"...Oh, so, it's your first time in Milan?"

"Yeah, actually, first in Italy."

Amidst the guards and the few glances turning toward them, Allea walked out of the airport with her assistants (Nayla and Ali) behind her engaged in their own discussion. Although she didn't contribute among their words, hearing Ali's response, her lips curved in a slight smile as her mind drifted back to her first visit to Italy —around four and a half years ago when she came with Kai to Venice during the Christmas holidays. After Jackson left to pursue his passion for traveling, his habits rubbed off on them too, as instead of celebrating such holidays at home they preferred to enjoying them in different places around the world. Moreover, it made Allea's work a lot easy, along with showing Kai different colors of the world, she also got a chance to overlook work.

Steeping outside in the broad daylight, hidden underneath her sunglasses, Allea's eyes roamed around the bustling city while standing under the boundless sky of Milan, their business trip's first stop in Italy.

Nayal pointed toward the awaiting cars, and they walked toward it, her wandering eyes halted as the driver opened the door and she stepped inside followed by her assistants.

A subtle sigh escaped her lips, even though her private flight was comfortable but after about nine hours of journey, it's normal for the body to feel tiredness, moreover, Allea's lack of comfort and inability to sleep at high altitude leaves her in a considerably deprived state. Maybe that's where her years of playing soccer with Kai for hours on weekends pays off, as her body rarely gets that tried to make her utterly exhausted and strengthless.

Allea's eyes flickered toward her wristwatch, on which the time was obviously useless as Milan is six hours ahead of Manhattan. They left for Milan at six in the evening and reached in the day, and now it was about nine-thirty here. She thought of calling Kai to inform him about her safe arrival but he'll be asleep and not intending to wake him up, she sent a text. While saying goodbye, Kai requested just one thing; to keep in touch with him excessively and Allea sees no reason for not complying with it.

After that, her gaze moved outside of the window, the beautiful spectator of Milan during the day welcomed her sight. From all the traffic and bustling aura, this city feels to emit, along with all their conventionally designed buildings that were passing through her sight, she felt the feeling this city gives her. That's always distinct from others cities of Italy, somewhere monotonous yet wholly soothing to sight, maybe the reason behind it can be Milan being part of Italy but more modernized, which also gives a distinction in its architecture.

Four years ago, under Allgaier Corporation a high-end Export Industry was established in Milan, it worked with the cooperation of various smaller sub-companies, that came and operated together under one name. Under the partnership of these eight local companies, the export Industry was established well in Italy's market. For four years its name ascended well, but at the end of last years a dispute occurred in two representatives of these sub-companies, and others also chose their sides. Allea didn't bother with the cause, what mattered to her was the unity that she created was divided, and how it affected the whole scale of the industry, falling it low and lower in the past months —all the loss our a mere dispute of fighting for a higher position.

The head executive of Industry, who's a hard-working and impartial man in his early thirties, Mr. Enzo kept informing Allea about everything even though he did his best to restore the unity but things continued to slip out of their hands as sharp words continued to exchange between the two parties. And in the end, Allea had to come here to clean their scattered mess.

That's why instead of a short visit she has decided to stay for a week, she doesn't bother with their dispute because if it isn't resolved she can easily replace their company with the other, no doubt that many local companies would jump up for this opportunity. What she cared about was the digits of loss that came as a thorn to her sight, their lack of balance in doing work properly, poorly dealt projects, moreover, the dark spots their actions were leaving on the reputation of Allgaier Corporation.

"Boss, tonight's welcome dinner tonight with the companys' representatives is confirmed at eight."

As Naylas voice came from beside her, Allea's focus moved toward her and nodded at her words, seeing the tiredness visible through her face and voice, she added, "Well, it's just a dinner, you both can rest. I will go there alone," And before they could show dissatisfaction she continued, "As we won't be having any time to rest in upcoming days. So, revive your energies well."

Their time here is going to be a lot more hectic with all the work that is awaiting us, probably leaving no time for anything else, therefore, Allea had already decided to start the work after a day of rest and just relax, and lessen the weariness as much as they can.

Nayla nodded with a smile, as well as Ali from the passenger seat contributed with an 'okay, Boss.'

