Aloe's POV
Consciousness returned slowly, filtered through layers of sedation and the antiseptic smell that had become the signature of my captivity. But this time, something was different.
The air was cleaner, the sounds were different, and when I finally managed to open my eyes, I wasn't looking at a hospital ceiling or hotel room.
I was staring at a skylight framing the perfect blue sky and mountain peaks.
The room around me was beautiful in a way that made my stomach clench with recognition. Not the sterile medical facilities or generic hotel suites of my previous imprisonments, but the kind of luxury that Wakes specialized in designer furniture, original artwork, expensive fixtures that whispered of unlimited resources.
A prison so beautiful it could pass for a sanctuary.
I tri
