The heavy mahogany doors of Jake's office at Golden Investments clicked shut, cutting off the low hum of the corridor. Jake walked toward his desk, his boots striking the polished floor with a steady, unhurried rhythm. Elias took his position by the entrance, hands folded in front of his slate-gray suit.
Jake pulled out the heavy leather chair and sat down before the curved master display. He didn't open news feeds. He didn't load technical indicators or macro data streams.
He simply focused his vision on the raw, flickering numbers of the XAUUSD spot price: 2,315.40.
Deep behind his left eye, a sharp, familiar spark ignited.
The manageable numbness from the morning's Nimodipine capsule dissolved instantly, replaced by a cold, clinical pressure that expanded behind his temple. Jake didn't flinch. He leaned slightly forward, his pupils dilating as the physical world seemed to slow its pace.