Thinking of the whole day Allea will have, she has no intentions of passing the whole time sleeping despite the jet lag. Her frequent travel has made her realize that for her sleeping in the day worsens the jet lag, and makes it hard to set the body in accordance to the time-zone. While she won't be having anything else to do, Allea faced toward Ali's seat in front of her and voiced, "Ali, give me the iPad, I'll look over some more files myself."

With a tilt of her head, she raised her toward the back of his seat, noticing him taking out the iPad, but in the next second she felt a stare on her face and her gaze sub-consciously raised toward the rear-view mirror.

"...Boss?"

Allea's gaze halted there, as what came in her sight were quite familiar amber eyes and the golden glint as they were boring in her through the sunglasses.

In the next instant, Allea's gaze impassively moved away.

Taking the iPad from Ali, she leaned against her seat and moved her eyes and focus toward the documents in her hands, and passed the time going over them vaguely until they reached the hotel.

"You both, go ahead and check-in."

The moment the car stopped, before any one of them could leave Allea's implied words confused her both of assistants. They turned their questioning stare toward her but seeing her with no intentions of leaving the car, they didn't ask anything and dubiously left, leaving Allea behind.

Allea's movements were calm and smooth as she fully leaned against the seat, placed the iPad aside, and took off her sunglasses. Her desolate gaze was raised and looked directly toward the man's eyes seated on the driver seat through the rear-view mirror.

In a subtle sneer Allea's lips curved, if not for her tone that was indifferent, her followed words would have been full of scoffness, "I must admire your dedication to your profession."

In response, a light chuckle resonated throughout the car, the man to whom these words were said moved a hand through his hair and pushed them away from his face, and turned his face toward Allea, who also moved her impassive gaze away from the mirror to his face.

With amusement clear in his voice, he mused, "I thought you were just going to overlook my trivial presence."

There was no waver in Allea's gaze but her tone was getting colder with each passing word from her mouth, "May I ask what are you doing here?"

The man's eyes curved as he exclaimed, "Of course," grabbing the steering wheel he gave it a swing and uttered as something-so-obvious, "driving."

Allea gave no response, her unwavering blank gaze was still on him. Seeing this, he turned again and continued after a pretended-reluctant pause, "Well, I left my previous job, the employer was too stone-faced. So, I had to find another source to earn money."

Even if Allea was finding her useless words nuisance, nothing could be seen on her face or in her actions, "What I asked, you know what it meant."

"Yup," he nodded as if totally understanding Allea's words, and then again proceeded to act absurd with a smile, "Thank you for showing concern, Allea."

After a moment of silence from her, a perfectly feigned smile rose on Allea's lips as her cold voice resonated, "I hope you have a good time doing your job, Mr. Ahlstrom."

Another unharmonious chuckle left his lips, but despite the smile on his face, his eyes were solemn as ever when he acknowledged, "I will."

Contemptuously moving her gaze away, with no intentions of further staying in discussion with him, taking her things, Allea's hand reached to open the door. But discerning her intention, he was quick in his movements, hurriedly walked out of the car to appear at Allea's side, and opened the door.

As she stepped outside of the door he was holding open, Allea's gaze flickered toward him. Dressed in a shoddy and typical-looking chauffeur black pants and coat, underneath a white shirt and black tie with a hat, everything was complimenting his common look. With his long hair styled in an attempt to make him look professional yet left open, and a scraggly beard. With a close look, one could even discern his vague attempt of using make-up to lessen the shade of his skin and the sharpness of his features.

Noticing Allea's eyes on his attire, a slight smile appeared on his face as he bowed his hat a little and inquired smugly, "Looking handsome, ain't I?"

Allea had no intentions of wasting any other word, moving her gaze away from him, she walked inside the hotel, picking the room card from the reception, and reached her designated room.

The man who was left behind continued to stare until her figure vanished inside of the hotels' doors. The smile that moments ago was on his lips completely faded away, and his face turned expressionless. Raising his amber eyes, he looked in a certain direction of his left side, his hands reached to remove his hat and turned on the device in his ear.

"She wasn't surprised, what a loss..."

His eyes and words seemed to be directed at someone, who in return must have said something as in the next second another chuckle left his lips, that lacked any humorousness.

"...Don't be impatient, wait."

His eyes once again moved toward the doors of the hotel, in between the surrounding of loud noises, the amber-eyed man's cold whispers faded away.

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