Ethan's POV
I stood before the Board that afternoon, spine straight, heart armored, every word I spoke wrapped in steel.
My suit was sharp. My voice steady. I played the part expected of an Almendraz. But beneath the composed facade, a storm roared inside me.
I had come ready for war.
My father's disapproval had shadowed every step I took since I chose Meliza. To him, she was a flaw in the empire. A crack in the marble. But to me, she was everything that made the fight worth it.
So I walked into that boardroom fully prepared—for confrontation, for disgrace, for exile.
But the war never came.
His chair—the chairman's seat—sat empty.
My father hadn't shown up.
The other board members looked at me with a mixture of surprise and caution, as if they too were expecting a spectacle. As if they were waiting for a bomb that never went off.
The meeting proceeded.
Votes passed.
And just like that, I remained in power.
At least... on paper.
