The Unwanted Empire
You inherit a shipping empire—and the ruthless rival who wants it more than you do.
A reclusive marine biologist inherits a vast shipping empire from a grandfather she never knew, along with his bitter rival, a billionaire who believes the fortune should be his. Thrust into a world of boardroom sharks and betrayals, you must learn to navigate treacherous waters with the one man who wants to destroy you. As the board votes on your future, you uncover a secret that could topple them both—and you're the only key. A slow-burn enemies-to-lovers billionaire romance with high-stakes intrigue and a hidden empire's darkest secret.
The story begins
The envelope sat on the lab bench like a dead thing, its cream-colored paper screaming against the salt-stained wood. Your hands, still pricked with sea urchin spines, hovered over the embossed seal—a ship’s wheel entwined with a serpent. You hadn't touched it yet. The courier had been gone for eleven minutes, and you'd spent every second pretending the tide charts mattered more.
The phone buzzed. Unknown. You let it ring. It buzzed again, insistent, a heartbeat you couldn't ignore.
"Dr. Vance?" The voice was clipped, female, all business. "This is Eleanor Vance's office. Your grandfather passed this morning. You need to be in the city by noon tomorrow. There are papers requiring your signature before the board convenes."
The word required landed like a hook in your gut. You opened your mouth to say you had a grant deadline, a tank of anemones that needed feeding, that you'd never met the man—
"Miss Vance," she cut through the silence, "the serpents are already circling. Julian Cross requested a meeting before you even knew his name."
What happens next is up to you.
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