has created a separate branch underground," one of them said. "Untraceable funds. Coded messages in public broadcasts. She's mobilizing."
"And Chris?" I asked.
"He's aware. Watching. Amused. He's still letting it play out."
Of course he was. That was his style. Let the pawns think they're queens—right before flipping the board.
But he was forgetting something.
I wasn't a pawn. And I sure as hell wasn't Skylar.
I was born from his own blood, shaped by his mind, hardened in his shadow. And unlike Skylar, I didn't need to create an agency or start a rebellion.
I was the rebellion.
The daughter who would rewrite the empire.
"Double the surveillance on both of them," I ordered. "Feed Skylar false confidence. Feed Chris fake intel. I want them both walking blind."
They nodded and vanished.
I walked back toward the light, fixing my crown in the mirror as I passed.
Let the world believe I'm the loyal daughter.
Because when the empire burns…
It will be me standing on the ashes.
End of Scene.