"I will not, General."

“You claim to be loyal to my father. To everything my father built,” Isabella stood up from her chair, her voice low. “But he built this system so that the military is accountable not to the minister, but to him. He was the ultimate authority, and so will I. You can complain about Morales all you want, but true oversight was always from my father."

Serrano's eyes flashed with anger, and he rose from his chair as well, towering over her.

“And that oversight has left us **** now that he's gone. Your father may have built this system, but even he understood when the military needed to act without interference. He trusted me—trusted my judgment.”

Isabella stood her ground, her face resolute, eyes never leaving Serrano’s. “You ask me to trust you, General, but what you propose is not trust—it’s submission. Montesoro’s military must serve its President, and only its President. If you cannot agree to that, then perhaps the army is due a new commander."

The words hung in the air, heavy with threat. Serrano stiffened, his jaw clenched. His face was dark with fury, and Isabella could sense the danger radiating off him, like a wild animal ready to pounce.

He took a step forward, closing the gap between them, his body nearly pressing against hers.

"You little brat," he spat, his voice low and menacing. "You think you can threaten me?"

He reached out and grabbed her arm, his grip tight. Isabella tried to pull away, but his fingers dug into her skin, holding her in place.

"You may be Presidente now, but you're still a girl. I've killed men for less than what you just said. You don't know what I've done, what I've sacrificed for your father. I've bled and fought for him, for this country. And you dare speak to me like this?"

Isabella could smell his musk, the sweat on his skin, hear the blood rushing through his veins. She could feel the heat emanating from his body, the roughness of his fingers.

"I loved him, Isabella, like a brother. 20 years ago, when I was shot and left for dead, it was him who pulled me out of the trench and carried me on his back, refusing to let go until we reached help. That's loyalty. That's devotion. I swore that day to serve him for the rest of my life as repayment, even if I have to take a thousand lives. Now, you stand here and accuse me of disloyalty?"

Serrano released her arm, shoving her away. Isabella stumbled back, her legs hitting the desk. She stared up at the General, wide-eyed, her heart hammering in her chest, and what she saw shook her.

General Serrano had tears in his eyes.

"When he died... My heart broke. To see his body in that car, knowing I failed him..."

He slumped into his chair, his head buried in his hands.

Isabella could not move. The General's words had cut through her, exposing the raw pain beneath. Her own grief resurfaced, the grief that she had pushed down and ignored. She felt her throat tighten, her eyes burning.

"I could have brought my men with me when I went to see you. Slaughtered the Cabinet before they had the chance to flee. I could have marched my men at any time straight through the gates of the Palacio, put a gun to your head, and take the throne for myself. But I didn't. Why?"

Serrano's gaze burned into her, his voice raw with emotion.

"Because I am loyal, Isabella. I went in alone, trying to get you to understand what your father did. But when I saw you, a weak little girl, it angered me. Angry that Julián was gone, but you're still here. Angry that the future of the country we built together was in the hands of a girl, an inexperienced, naive, sheltered little girl who could not even protect herself. "

Isabella was frozen, the General's words sinking into her. Her own tears rolled down her cheeks, hot and wet. She could not breathe, her chest tight, her body shaking.

"So, now you have a choice. A real choice. You can either trust me, accept my request and let us support you, or you can refuse, and I will be **** to take power. I'll be damned if I let this country fall into ruin after everything we've done."