Chris Blackwood's POV
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The throne room was silent, save for the slow ticking of the golden timepiece above the entrance—a gift from the Blackwood Engineering Guild.
I leaned forward, elbow resting on the black-marble armrest of my throne, fingers steepled together.
"Bring me the list," I said, my voice calm… but commanding. "The top ten richest men in the entire Blackwood Empire. I want names, numbers, and allegiances. Now."
The Dictator stiffened slightly beside me. Christiana didn't speak—she knew better than to question a command at that level. Across the room, Amara gave a curt nod and whispered into her encrypted comm-line.
Seconds passed.
Minutes followed.
And then they entered—two high-ranking Intelligence Officers from the Central Royal Treasury and Internal Wealth Authority (IWA). Behind them trailed two B.A.M elite guards, fully armored and heavily armed. The weight of my word was always followed by the weight of force.
The officer handed me the report—thick, bound in crimson leather, sealed with the imperial Blackwood wax.
I flipped it open.
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1. Lord Terrance Blackwood – 782 Billion BC
Oil, AirTech, Maritime Logistics. Loyal. Silent. Too silent.
2. Dame Viera Anax – 654 Billion BC
Real Estate, Communications, Arms Supply. Grew too fast in five years.
3. Chancellor Devon K. Blackwood – 512 Billion BC
Head of Treasury. My appointee. Suspiciously high.
4. Lady Nasreen Okoye-Blackwood – 440 Billion BC
Agricultural Holdings, Trade Routes. Philanthropic. Possibly hiding influence.
5. Cardinal Marcus Blackwood – 418 Billion BC
Controls the Faith sector. Extremely influential. Passive aggressive loyalty.
6. Baron Thorne – 390 Billion BC
Emerging Tech and Military Gadgets. Ruthless. Hungry.
7. Duke Hayez Blackwood – 372 Billion BC
Transport, Railways, and Bidding Contracts. Cousin. Cocky.
8. Seraphine Nyra – 351 Billion BC
Energy grid monopoly. Hides behind a fake smile.
9. The Silent Trio – 310 Billion BC (combined)
Three brothers—crypto, land, shadow business. No public appearances. Watching me.
10. Lord Elwin Hart – 298 Billion BC
Media, Fashion, Influence Circles. Extremely loud. Too flashy.
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I closed the file. My voice echoed through the chamber:
"Summon them all."
Christiana blinked. "All ten?"
I turned slowly, my eyes locking with hers.
"Every single one. To the Palace. Tomorrow. At dawn. We dine at the Wealth Table—and then I decide who eats and who gets eaten."
She lowered her gaze and gave a slow nod.
The message had been sent.
And across the empire… the ten richest citizens would soon realize—being rich in Blackwood meant you belonged to me.
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