Skylar's POV
The news hit like a brick wall.
I'd barely returned to the palace when the announcement blared through the corridors—Chris had named Amara as his new 02. His wife. His partner in every sense of the word.
I couldn't breathe for a moment. My chest tightened. Not with surprise, but with a seething, cold anger I couldn't suppress.
Amara? I couldn't believe it. It wasn't just that she was chosen. It was the way it happened—the suddenness of it. Chris had done it without hesitation. Without consulting me. Without any regard for everything we'd built, for the sacrifices I'd made to keep us together.
I wasn't just pushed aside. I was erased.
I couldn't even recall how I'd gotten to Chris's chamber after the announcement. All I knew was that I was standing at the threshold of his door, seething, the burn of betrayal still fresh.
His voice cut through my thoughts. "Skylar, come in."
I pushed the door open, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. There he was, sitting in the same place he always did. The man I once knew. The one I thought I'd built an empire with. Now, it felt like I was standing in front of a stranger.
"Why her?" I asked before I even realized the words were coming out. My voice was shaking. "Why Amara?"
Chris didn't look up from his desk. He didn't even flinch. "She's earned it."
"EARNED IT?" My voice cracked. "We've both worked side by side, Chris. I've been loyal to you since the beginning, and now you've handed her everything."
Finally, his eyes met mine. They were cold, calculating—nothing like the man I thought I knew. "You've been loyal, Skylar. But loyalty isn't enough. It's never been enough. She's proven herself in ways you can't."
I wanted to scream. The weight of his words settled over me like a chain tightening around my chest. He was right, and yet… it felt so wrong. How could he say that after everything we'd been through?
"You're making a mistake," I said, trying to find my voice. "Amara doesn't have what it takes to lead. She's too driven by power, by the thrill of control. She'll tear everything apart."
Chris rose from his chair, walking over to where I stood. He was calm, too calm. "I've made my decision."
His voice was final.
I backed away, the anger rising in me again, burning hotter than before. "You don't even see it, do you? You've just crowned your own undoing. The people will never follow her. You've made her your 02, but she's nothing but a puppet. And you, Chris…" I took a deep breath. "You've lost your soul."
I turned to leave, my heart pounding in my ears. But just before I walked out the door, I heard his voice again.
"I haven't lost anything, Skylar. Not yet."
I didn't stop to answer. I couldn't. The door closed behind me, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I realized something I had refused to admit: the empire was no longer the place I had built. It was Chris's empire now, and Amara was the queen at his side.
I had lost.
---