My phone buzzes. Text from Anna:You said a few hours. It’s been six. Are you coming home?
Home. She called the estate home.
I text back:Soon. Business took longer than expected.
I set the phone down and look at the timeline again. Phase three: full transfer of assets. Viktor Kestrel loses operational control of the company his father built. Becomes a name on paperwork while I run everything.
That was always the plan. Engineer the debt. Force the marriage. Acquire the company. Viktor keeps his dignity on paper while I take actual control.
Three months ago, that felt like justice. Viktor made bad decisions. Extended himself beyond his capacity. Nearly destroyed a solid shipping operation through incompetence. I fixed it by taking over.
Now it feels like stealing from my children’s grandfather.
I push the files away and pull up the financial models instead. Revenue projections. Profit margins. Integration costs. The numbers are good. Kestrel Maritime’s folding into my operations increases efficiency by eighteen percent. Eliminates redundant routes. Consolidates client relationships.
All business sense.
But Alexei calls me Papa now. Mila picks me flowers. Anna says “be careful” when I leave and means it. Those things don’t show up in financial models.
My office door opens. Pavel walks in with coffee, and the expression he gets when he knows I’m not going to like what he has to say.
“The Kozlov situation is handled,” he says, setting the coffee on my desk. “Maxim won’t be making contact with them again.”
“How did you handle it?”
“Reminded the Kozlovs that harboring my boss’s disgruntled son would be bad for their health. Reminded Maxim that working with our competitors would end his inheritance permanently.”
“And?”
“Maxim backed down. He’s still angry, but he’s not stupid. The Kozlovs declined to get involved.”
“Good.”
Pavel sits in the chair across from my desk. “You’ve been in here for six hours. What are you working on?”
“Kestrel Maritime integration.”
“Problems with the timeline?”
“No. The timeline is fine.”
“Then what?”
I lean back in my chair. “When we structured this acquisition, what was the end goal?”
“Full operational control. Viktor keeps titular ownership; you make all decisions.”
“And that still makes sense to you?”
Pavel’s expression sharpens. “What are you asking?”
“I’m asking if taking complete control from Viktor still aligns with our objectives.”
“It’s what we planned for three years. It’s why you married Anna.”
“I married Anna because her father’s debt gave me leverage. The company acquisition was the mechanism.”
“And now?”
