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The dream he bled for.

Everything I swore I’d protect.

Gone.

And it happened so quietly.

I feel wetness on my face before I feel the cry building in my throat.

I hate it.

I hate the weakness.

I hate that Grau’s not here. I hate that I pushed him away.

I hate that part of mestillhopes he’ll come crashing through the window or tearing down the walls orsomething.

Because he wouldn’t have let this happen.

He would’ve smelled the lie.

Would’ve gutted Tidball before the first memo hit my inbox.

Would’ve ripped through every shareholder with enough bone and blood to make the boardroom a war crime.

But he’s gone.

And this?

This is what’s left without him.

My compad buzzes again.

A new message.

URGENT: You are requested to vacate your private quarters in the CY8 Tower within seventy-two hours.

I laugh.

It’s short.

Ugly.

Unhinged.

They’ve already packed the guillotine and boxed my crown.

I slump against the desk, fingers curling into the floor. My breathing hitches, too fast. I can't stop it. The tears are hot. Angry. Humiliating.

I’m not Yara Greenfield.

I’m just a placeholder in a bloodless coup.

And the worst part?

I played along.

I signed the papers.