CHAPTER 23 — THE WEIGHT OF COMMAND
Power did not announce itself with applause.
It arrived quietly, settled on the shoulders, and waited to see whether the person beneath it would stand or break.
Amara felt it the moment Alessandro left the room.
LEFT ALONE WITH THE DECISION
The war room was silent now.
Maps still glowed on the screens. Pins marked territories that no longer felt secure. Reports lay scattered across the table — half-truths, delays, coded warnings.
Clara remained near the door.
“He trusts you,” she said finally.
Amara didn’t look up. “He had no choice.”
Clara studied her. “That wasn’t an insult.”
“I know,” Amara replied. “That’s what makes it heavier.”
Alessandro had been summoned away unexpectedly — a private meeting with an old ally whose loyalty was now uncer
