They Called Me Weak and Took My Legacy, But One Shot Changed Everything
Previously: When Ashley was cast out by her elite military family, she lost everything. Years later, she returns to the firing line to prove she has what it takes.
High Stakes and Old Grudges
The stunning display of marksmanship had drawn a small crowd, but the fragile peace was shattered by the sound of heavy footsteps. Marcus, Ashley’s estranged older brother, walked out from the air-conditioned main office. He was flanked by two burly security guards, a cruel, familiar smirk plastered across his face. Marcus had inherited their father's security empire by lying, manipulating the family will, and casting Ashley out into the cold. To him, she was a threat that needed to be permanently neutralized.
"Well, well, look who decided to crawl back," Marcus sneered, stopping a few feet from the shooting bench. "Impressive trick shots, Ashley. But hitting close-range steel doesn't mean you belong here. You're still the same weak girl who couldn't handle the family business."
Ashley kept her rifle pointed downrange, her grip tightening on the stock.
"I came to claim what is mine, Marcus," she said quietly. "Father wanted us to run this place together."
Marcus laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. He pulled a legal document from his tactical jacket and slapped it onto the wooden table.
"You want your share? Let's make a bet," Marcus challenged, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You see that red steel target at the very end of the valley? It's one thousand yards out. The desert wind is shifting at twenty miles an hour. Hit it with one shot, and I will sign over your share of the inheritance."
Mike stepped forward, his face pale.
"Marcus, that's an impossible shot in this crosswind," Mike whispered. "Even our elite instructors can't guarantee that hit."
"Shut up, Mike," Marcus snapped, keeping his eyes locked on his sister. "If you miss, Ashley, you sign this paper right now. You waive any future legal claims to the family name, the estate, and this range forever. You walk away and never look back. Do we have a deal, or are you as soft as I always said you were?"
Ashley looked at the impossible distance, the heat waves shimmering over the sand. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she knew this was the moment she had trained three years for.
”Her heart hammered in her chest, but she knew this was the moment she had trained three years for.