“That’s not possible,” he said.
But it sounded weaker than he intended.
Benjamin held his gaze.
Unflinching.
“It is,” he replied.
And somewhere beyond them—
The number of viewers climbed.
Fifty thousand.
Seventy.
A hundred.
Because the world was watching now.
And Brooks didn’t know it yet—
But everything had already changed.
—
Six hours earlier, Benjamin had stood in front of a mirror, adjusting his bow tie.
His hands had been steady then.
Not like now.
Not like this.
His phone buzzed endlessly on the desk behind him.
Messages of congratulations.
Respect.
Expectation.
But he had silenced it.
Today wasn’t about power.
Or titles.
Or history.
Today, he had wanted something simple.
To be just a man.
In love.
Rebecca had felt it too.
Standing in the garden hours before, she had closed her eyes and let the moment settle into her bones.
This place—
Once forbidden.
Now hers.
Not just to walk through.
But to claim.
To stand at its center and say: we belong.
She had smiled then.
Soft.
Hopeful.
Unaware of what was already moving toward her.
—
Back in the present, Brooks’ grip on the card tightened.
His eyes darted.
To the officers.
To the guests.
To Benjamin.
“You think you can bluff your way out of this?” he snapped.
But there was something else in his voice now.
Something cracking.
Benjamin tilted his head slightly.
“Check your radio,” he said.
And one of the officers did.
Hesitated.
Then lifted it.
