18. “You Feel Your Dreams Are Dying…Hold Tight”
“YOU FEEL YOUR DREAMS ARE DYING…HOLD TIGHT”
Soren drew the curtains shut and the office collapsed into shadows, a confessional insulated from the October light beyond. It had been four days since his episode, and he’d spent every second of that time thinking about what he actually wanted and prioritizing his goals in life.
Today was the first step in a long line of steps that would bring him closer to his end goal.
His body moved in a metronome-like rhythm, mind focused, breath controlled, each pace deliberate. He’d done as the EMT suggested and looked up breath work on YouTube. Now, his body naturally followed those patterns whenever he felt the slightest tremor of tension.
In, hold, exhale.
The words of his memorized speech burned through his brain as he silently mouthed each statement with practiced cadence, while also following the breath routine.
A soft knock fractured his concentration. He glanced at the clock. Marie knew better than to interrupt before it was time, which meant the knock could only be his brothers.
“Come in.”
Greyson and Logan crossed the threshold, rolling into the space like an undertow. A sense of ease settled over Soren at the sight of them.
“Ready?” Greyson’s voice held the sturdiness of an oak.
Soren glanced at Logan, and their gazes locked as his youngest brother gave a confident nod.
“I’m ready.”
“No change of heart?” Greyson asked.
Soren shook his head. He’d thought long and hard about where he stood and knew what he wanted for their company moving forward. “No change of heart. Let’s do this.”
Right on cue, Marie knocked. “Sir, it’s time.”
The three men moved through the corridor with militant coordination, power in motion.
Employees flattened themselves against the walls with instinctive deference.
Three brothers, carved from the same ruthless lineage, bound by blood, locked in loyalty, yet each one uniquely different in their own way.
The boardroom doors opened inward. The ten seated members lifted their eyes in unison, posture snapping to attention as the air shifted.
“Good afternoon,” Soren greeted, taking his seat at the head of the table. Murmured responses followed, getting the pleasantries out of the way first.
The windows framed the harbor beyond. Grey water, pale sky, and the amber glow of the trees holding on to their past as they faced the inevitable peak of fall.
Greyson settled to Soren’s right. Logan took the left.
“Thank you, all, for making time for this vote,” Soren began, his voice steady and sharp as a blade.
“Today’s decision will reshape our company.
Each of your futures will benefit from the decisions made today.
Everything we’ve built at Hawthorne Fishery, we’ve built together, through profound research, strategy, and the transparent promise to dominate the lead of an industry valued all over the world. ”
He leaned forward, and the light caught the face of his watch as he folded his hands casually.
“Moving ahead, we’re going to see some changes to the way we’ve always done business.
” Others leaned in when he lowered his voice to ensure he had everyone’s full attention.
“In an era so entrenched in artificial intelligence and limitless information, it’s never been more important to work with those you trust. Which is why I’ve decided to withdraw the offer to Aldrich Shipping immediately. ”
Warren Aldrich’s hand froze mid-reach for his water glass. A frisson of tension traveled across his face. “I beg your pardon?”
Soren calmly fanned out his fingers, flashing Warren his palm. “Please hold all commentary. Each of you will have the opportunity to speak before the vote.”
Color drained from beneath Warren’s collar. His aged fingers curled inward, balling into a fist.
“Instead,” Soren continued, his voice carrying the weight of absolute confidence, “I move to partner with NorthStar Shipping.”
The room exhaled with a ripple of motion as portfolios opened.
“As you’ll note in your documents, NorthStar is built on principles also valued here at Hawthorne.
They believe in trust over leverage, and while they may not yet have the reach of their elder competitors, there’s something to be said for a new generation that sees the need to restore honesty and integrity to American businesses.
I can, in good faith, say that partnering with NorthStar will stabilize our company ethically and invite dependable, long-term growth over time.
Because we are also a company of great integrity, and we refuse to work with anyone who compromises those core values. ”
Soren’s gaze swept the table, deliberate and cutting. “You’re here, not because you’ve inherited a chair on this board, but because we believe your voice and opinion matters. My father ran this board for fifty-five years. We didn’t always see eye to eye as some of you may recall.”
A few soft laughs broke the silent pause.
“But I believe change is a positive thing. Unlike my predecessor, I want to hear your thoughts, and I invite you to come to me with ideas big and small. I encourage you to think differently. At the end of the day, good business isn’t always about revenue.
