Sasha sighed heavily as she gazed at the clock on the wall. It had been an arduous day of training her paralegal, a task that had previously taken only a few minutes, but now seemed to stretch into an interminable hour. The constant interruptions from her colleague only added to her frustration, leaving her with a palpable sense of tension that weighed heavily upon her shoulders.

Just as she was reaching the brink of desperation, the door to the office creaked open, revealing the silhouette of the solicitor. He strode into the room with a confused expression etched upon his face, his gaze fixed upon Sasha.

"Sasha, why are you still here?" he asked, his tone tinged with surprise. "You should have been on your way home by now. You know the policy; once you're on holiday, all you need to do is to put an out-of-office message and leave for home, or for holiday, or wherever you wish."

As he spoke, he removed his coat from his shoulder and hung it carefully on the hanger by the door. Sasha could sense the urgency in his voice, a clear indication that she was expected to leave the office immediately.

"Got it, boss," Sasha replied with a forced smile, as she quickly gathered her belongings and made her way towards the door. Despite her eagerness to leave, she did not allow the solicitor's offer to accompany her to detract from her professionalism.

In her haste, she fumbled for her phone and quickly dialed the number of her friend, Aness. As the phone rang repeatedly, she climbed into her car and started the engine, her thoughts focused on the urgency of the situation.

"Come on...answer," she thought, her impatience growing with each unanswered ring. Finally, the sound of a familiar voice on the other end of the line filled the car, bringing a sense of relief and comfort to Sasha's tense form. The warm and welcoming tone.

"It took you a while to finish with your co-worker," Aness teased with a light giggle in her voice. "I thought you would be faster."

"I apologize if some people take longer to understand certain concepts," Sasha replied, trying to keep the frustration from her voice. "Regardless, I am on my way back, so I hope you are already there."

"You bet," Aness replied cheerily. "I'll let the others know so they can come as well."

"Wait...what? The others? How many people did you invite over?" Sasha asked, her tone bordering on alarm. "Are you nu..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the line went dead, and Sasha was left staring at her phone in disbelief. It was a familiar scenario for those close to Aness, who was known for her bustling personality and tendency to cut calls short. Regardless, Sasha took a deep breath and reminded herself that it was just another typical day with Aness at the helm.

Sasha pressed the accelerator to the maximum, and her car swiftly glided down the highway. As she drove, her mind was filled with a mixture of emotions and apprehension about the evening ahead. Her intuition was warning her that things could quickly go wrong if they were not careful. So absorbed in her thoughts, it took her a moment to realize that she had arrived home.

"Sasha! Sasha! What are you doing?" Aness's voice jolted Sasha from her reverie. Startled, she turned in the direction of the entrance of the house, where Aness was eagerly waiting.

"I had a rough day," Sasha muttered as she stepped out of her car and closed the door behind her. "I can't wait to get this book discussion over with and send everyone home."

"Oh come on," Aness chided with a smile. "They're nice people, you'll see. Just relax and come inside." And with that, she opened the door, beckoning Sasha to follow her into the house.

As Sasha approached the living room, she found David and a young woman with vibrant green hair, both silently sipping coffee. Sasha took a moment to observe the two strangers before introducing herself. Despite her initial hesitation about inviting strangers into her home, she pushed aside her reservations and mustered a polite smile.

"Hello everyone! My name is Sasha, and I am glad you were able to come and take a look at the book. Sorry for being late, I was tied up with some work matters."

David's face lit up with surprise at Sasha's appearance, and a hint of intrigue sparkled in his eyes. "Hello Miss Sasha, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is David, and this is my colleague, Merveie. We were instructed by Miss Aness to assist you with the book."

Sasha felt a bit taken aback by David's excessive politeness and found it unsettling. She took a step back, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "Nice to meet you too. Shall we get started?" she asked as she retrieved the book from the nearby table.