Amara's POV
I stood before Chris, the weight of my new title settling on my shoulders. 02. His wife. His right hand. The weight of it was more than just a title; it was a promise, a command, and a duty. My whole life had led me to this point.
But as the silence stretched between us, I couldn't help but ask the question that had been gnawing at the back of my mind since the moment I'd accepted his offer.
"Now that Skylar is no longer 02," I started, my voice steady, yet a hint of tension beneath it, "I can now… touch her, right? I can act without hesitation?"
I watched Chris closely, waiting for his response. The air between us was thick with unspoken truths. In the past, Skylar had always been untouchable. She had been his queen, the one person whose power, despite the cracks, I couldn't challenge without risking everything. But now, with her removed from the position of 02, I had the green light to do what I needed.
Chris didn't immediately answer. Instead, he studied me with an unreadable expression, his eyes dark and calculating. For a brief moment, I wondered if he was questioning the trust he'd placed in me, or whether he was considering how far he wanted me to go.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low, almost indifferent. "My wife," he said, his words cold but firm, "is up to you."
His response sent a shiver down my spine. He was giving me the power to decide. The freedom to act.
But it wasn't the answer I'd expected. For a moment, it unsettled me. I had expected him to clarify—perhaps to reaffirm that Skylar was to be left untouched, or that I was still bound by some form of restraint. But Chris had given me a carte blanche.
I nodded slowly, keeping my emotions under control. This was it. The green light to do what had to be done.
"Understood." My voice was steady, but the thoughts swirling in my mind were anything but calm. I knew what I had to do. And I would do it.
But a part of me… a small, reluctant part, questioned if this was really the path I wanted to take.
I pushed that part away.
The empire would be mine, and nothing would stand in my way—not even Chris himself, if it came down to it.
As I turned to leave his chamber, I could feel the weight of my new position. I was no longer just a shadow in the halls of power. I was at the center of it all now.
Skylar had fallen. And now, I would make sure that no one could ever rise to challenge me again.
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