Page 12 of The Hunter's Empire

I hesitate briefly. Not because I think Sebastian is dangerous. But because Stefano’s warning about discretion is still sitting heavily in the back of my mind.

"It involves information gathering." I answer carefully. "Sensitive information."

"And that requires auctions now?"

So he noticed that too.

I lean back slightly against the edge of the desk, crossing my arms loosely. "You’re reading too much into one sentence."

"Am I?" He steps closer slowly. "Because Rinaldi mentioning an auction in a private conversation with you doesn’t exactly sound normal."

I let out a quiet breath through my nose. Sebastian was intelligent. Far more intelligent than people gave him credit for, sometimes. Which also meant he noticed things quickly.

"It’s complicated." I say finally.

Sebastian watches me quietly for a moment, his expression harder to read now. "That usually means dangerous."

I hold his gaze evenly. "Dangerous things are part of my job now, Sebastian."

"You know you don’t have to handle everything alone, right?" The sincerity in his voice catches me slightly off guard.

"I know." And I do. But something about this situation feels different. Domenico Valenti feels different.

A man like that doesn’t belong in normal conversations.

Sebastian seems to realize I’m not going to explain further. So after a second, he exhales quietly and slips his hands into his pockets.

"Alright." He says. "I won’t push."

"That would be appreciated."

A faint smirk touches his mouth before he glances at his watch. "I've got another meeting anyway."

"Then you should go."

He studies me for another second before stepping closer and pressing a quick kiss against my cheek.

"If this turns into something serious, tell me."

"It probably already is."

That earns me a brief pause, but in the end he only nods once before heading for the door.

The second it closes behind him, my thoughts drift straight back to the same place they had been the entire time I talked to Stefano.

Domenico Valenti. Il Fantasma.

A man capable of slipping through impossible security systems as though they were barely an inconvenience. And somehow, instead of caution, all I feel is curiosity.

Chapter 4

Zora

"Legal businesses do not survive because they are clean, Ms. Krogen. They survive because someone dirtier protects them." The words cut through the conference room the moment I finish my opening statement.

I recognize the voice immediately. Raphael Devereux leans back in his chair with his arms crossed, his expression challenging as he stares directly at me. Several heads nod in agreement around the long table, and I feel the tension in the room thicken like a storm about to break.

I keep my posture straight and my voice steady. "I understand that perspective, Mr. Devereux, but I disagree with the long-term logic. We are not here to debate philosophy today. We are here to decide how this empire moves forward under new leadership."