The driver was already waiting when Jaden came out of the house, seated upright behind the wheel with the engine running and the heat set low, the interior holding the faint, sterile scent of leather and antiseptic wipes that never quite left the vehicle no matter how often it was cleaned. The instruction had been clear for weeks now. The car was to be ready at all times. There were to be no delays, no idle questions, no unnecessary conversation, and above all, no visible reactions. Silence was not just preferred. It was expected, enforced, and quietly rewarded.Jaden descended the front steps with his phone pressed to his ear, his pace unhurried, his expression composed in the way it always was when he was handling something that mattered. He did not look toward the driver as he approached. He did not acknowledge the car as anything other than an object meant to obey. He opened the rear door himself, slid into the seat, and closed it with controlled precision, continuing his call as
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