Amara's POV
Something wasn't adding up.
Every time I made a move to corner Skylar or dismantle her growing influence… something stopped me. It wasn't her guards. It wasn't public sympathy. It wasn't even Chris.
It was something else.
My spies whispered of silent interference—leaks vanishing, documents disappearing before delivery, minor allies changing sides with no explanation.
It felt like a ghost war.
And worst of all? Chris was calm. Too calm. He didn't flinch when plans failed. He didn't even raise his voice when I brought the setbacks to his attention.
He just nodded. Like he already knew.
And that's what drove me mad.
"I want names," I told Darius, my second-in-command, slamming a report down. "Find out who is feeding him. Someone is helping Chris behind the scenes and they're good—too good."
Darius bowed. "We've checked the usual suspects—loyal staff, inner guards, informants within Skylar's agency…"
"And?"
"Nothing. Either they're better than us or—" he hesitated.
"Or?"
"Or they're someone we'd never suspect. Someone close."
I scoffed, turning to the window, watching the empire lights flicker like stars across the capital.
Chris wouldn't hide something like this from me… would he?
Unless he didn't trust me anymore.
Unless this is his way of saying: I don't need you.
I clenched my fists.
No. He still trusted me. I was the only one who had stood beside him when the world turned its back.
But this secret supporter… they were creeping between us like a shadow.
And if I couldn't find them soon—
They would destroy everything I'd built with him… from the inside.