Page 3 of The Hunter's Empire

"We earned our place in this family long before you ever stepped into one of those offices."

"And where were you when things went wrong?" I ask quietly. "When shipments disappeared? When people needed protection? When Dad spent nights cleaning up messes so everyone else could keep pretending the empire ran itself?"

Neither of them answers.

"Enough." Keith's voice cuts through the room.

He leans back in his chair, looking suddenly exhausted. "I don't want any of it, Zora."

I blink. "What?"

"The resorts. The hotels. Whatever Dad left me." He shakes his head. "Keep it."

"Keith…"

"I'm serious."

Anton nods beside him. "Same goes for me. The clubs, the casinos. I don't want them either."

I stare at both of my brothers. "Dad didn't divide this between us so you could hand your pieces back."

Keith gives me a tired look. "You know what this life costs better than anyone."

"That doesn't mean you walk away and leave me with all of it."

"You won't be alone." Anton says. "You'll be leading it. There's a difference."

I look between them, searching for any sign that they're joking. There isn't one.

Finally, I let out a slow breath.

"Fine." I say. "I'll take the lead if that's what you both want."

Relief flickers across Keith's face.

"But we're doing this together." I continue before either of them can speak. "You don't get to disappear and leave me holding the empire by myself. Dad left this to the three of us, and that's how it stays."

Keith glances at Anton before nodding. "Fair enough."

"Works for me." Anton says.

Rasmund gathers the papers into a neat stack. "I'll begin the transfer process immediately." He says. "Everything should be finalized before the funeral."

The memory of that day fades as I sit in my office, staring out the window without really seeing anything. The empire is mine now and the realization still feels surreal. I became the leader of something so much bigger than I ever planned, something soaked in secrets and power that most people could never imagine.

"Zora." Sebastian’s voice cuts through the silence, steady and close enough to pull me out of whatever thought I was lost in. I blink, my focus snapping back into place.

The city outside the glass walls sharpens again, the blur dissolving into lights and movement. Sebastian is there, standing near the table with a file open in his hand, watching me with quiet patience.

I straighten slightly in my chair, masking the lapse before it lingers too long. "What were you saying?"

He doesn't question it. Instead, he simply repeats himself, calm and precise.

"I said the Savannah shipment needs to be rerouted. There's a delay at the port, and if we don't move it through the secondary channel, it's going to cost you more than just time."

I nod once, grounding myself in the familiarity of the conversation. Business is easier to hold on to. It doesn't drift.

"Then reroute it." I say. "Use the Charleston line. It's slower, but it won't draw attention."