Alvarez doesn't respond immediately. He leans back in his chair, fingers tapping once against the armrest before he exhales and pushes himself to his feet.
Without another word, he walks toward the office door and stops there, one hand resting against the frame as he looks out over the gym floor.
The gym feels more crowded than usual, the air thick with movement and noise. Journalists linger near the edges, watching closely, waiting for a moment they can turn into a story.
Inside the ring, Villanueva is already in the middle of a sparring session with Paulo Ramos. The pace is high, the exchange intense.
Ramos presses forward, compact and relentless, his stance steady, almost deceptively relaxed. He doesn't waste motion. Every step keeps him balanced, centered, allowing him to fire off tight bursts of punches without overreaching.
His gloves move in quick succession; short, controlled flurries that come in waves, each combination flowing into the next without breaking his rhythm.
