The moment Chris left the chamber, the silence shifted.
It wasn't the kind that came from tension anymore.
It was heavier. Smarter. Measured.
Amara didn't move from her place near the central table, her fingers still lightly drumming the polished surface. Her eyes locked on Classic, who remained standing, one hand casually resting on the back of a carved chair, but his gaze sharp as steel.
"You planned that," Amara said, voice low.
Classic gave a subtle shrug. "I planned to speak. I didn't plan for you to take it personally."
She tilted her head. "I don't take offense easily. But I do recognize posturing when I see it."
He walked toward her, slow and deliberate, stopping a few steps away. "And I recognize pressure-testing. You want to see if I'm really with you. Or just with him."
Amara stood straighter. "I don't need to test you, Classic. I already know you're with him. That's why I'm watching you."
A smirk played at the corner of his lips. "Then I guess we're both watching each other."
The room fell quiet again, but the weight of their shared knowledge was unmistakable. Neither fully trusted the other—not yet. But they both shared the same goal: protect Chris… and shape the future of the empire in the process.
"You want to know why I needed five million B.A.M?" Amara finally said, walking slowly around the table toward him. "Because someone—somewhere—is plotting again. And next time, I want overwhelming force to crush it before it even breathes."
Classic didn't flinch. "Then show me the evidence, and I'll back you with ten million. But if you're building an army just to send a message, you risk starting a war of fear."
"I don't send messages," she said sharply. "I write laws with steel and loyalty. And I expect silence from shadows."
He raised a brow. "You've been watching Darius?"
She paused.
For the briefest second, a flash of recognition crossed her face—but it disappeared just as quickly.
"Always," she answered.
Classic stepped closer. "So have I."
They stood face to face now, two of the most powerful people in the empire, staring not as enemies… but as potential partners who hadn't yet shaken hands.
Classic softened his tone. "Amara… we both know Chris won't last forever. He's a titan, but he's still human. What happens next depends on us."
Amara's voice dropped. "Then let's make sure we don't fall apart before he does."
He nodded.
Then, without another word, he turned and left the chamber, leaving her alone with the silence.
But this time, it wasn't cold.
It was calculated.
Amara stood there for a long moment, before whispering to herself:
"Let's see who truly bleeds Blackwood in the end."
—