The governors sat in the chamber, therge screen still glowing from the online session.


    Alfred Kingston''s chair was empty-he had walked out mid-meeting, leaving the feed running but showing nothing.


    The governors who remained pressed on with the agenda.


    "If Alfred leaves Los Angeles," one voice broke the silence, "who takes his seat as governor?"


    Eyes shifted across the screen, suspicion hanging thick in the air.


    Jose leaned forward. "It''s obvious. The leader of the rebellion should be governor. The people choose him."


    He''d been made governor by a rebellion once himself.


    "I disagree," Logan shot back. "Los Angeles has always been Alfred Kingston''s domain. He''ll take it back from the rebels. He''s the only legal governor."


    Samuel gave a dryugh. “Legal? Alfred was never truly governor. He was appointed by the King after thest governor of Los Angeles dropped dead without warning."


    "Now? Finally, LA belongs to the people. That''s something worth celebrating."


    Another governor snapped. “Nonsense. Alfred is the only governor. These rebels are nothing more than terrorists. We cannot bow to terrorists."


    Be smirked, contempt dripping from every word. "So when the government kills its people and they fight back, that''s ''terrorism''?"


    "No wonder you guys keep the military close — not to protect citizens but to keep them in chains. If you even call them citizens anymore, they''re just ves to you."


    The chamber erupted, voices colliding, usations flying. The debate grew heated, tempers ring over who had the right to rule Los Angeles.


    Then, in the middle of the chaos, the screen flickered.


    A man appeared where Alfred Kingston had sat. Calm. Confident. Middle-aged with a warm smile that carried more defiance than charm.


    "Well, fellow governors," he said smoothly, "allow me to introduce myself. I am Keaton Knight-leader of the Free LA movement. And the new governor of Los Angeles."


    The room went silent. Every governor froze.


    Logan sneered, "Governor? You''re just a rebel with a webcam."


    Keatonughed, "True. But at least my Wi-Fi works, which is more than Alfred can say."


    Be pped her hands,ughing like it was the sharpest joke in the world. "Good one."


    But Logan''s face twisted like he''d just swallowed poison. "We don''t recognize rebels as governors. Keep dreaming, Knight. Alfred Kingston will return to Los Angeles."


    Keatonughed, a low, dangerous sound. "I doubt he''lle back. I saw him run -tail tucked between his legs."


    Logan''s jaw tightened. "If you don''t hand the governor''s seat back to Alfred, I''ll make sure you''re the one running with your tail between your legs."


    Keaton''s smile widened. "Funny. Come to Los Angeles, then. We''ll duel. We''ll see who''s still standing and who''s running for cover."


    Logan snorted. "Why would I go? I''ve got ten thousand troops. Taking Los Angeles from you would be like stealing candy from a three-year-old."


    "Charming. Armies are impressive," Keaton said with an easy smile. "But they won''t save you when the whole city decides your name is nothing more than a bad joke."


    "Nice line," Samuel barked augh, sharp and merciless. "So the mighty Logan is just a numbers man. Coward Logan-only brave when he''s hiding behind a headcount."


    Samuel''s tone hardened, his eyes locked on Logan. "You''re a joke, Logan. You know the Los Angeles soldiers are gone. Only civilians remain. Are you really saying you''d march your troops in to ughter citizens?"


    "Times have changed," Logan spat. "If those rebels don''t want to die, they should leave Los Angeles and let Alfred reim his post."


    Jose pushed forward. "I back the new governor-Keaton Knight and the Free LA movement. Alfred sided with the elites, not the people. I stand with Keaton."


    Logan fixed him with a cold stare. "Jose, you''re too old to start another war. If you want to go down with the rebels, be my guest — I''m not soft like your old governors. You''ll die like a rat in a gutter."


    "Remember this, Logan," Jose said, voice low and steady.


    "The happiest man - king or peasant — is the one who finds peace at home. But under a cruel governor, people can''t even call theirnd home; they''re ves and prisoners in their own houses. I pity your citizens."


    Logan sneered. "I pity that fool of a governor you once served, Jose - too weak to keep a rat like you under control. His blind stupidity let you kill him and take his seat."


    "That''s the most useless governor I''ve ever seen. He should''ve learned from me how to crush a rebellion. I''d turn their heads into ser balls."


    Jose shook his head and replied "When tyranny besw, rebellion bes duty of every citizen."


    "Not my citizens," Logan sneered.


    "Don''t get cocky, Logan." Samuel cut in, "Don''t forget - I''m with Keaton, too."


    Logan''s face sharpened, fury burning behind his eyes.


    "You!" He opened his mouth, but Be cut him off with augh like a knife.


