FREEDOM WAS THE LIE

CHAPTER 6: THE GAME

Xavier's world wasn't clear from the start. He's only purpose was to claim his position as the Blackwood heir, and clearly that was under tension because of Ethan

Blackwood, his opportunistic brother.

Xavier stood near the window of his penthouse, just a few roads away from the Blackwood family house. From up there, the city looked calm, but his mind wasn’t. He had just heard about his brother Ethan.

Another marriage. Another woman brought into the family like it meant nothing.

Xavier exhaled slowly, shaking his head slightly.

“Petty,” he muttered under his breath.

Sajan, his best friend, was sitting on the couch behind him, watching him quietly.

“Your brother never changes,” Sajan said with a small shrug.

Xavier didn’t answer immediately. He smiled and kept looking out the window, expression unreadable.

Sajan leaned back a little. “At this rate, you’ll end up the only Blackwood without a wife.”

That got a faint reaction from Xavier—nothing obvious, just a slight pause.

“I don’t need one,” Xavier said calmly. Sajan raised an eyebrow. “That’s what you always say.”

Silence settled for a moment.

Then Sajan added, a little more seriously now, “But even you can’t avoid it forever.”

Xavier finally turned slightly. “Why would I?” he asked simply.

Sajan smiled faintly. “Because life doesn’t care about what you want.”

That made the room quieter. Not tense—but thoughtful.

Sajan wasn’t just anyone. He was the only person who knew the real Xavier beneath everything—the control, the distance, the silence.

Xavier walked away from the window, picking up his glass of whiskey.

“I’m not interested in distractions,” he said.

Sajan nodded like he expected that answer.

“Xavier Blackwood.”he said lightly, “one day someone’s going to ignore that rule.”

Xavier didn’t respond.

But for a brief moment, his thoughts drifted—quietly, unexpectedly.

Not to business.

Not to family.

Just… to something he hadn’t allowed himself to think about in a long time.

“Marriage isn't my priority now.”

Sajan let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “You really forget too easily,” he said, still amused.

Xavier glanced at him slightly. “What exactly I'm I forgetting?”

Sajan leaned forward a bit now, his tone calmer but sharper.

“The alliance,” he said. “The one that secures your position in Blackwood's entire empire!”

That made Xavier pause—just for a second.

Sajan continued.

“If your brother Ethan secures a marriage first, he strengthens his claim. You know how your family works.”

Silence settled in the room.

The air suddenly felt heavier now.

Xavier turned fully away from the window, setting his glass down on the table.

“So that’s what this show is about,” he said quietly.

Sajan nodded. “It’s always been about that, don't act like you aren't bothered.”

A brief pause.

Then Sajan added, more seriously now, “You don’t lose control because you’re weak, Xavier. You lose it because you don’t play the game.”

Xavier didn’t respond immediately.

His expression stayed calm—but something behind his eyes shifted slightly.

Because Sajan wasn’t wrong.

The alliance wasn’t just history. It wasn’t just paperwork.

It was leverage. Position. Power.

And if Ethan moved first… everything would shift.

Sajan leaned back again, watching him closely.

“So tell me,” he said lightly, “are you still not interested in distractions? Make your priorities clearer bro.

Xavier didn’t answer.

But this time…

the silence meant something different.