The conference room felt suffocating despite its vastness. Asher sat at the head of the table, a shadow of authority cast over every man present. Zander was beside him, flanked by the Dominic Empire’s highest-ranking officials.
“How many ships do we still need to send?” Zander asked, eyes fixed on his laptop.
“We’ve already deployed half,” the presenter said, “and this is the largest fleet anyone has ever sailed across the sea.”
All eyes shifted to Asher. He sat silent, expression carved from stone, his thoughts far from the meeting.
When he still didn’t speak, Zander closed the session with a curt, “Very well. That will be all.”
Back in the office, Zander studied his cousin. Asher looked wrong. Fists clenched, brow furrowed, staring at a file without seeing it.
“What is it?” Zander