    "I''m with Keaton as long as it''s not Alfred Kingston. That''s all that matters."


    Lyra Thompson nodded. "Chicago stands with Keaton."


    "Paris with Keaton," Sophia added. She wanted the Kingston family cut down from power, whatever it took.


    Logan sneered. "So you''ve got five states backing Keaton out of thirteen. That still leaves eight against him."


    Beughed, her voice sharp as a


    de. "Governor Logan, you can''t


    even count straight. You''ve been<fne3a8> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find~novel</fne3a8>


    strong-arming governors into your camp but you forgot one thing Los Angeles new governor is already with us."  s


    "That makes six out of thirteen. And since you''re so desperate, tell me how do you n to drag Vancouver to your side when their governor isn''t even online? That''s one absent."


    "Six against six. That''s a tie, Logan. And you can''t win a tie. You stupid."


    Logan''s face went hard. "You keep calling me stupid. You''re the fook- you and your whole damned family. Jasmine Kingston from Vancouver will stand with her father Alfred She''ll never side with a rebel."


    s


    Keatonughed, "Strange. Jasmine looks like someone who already escaped one tyrant. Why would she line up behind another?"


    Be added, "Because Logan thinks abuse counts as family values."


    Laughter rippled through the governors, all eyes cutting toward Logan. His face burned red.


    "All of you bastards!" Logan snapped, rage spilling out.


    Be''s smile sharpened. “Logan, let''s make a wager. If Vancouver''s governor sides with Keaton, you''ll be branded the biggest fool alive."


    Logan''s jaw tightened. "Fine. And if you''re wrong, Be, instead of being called


    the sharpest governor in the country, you''ll wear the title of the biggest fool."


    "Deal," she said.


    "Deal," Logan answered.


    Samuel put his hand on the table. "I''ll be the witness."


    Suddenly the dark square of the Vancouver screen red to life.


    Jasmine Kingston appeared.


    "Speak of the devil," Logan spat,ughter brittle.


    He leaned forward, venom in his words.


    —


    "Miss Kingston - listen to this idiot. He says you, Jasmine Kingston, daughter of Alfred Kingston, will pick Keaton Knight that rebel as governor of Los Angeles over your own father. Tell her she''s an idiot!"


    s


    Jasmine''s face was a pale, empty map of pain. She didn''t understand everything


    that had been said.


    All she could remember was the p - her father''s hand-the sudden, violent


    hit that sent pain roaring through her neck.


    Her world had gone still; her limbs felt like someone else''s. She could barely


    move.


    Jasmine slept and dreamed hard. When she woke, she was in the Vancouver governor''s residence.


    A redmp glowed on the bedside table-the signal that a live session was


    already rolling.


    She pulled herself upright and joined the meeting.


    "Can someone tell me what''s going on?" she asked.


    "With pleasure," Be said, snapping the story into ce for Jasmine.


    Sheid out everything fast and clean. The way Be spoke, pieces that had


    tangled in Jasmine''s head fell into order.


    Jasmine''s smile was small and fierce. "The governor of Vancouver stands with the people. We back Mr. Keaton as the new governor of Los Angeles."


    Logan went pale. For a beat, his anger looked like shock.


    "So Logan is the most foolish man in this country now," Be crowed,ughter


    cutting the room.


    "Jasmine Kingston." Logan''s voice dropped like gravel. "What game are you ying? You''re my fiancée. You''re supposed to listen to me. Tell them you are sorry and you support your father."


    Jasmine''s eyes turned hard. "I never agreed to your engagement. Keep dreaming."


    "You little Vancouver girl," Logan snapped. "You think being governor lets you ignore my orders? Don''t make me send my soldiers into your city."


    "Oh, great Logan," Jasmine said, cold as winter. "If you send soldiers here, don''t


    forget to order extra coffins. No matter how many you send, they won''t alle back alive."


    Samuel mmed his palm on the table. "If he dares move his troops, tell me. I''ll send mine in response."


    "Me too," Sophia said.


    "Count on me," Be added.


    Lyra smiled with the slow cruelty of a gambler. "For the right price, I''ll have my


    men seize Logan''s soldiers. I hear his ranks are wealthy enough for a prisoner exchangeter."


    Anger curdled in Logan''s face. He stared down the new governors like a man smelling gunpowder.


    "You lot don''t know me. If you want war, fine. I won''t back down. Let it burn."


    "Do any of you know what this means?" Then Keaton lifted something into the camera—a small, sun-bright emblem pinned to a leather strap.


    Every governor went stiff. Color drained from faces. disbelief and a real kind of fear spread through the room.


    "How-how can a rebel leader have that?" Logan whispered, disbeliefcing his


    words.