Chapter 46 — When They Try to Break You
They didn’t put him in a cell.
That would’ve been easier.
They put Alessandro in a room designed to look neutral.
Gray walls. Soft lighting. A table bolted to the floor but polished smooth. No visible restraints. No visible hostility.
Control disguised as civility.
He sat calmly, jacket removed, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms. His posture wasn’t defensive. It wasn’t relaxed either.
It was measured.
The door opened precisely seven minutes after he’d been left alone.
Director Valerius entered without escort.
She closed the door herself.
No guards.
No recording devices visible.
Which meant there were many.
She sat across from him, folding her hands neatly.
“You look well,” she said.
Alessandro met her gaze. “You look busy.”
A fai
