Aurelio's POV

The morning had started exactly the way I preferred. Quiet. Comfortable. Controlled. The kind of morning that reminded me why I had spent decades building everything I had.

The room was large enough that most people would have considered it excessive, but I had never cared about what others thought. Comfort was not something to apologize for. Power came with privileges, and I had earned every single one of them.

The curtains remained partially closed, ...