= Sarah POV =

After breakfast, Chris changed into jeans and a white t-shirt before driving me to the café. She made a passing remark about my insistence on wearing stockings again. I ignored her, gazing out the window. It wasn’t worth arguing about—her nitpicking was just her way of trying to assert her preferences. I knew I looked good, stockings or not.

Chris parked her car at a public parking lot across the road and walked me to the café. On the way over, she explained that she was considering putting in more hours at the café since she had the time now to do it.

“Are you planning on working with Heather or Ms. Jun?” I asked, holding the door open for her.

“Probably Ruby at first. You’re a big fan of her breakfasts, so I might as well learn from the best before switching departments later,” she replied, stepping inside.

Heather looked up from the counter as we entered. “Well, well, look who finally showed up! Chris, have you ditched the hotel for good to dedicate your life to our little haven?”

Chris chuckled. “Not quite. I am still very much employed, thanks. But I do need to talk to Ruby. Is she around?”

“She’s in the kitchen, bossing around the newbies like always,” Heather said, rolling her eyes.

“Perfect. I’ll go stir the pot,” Chris grinned before turning to me. “I’ll pick you up at four.”

With that, she disappeared into the back.

Heather leaned in slightly as we headed for the back staircase. “You two came together today?”

“Yeah, she’s technically ‘working from home,’ so she offered to drop me off. She mentioned wanting to spend more time here since she feels like she’s been neglecting you guys,” I said, feeling awkward about sharing Chris’s private thoughts.

Heather smirked. “Still cares after all these years? If she does come back on board, we’ll need to push the company retreat. Ruby will need a few weeks to train new staff before we all take off.”

“Company retreat?” I asked as we stepped into the lift.

“Yeah, we go up to the mountains yearly—staff and their families. There’s a hot spring and a big inn we book out for everyone. It’s already reserved for two weeks from now, but if Chris joins, we’ll have to move it.” Heather pulled out her phone, already adjusting her schedule. “Oh, and I’ll need you to handle the cancellation fees. I’m adding you to the planning committee.”

My phone buzzed with a new notification. Sure enough, I’d been added to a group chat filled with schedules, to-do lists, and retreat details. Skimming through, I quickly found the information I needed.

“Got it. I’ll take care of it,” I said, offering her a bright smile.

We exited the lift and parted ways—Heather to her meeting and me to my desk. I set to work organising my daily tasks, starting with the retreat adjustments and cancellation requests.