Kael remained silent for several moments, carefully gathering his thoughts before folding his hands neatly on the table. There was neither hesitation nor unease in his expression, only the composure of a man prepared to account for every decision he had made as the Alpha of Nightfall Territory.
"There is a reason, Royal Alpha," he began calmly. "Nightfall Territory has never lacked the ability to generate revenue. On the contrary, our annual income has continued to grow steadily over the past decade. The issue has never been how much we collect, but how much ultimately reaches the Royal Treasury."
Kade gave a slight nod, silently indicating that he should continue.
Turning one of the financial reports toward him, Kael pointed to several carefully marked entries. "Nearly forty percent of the taxes collected never reach the territorial treasury."
Marcus instinctively leaned forward, his brows knitting together as he studied the figures before him. "That's a considerable amount."
