Ruthless Obsession

***Rafael***

I dragged the tip of my fountain pen across the thick parchment, signing off on a syndicate arms shipment headed for the docks. The heavy mahogany desk felt cold beneath my forearms. The quiet hum of the air conditioner usually grounded me, but today, it did nothing to drown out the presence of the man standing across from me. My empire ran on discipline and fear, on ledgers balancin