Building a Conglomerate in Another World-Chapter 237: The Reality Sets In

January 2, 1897.

The White House, Washington D.C.

The morning after the announcement of Amber’s pregnancy, Matthew awoke to the soft glow of winter sunlight filtering through the heavy drapes of the presidential bedroom. The warmth of the previous night still lingered in his chest, but reality quickly reminded him that life as President of Amerathia did not allow for much time to dwell in personal joy.

Lying beside him, Amber was still fast asleep, curled on her side with one hand resting gently on her stomach. The sight made him smile. Carefully, so as not to wake her, Matthew slipped out of bed, threw on his robe, and stepped out into the adjacent sitting room, where the crackling fireplace offered a reprieve from the January chill.

The peace didn’t last long. Collins was already waiting.

"Sir," his chief of staff greeted, holding a stack of morning briefings. "We need to talk."

Matthew sighed, rubbing his temple. "Let me guess—congressional backlash?"

Collins nodded grimly. "They aren’t letting up. Bradford’s allies are still pushing for hearings on your ’abuse of power’ regarding the arrests. Hawthorne is stirring up trouble in the Senate, and now, some of the newspapers are running with the idea that you staged the entire thing for political gain."

Matthew exhaled sharply. He should have expected this. Just because Bradford and his inner circle had been taken down didn’t mean the war against corruption was over. The Order of the Phoenix Society still had its claws in Amerathia’s institutions.

"Anything more pressing?" Matthew asked, taking one of the reports from Collins and scanning the headlines.

"Nothing immediate," Collins admitted. "But the opposition is working hard to turn the tide against you. They’re capitalizing on every moment of instability. We should expect more challenges in the coming weeks."

Matthew nodded slowly, placing the report down. "Then we deal with it, just like we always do."

Collins gave a curt nod. "Of course, sir."

Just then, the door to the bedroom creaked open, and Amber stepped out, still wrapped in her robe. She blinked at Collins before looking at Matthew, a small smile playing on her lips.

"You’re working already?" she teased, walking over to pour herself a cup of tea.

Collins gave a respectful nod. "Good morning, First Lady."

Amber sighed, shaking her head. "I should’ve known Matt wouldn’t take a day to enjoy some peace."

Matthew chuckled, walking over to her and pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "I wouldn’t be much of a president if I did."

She rolled her eyes playfully but squeezed his hand. "At least eat breakfast before you throw yourself back into work."

Matthew turned back to Collins. "Give me an hour. Then we’ll start tackling the mess."

Collins nodded and stepped out, leaving the couple alone.

Amber leaned against the counter, sipping her tea. "So, what’s the damage?"

Matthew sighed. "More of the same. Congress is still fighting me, the press is trying to spin a new scandal, and Hawthorne won’t back down."

Amber frowned. "You knew this wouldn’t end with Bradford’s arrest."

"I did," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "But I didn’t expect them to regroup so quickly."

Amber placed a gentle hand on his chest. "Then we stay ahead of them."

Matthew studied her for a moment, then nodded. "You always know what to say."

She smirked. "That’s why you married me."

They shared a quiet moment before Amber’s expression turned serious. "Matt, we need to talk about something else."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Amber hesitated. "I know you want to keep moving forward, but with the baby coming, we need to start thinking about what that means for us—for our family."

Matthew nodded, his expression growing thoughtful. "You mean… safety."

Amber nodded. "After everything that’s happened—the conspiracies, the threats—I need to know that our family is protected. We can’t pretend that just because Bradford is gone, the danger is, too."

Matthew exhaled, his jaw tightening. "You’re right."

Amber reached out, taking his hand in hers. "I know you’re fighting battles on every front, but this is different. Our children…" She paused. "I need to know that no matter what happens in Washington, they’ll be safe."

Matthew squeezed her hand. "I’ll make sure of it."

Amber studied him. "That means real precautions, Matt. Not just extra guards. I want a plan in place."

Matthew nodded. "I’ll talk to the security team. We’ll reinforce the household detail, and I’ll arrange for extra precautions when you and Arthur go anywhere."

Amber let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."

Matthew pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "I won’t let anything happen to you or our children. I promise." Explore more at novelbuddy

By midday, Matthew had cleared his schedule, opting to spend the afternoon with Amber and Arthur. The three of them sat in the private sitting room, where a warm fire crackled in the hearth.

Arthur, ever the ball of energy, was seated on the floor with his wooden toy soldiers, arranging them into battle formations. "Papa! Look, the cavalry is attacking the fortress!"

Matthew chuckled, crouching down beside him. "Ah, but what’s your strategy? You can’t just charge in."

Arthur furrowed his brows. "I make them run really fast!"

Amber laughed softly. "That sounds like a very determined army."

Matthew tousled Arthur’s hair. "That’s one way to do it."

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

Arthur turned to Amber. "Mama, do you think the baby will like toy soldiers?"

Amber smiled, running a hand over her stomach. "Maybe. Or maybe they’ll like something else. We’ll have to wait and see."

Arthur nodded, deep in thought. "I’ll teach them everything I know."

Matthew felt a wave of warmth fill his chest. Moments like this—they were what he was fighting for. Not just policies, not just power struggles, but for the future of his family.

Amber leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It’s going to be a long year, isn’t it?"

Matthew sighed. "Yes. But we’ll get through it."

Amber smiled softly. "Together."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Together."

Outside, the world still moved forward—the battles in Congress, the enemies in the shadows, the uncertainty of what was to come. But for now, in this quiet moment, none of it mattered.

Because in this room, they were just a family.

And no matter what lay ahead, that was something worth fighting for.