Page 168 of The Hunter's Empire

"I'm not."

"Then tell me what's happening."

"You'll know in a moment."

A chill runs down my spine.

Before I can question him further, the second hand reaches the twelve. At that exact moment, an ear-piercing emergency siren erupts throughout the building.

The sound is so sudden and loud that I instinctively flinch. Red emergency lights begin flashing outside the office windows, their rhythmic pulses reflecting off the glass walls and polished floors. Almost immediately, voices echo through the executive floor. At first they're confused, employees calling out to one another, asking what happened. Within seconds, the confusion turns into panic.

I stare toward the door, my pulse quickening.

"What the hell..."

As instinct takes over, I reach across the desk for the office phone, intending to call Erin. Before my fingers can close around the receiver, Sebastian reaches out and gently places his hand over mine. Without a word, he lowers the receiver back into its cradle.

I slowly look up at him. "What are you doing?"

He withdraws his hand. The composure on his face is far more unsettling than panic would have been.

"Sebastian." I say, my voice turning sharp. "What's going on?"

He holds my gaze for a long moment before speaking. "I'm sorry."

The words send a chill down my spine. It isn't an apology. Before I can demand an explanation again, the office door swings open.

For a split second, I expect Erin. Or Caleb.

Instead, Mikkel walks inside as though the building belongs to him, completely unhurried while chaos continues just beyond the office walls.

The emergency sirens screaming through the corridors don't seem to concern him in the slightest. His suit is immaculate, his posture relaxed, and a faint smile rests comfortably on his face. He looks less like a man walking into the middle of a crisis and more like someone arriving fashionably late to a family dinner.

A few steps behind him comes Tobias. Unlike his father, Tobias says nothing.

His hands remain tucked casually inside his pockets as he wanders into the office with an almost bored expression, briefly glancing around the room before leaning against the wall as though none of this has anything to do with him.

My eyes move from Sebastian to Mikkel, then to Tobias. Understanding crashes into me all at once. This was never an emergency. The alarms. Sebastian checking his watch. The endless stalling. Every second of it had been planned.

"Zora." He says warmly. "My dear niece."

"What is this?"

"A private conversation." His smile widens ever so slightly. "Creating one required a bit of planning. The alarms got everyone moving. My men took care of the rest. By now, everyone in this building knows exactly who is in control."

I look at Sebastian. "You knew."

He doesn't answer. He doesn't have to. The silence is answer enough.

Mikkel strolls around the office, his fingertips brushing across the bookshelves before coming to a stop beside my desk.

Mikkel lets his gaze wander around the office before a faint smile appears on his face.

"Impressive. You've done well for yourself. But it exists because Marcus chose to back you instead of me."

I fold my arms. "Dad made his choice."

"He made a mistake."