It’s about morale, security, and trust. That’s the new Hawthorne way. ”
He turned to his brothers. Greyson’s expression remained blank, but the slightest incline of his head was affirmation that Soren had said all that needed to be said. Logan’s hands were folded on the table, mirroring his own.
“My brothers and I are aligned, but we won’t move forward on a unilateral vote alone.
We only move forward if there’s a supermajority, which requires a minimum two-thirds vote of approval.
If that can’t be reached today, we table the discussion and return next week with alternatives.
I won’t rest until we find a partnership the board feels confident in. ” He sat back. “Questions? Comments?”
Mr. Yamato cleared his throat, his eyes on his portfolio notes. “Sir, is it correct to assume that NorthStar will prioritize obtaining contracts with European borders within the first hundred days?”
“That’s correct. I spoke to Mr. Wickham personally this weekend, and he assures me, as it states in the drafted contract which you can all review in your documents, that NorthStar will begin negotiations with seven European ports as early as January next year.”
Madeline Chen raised her hand. “And these projections are bi-annual?”
“Quarterly,” Soren corrected. “They may gross less than their competitors, but the return percentages are higher, which shows they’re scaling faster than the shipping companies that dominated the industry since the nineteenth century.”
Another sign that younger generations were capable of positive change.
She raised a brow. “Thank you for clarifying.”
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Warren snapped, tossing his pen on the table. “We had an understanding.”
Soren raised a silencing hand. “I mean no disrespect, Warren. This was a judgment call. I had to decide what was best for the company. Nothing personal.”
“Nothing personal, my ass.” He stood, jostling the water on the table and planting a fist on the portfolio he hadn’t opened. “I’m not voting for this. And you’re all fools if you agree to such an asinine move. Aldrich is a far superior company with an impeccable track record.”
“I’m sorry to hear we won’t have your support, but that’s your right as a standing board member. If there are no other questions or comments, I move that we vote.”
When no one objected, Soren looked at Greyson, who answered with a firm, “Aye.”
His attention circled the table, as Marie tracked every vote.
“Aye.”
“Aye.”
“Aye.”
“Nay,” Warren growled.
“Aye.”
“Nay.”
“Nay.”
He looked at Logan. “Aye.”
He grinned. They had it. Soren’s vote would seal the deal. “Aye.”
“The ayes have it,” Marie said.
He stood, immediately clasping his brothers in a congratulatory handshake.
“This is a mistake,” Warren erupted, bolting to his feet. “A catastrophic one. You’re throwing away a fortune, and for what? Integrity?”
The word hung in the air like an accusation, a weapon he wielded, believing it would wound. Soren met his eyes across the table and held steady.
“One day, you’ll regret what you did here.
I just hope I’m not around to pay for it.
” Gathering his papers, Warren exited the room in a boiling rage, and in no rush to simmer.
He paused at the door. “My daughter will hear about this,” he growled, as if sabotaging Olivia’s opinion of him was any kind of threat. “You’re too weak for her.”
“Well,” Greyson said. “I think you finally rid yourself of one parasite.”
“For now.”
Soren could guarantee Warren would vote against him for the rest of his days, and without a son, Olivia would one day inherit his chair on the board.
She’d follow in Daddy’s footsteps, making herself an obstacle whenever the opportunity presented itself, but eventually, knowing the sort of leech she was, she’d one day trap a husband to do the work for her, and the dust would ultimately settle.
Olivia never wanted her father’s empire. She wanted a wealthy husband and would go as far as weaponizing her own father to achieve her selfish objective and manipulate anyone who stood in her way.
What women like her always failed to understand was that a man of actual conviction doesn’t weigh his values against desire. He desires that which is truly valuable, and Soren valued honesty and integrity above all else.
After a round of handshakes, the boardroom emptied, leaving only he and his brothers. They shared a silent smirk, each of them dancing around the same unspoken thought.
“Think Dad’s screaming down at us?” Greyson finally asked.
Soren shook his head and laughed. “No. He’s looking up.”
Logan and Grey both got a chuckle out of the joke, but as always, none of them lingered for long on the question of what their father might think. He didn’t think much of them while alive. Why should he think any more or less dead?
“Drink?” Logan suggested. “Feels like we should celebrate.”
“Can’t,” Grey declined. “I left Bodhi with a bunch of power tools and supplies. If I leave him unattended too long, he’ll build a tree fort for the cats, and I’ll be out of lumber.”
“Soren?”
He hesitated, remembering his first priority. “Raincheck?”
Logan grinned. “Jocelyn?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I found my North Star. Now it’s time to follow it home.”