Chapter 34

• The sprawling corner office perched high atop the gleaming Donovan Enterprises tower exuded an aura of rarefied power and masculine refinement. Floor-to-ceiling panes offered a panoramic vista overlooking Westbrook's glittering cityscape, while the space's meticulously curated aesthetic blended sleek contemporary accents with an underpinning of stately old-world opulence.
• Here, ensconced amidst this lavish embodiment of his own formidable ambition and success, Michael Donovan held court with an imperious confidence and predatory grace utterly befitting his undisputed authority. Even lounging languidly behind his imposing ebony desk, one could easily discern the brimming virility simmering beneath the surface - akin to a great maned lion briefly indulging in sun-drenched repose before inevitably rousing to prowl and claim his rightful dominance once more.
• At present, Michael's razor-sharp eyes were trained upon the solidly-built figure of Luca Rizzi, the Donovan family's longtime consigliere and Michael's most stalwart ally. The two men exuded an almost palpable sense of fraternal allegiance bolstered by decades of loyalty, their entire beings attuned to an intuitive shorthand of subtle cues and coded gestures.