The Monarch Crown System

16. The Upper Hand

They sat across from each other in the quiet hotel room, the air heavy with tension and unspoken history. The curtains were drawn halfway, allowing a dull strip of afternoon light to fall across the polished floor. Celeste sat stiffly on the edge of the chair, her hands folded tightly in her lap, while Elias leaned back against the sofa, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp and unreadable.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Celeste was the first to break the silence.

“Tell me the truth,” she said calmly, almost too calmly. “Are you the Crown bearer?”

Elias did not answer immediately. He looked at her as if weighing something, then shook his head slowly.

“No,” he said. “I am not.”

The word had barely settled before Celeste stood up abruptly. The chair scraped loudly against the floor as her composure snapped.

“You liar,” she spat. “I knew it. I knew you were pretending.”

Elias watched her quietly.

She began pacing the room, her heels clicking sharply with every step.

“You really had the nerve,” she continued, her voice rising, “to let me believe for even one second that you were something more than what you are. After everything. After all the humiliation. You still tried to deceive me.”

He remained silent.

Her anger fed on his calm.

“Do you know how ridiculous you looked standing there at the coronation?” she sneered. “Everyone was laughing at you. A nobody trying to stand among giants.”

Elias did not correct her.

He had expected this.

The Halstons always reacted the same way when they believed they held power. They insulted. They belittled. They crushed without remorse. It was instinct to them. It was sickening. And it was precisely why he had already decided their end.

Celeste turned to face him, her eyes blazing.

“You wasted my time,” she said. “I risked my reputation coming to you. I almost destroyed myself because of you.”

“You came because you were afraid,” Elias replied calmly.

She scoffed. “Afraid for you. Afraid you would ruin your life again.”

He almost smiled.

She stepped closer, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.

“I will make you an offer,” she said. “Twelve million dollars.”

Elias raised an eyebrow.

“For what?” he asked.

“For your surgery,” she said quickly. “You are still sick, remember? You need treatment. I know the best doctors.”

He leaned forward slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes.

“You are very generous,” he said.

She mistook his tone.

She straightened her shoulders, confidence returning.

“I know,” she said. “I always have been.”

She walked back to her chair and sat down again, crossing her legs.

“There is only one condition,” she added.

Elias waited.

“You will film a reconciliation video with me,” she said. “We will announce that we have settled our differences and that the baby is yours.”

The words hung heavily between them.

Elias looked at her carefully.

She swallowed before continuing.

“I cannot carry another man’s child and survive the ridicule,” she said, her voice tightening. “You know how cruel people are. The doctors warned me. If I terminate this pregnancy, I will likely die.”

She lifted her chin.

“I am doing this for you,” she said. “You should be grateful.”

Elias laughed softly.

It was a quiet sound, almost gentle, but it made her flinch.

“You think you are saving me,” he said.

“Aren’t I?” she replied sharply. “I am giving you money. Status. A second chance.”

He leaned back again, his expression unreadable.

“You always believed you were above everyone,” he said calmly. “Even when you begged, you still spoke as if you were granting mercy.”

Celeste frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means nothing,” Elias replied.

She exhaled impatiently.

“So do we have a deal or not?” she asked. “Twelve million dollars is more than you will ever see in your lifetime.”

Elias did not respond immediately.

Inside his mind, his decision was already made.

He saw the faces of the people the Halstons had ruined. Families stripped of their savings. Lives destroyed by fraud. He has been with these families for years and he didn’t talk about all that because of his love for Celeste.

This was not forgiveness.

This was calculation.

“I agree,” he said finally.

Celeste froze.

“What?” she asked.

“I agree to your request,” Elias said evenly.

Relief flashed across her face, followed quickly by satisfaction.

“I knew you would come to your senses,” she said.

“But I have one condition,” Elias added.

She waved her hand dismissively. “Name it.”

“They must send one billion dollars to my account before we record anything,” he said.

The room went completely silent.

Celeste stared at him as if she had misheard.

“One billion?” she repeated slowly.

“Yes,” Elias replied.

Her laughter burst out suddenly, sharp and incredulous.

“You are insane,” she said. “Do you know what you are asking for?”

“I know exactly,” Elias replied calmly.

“That amount could wipe out my family,” she snapped. “The entire Halston dynasty.”

Elias met her gaze steadily.

“Then perhaps they should consider how many dynasties they have already destroyed,” he said.

Her laughter died.

“You are trying to rob us,” she accused.

“No,” he said. “I am offering you an option.”

She stood up again, her hands trembling with anger.

“You think you have leverage,” she said. “But you do not. You are nothing.”

Elias remained seated.

“You came to me,” he said. “You blocked my car and threatened your life. That tells me exactly who has leverage.”

Celeste clenched her fists.

“This is extortion,” she hissed.

“This is negotiation,” Elias replied.

She stared at him for a long moment, her mind racing.

If she refused, she would be exposed and Mocked for carrying the impersonator’s child. Carrying a child that was not her former husband’s, branded forever as foolish and desperate.