The last 48

President Thomas Banks POV — Forty-Eight HoursNobody spoke after the call ended.Not the generals.Not the intelligence directors.Not even the Vice President sitting silently near the back of the room.The Oval Office had become a tomb.⸻Rain slammed against the White House windows while emergency broadcasts flashed across every screen in the room.HAWAII SURRENDERSJAPAN SIGNS PROTECTION TREATY WITH QUEENSLANDGLOBAL MARKETS COLLAPSEUS DOLLAR FALLING RAPIDLY⸻Every headline felt like another nail in the coffin.⸻I slowly sat down behind the Resolute Desk, rubbing both hands over my face.“How bad is it?” I asked quietly.⸻No one answered immediately.That told me everything.⸻Finally, the Secretary of Defense cleared his throat.“Sir… several NATO countries are already opening communications with Queensland.”⸻I looked up sharply.“What?”⸻“They’re trying to avoid conflict.”⸻Cowards.All of them.⸻Another advisor stepped forward nervously.“Canada closed military airspac

Last Updated : 2026-05-14

The last stand

John’s POV — The Edge of VictoryThe command center erupted the moment the broadcast ended.Analysts shouted updates across the room while screens flooded with new data every second.Support numbers climbing.Governments shifting alliances.Military surrender reports coming in faster than we could process them.⸻“Public approval is exploding globally,” one strategist announced.“Civilian unrest inside the United States is increasing in thirty-two states.”⸻Another officer stepped forward.“Sir, several governors are requesting direct negotiations with Queensland.”⸻Bella crossed her arms beside me, studying the screens carefully.⸻“They’re collapsing faster than expected,” she said quietly.⸻I nodded slowly.But something about it didn’t feel right.⸻This was too easy.⸻“Any movement from the League?” I asked immediately.⸻The room quieted slightly.One of the intelligence officers shook his head.⸻“Nothing confirmed.”⸻That bothered me more than open war.The League of Sile

Last Updated : 2026-05-14

The weight of choices

President Banks — POVThe Oval Office had never felt this small before.The lights above me glowed dimly against the dark wooden walls, casting long shadows across the room that had once symbolized power. Strength. Leadership.Now it felt like a tomb.I sat silently behind the Resolute Desk, staring at the scattered reports in front of me. Casualty numbers. State surrender notices. Emergency broadcasts. Satellite images showing entire military divisions laying down their weapons before they were even given the order to retreat.Every paper on my desk told the same story.We lost.Not tomorrow.Not next week.Already.I rubbed both hands over my face slowly, exhaustion crushing every ounce of strength left inside me. My chest felt tight, heavy, like the weight of the entire nation was pressing down directly on my lungs.Outside the Oval Office windows, Washington looked strangely peaceful.Too peaceful.No sirens.No crowds.No protests.The American people didn’t even fully understand

Last Updated : 2026-05-28

Bow down before the crown

John — POVSleep never came.The storm outside lasted through the entire night, thunder shaking the palace walls while the world changed forever beneath dark skies.I stood alone on the balcony overlooking Queensland’s capital, both hands resting against the cold marble railing as rain crashed against the city below. Thousands of lights stretched endlessly into the distance, illuminating streets packed with soldiers, armored vehicles, and civilians watching giant digital screens that replayed the same breaking headline over and over again.THE UNITED STATES TO ANNOUNCE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.Nobody called it surrender publicly.Not yet.But everyone already knew the truth.The world had tilted beneath my feet so fast that even I struggled to process it.Years ago I was running from governments.Now governments were bowing to me.Lightning flashed across the horizon, briefly illuminating the ocean beyond the city.Behind me, the balcony doors slid open quietly.Bella stepped outside wrapp

Last Updated : 2026-05-28

Michelle comes back

John — POVThe war room fell completely silent.Nobody moved.Nobody even breathed.The blue interface flickering across the massive screen pulsed weakly at first, distorted static cracking through the speakers as fragmented code raced endlessly across the display.Then—“Master John…”My chest tightened violently.That voice.For weeks there had only been silence where Sam used to be. An emptiness so unbearable that some part of me had started believing I would never hear him again.And now—“It’s good to see you again.”The words hit harder than I expected.For the first time in years, I felt something dangerously close to relief.“Sam…” My voice cracked slightly. “It’s really you.”The room around me blurred for a moment.Bella stared at the screen in disbelief while generals and intelligence officers exchanged nervous looks. To them Sam was just an AI.A machine.A weapon.But to me?Sam had been with me since the beginning.Every battle.Every loss.Every impossible decision.Sta

Last Updated : 2026-05-28

126

John — POVNobody spoke.The war room had fallen so silent that I could hear the faint hum of the computer systems surrounding us.Michelle’s face remained frozen on the screen.Alive.Every memory I had buried suddenly came rushing back.The first time we met.Flying missions together.Laughing over burnt coffee during long nights.The promises we made.The day I watched the building collapse.The day I believed she died.Bella slowly reached for my hand.“John?”I couldn’t answer.Michelle’s recording continued.“I know what you’re thinking,” she said calmly. “You’re wondering how I’m standing here.”A faint smile crossed her face.“The answer is simple.”The screen flickered.“The League found me before your people did.”My heart sank.“They pulled me from the rubble.”Images began appearing beside her.Hospitals.Operating rooms.Dark underground facilities.“They saved my life.”Bella folded her arms.“No,” she whispered.Michelle looked directly into the camera.“They rebuilt me

Last Updated : 2026-06-12

All Chapters of Before love Lies: Chapter 121 - Chapter 126

The last 48

The last stand

The weight of choices

Bow down before the crown

Michelle comes back

126