LAUREN'S POV

“Wait… so what are you saying now?” I asked, my voice carrying more disbelief than I intended. My mind struggled to process what the manager had just said, as though the words had been spoken in a foreign language I didn’t quite understand.

“Exactly what you heard,” the manager replied, her tone calm yet firm, as though this was a simple matter of business. “You’re being transferred to Italy to work for one of Hale Industries’ branches.”

For a moment, all I could do was stare at her, then let my gaze shift toward the men seated across from her, their expressions unreadable, their silence almost oppressive. It...