The door to the room opened, breaking the heavy silence that had followed his exchange with his mother. Alexander had sat down, the weight of the argument still lingering in the air. His mother's words were always sharp and cutting, but today, they felt like nothing more than tiresome repetitions. The idea that she might actually believe he could fail was almost laughable. He had already built an empire, and she didn't understand that. But there was no time to dwell on her doubts now.