ROMAN'S POV

“Sir, I believe it’s Cassandra Boyce,” the manager said.

 Her words dropped like a stone into the room — sharp, unexpected, unsettling. I raised an eyebrow slowly, confusion flickering across my face. Cassandra Boyce? The name didn’t strike a bell. Was I supposed to know who that was?

 “Who?” I asked flatly, my tone cold and clipped.

 Lauren, who had been quietly observing until now, leaned forward slightly. “And what makes you think it’s her?” she asked, her voice calm but edged with curiosity.

 So Lauren knew who Cassandra was, that much was clear from her tone. I didn’t, and that fact alone annoyed me.

 The manager straightened...