Chapter 166: Vacation
After Liam’s little outburst, Lauren had finally taken a step back—three full days away from the office, away from the constant noise of intel reports and failed leads.
She hadn’t wanted to at first, but after some insistent prodding—and a very blunt message from one of her closest friends—the decision was made for her. Once word got out that she was in Europe, a few of her old circle made immediate plans to fly in. She hadn’t seen some of them in over a year, but the moment she mentioned being in Slovakia, they were already booking tickets.
Now, she was off-duty. Completely.
For the first time in weeks, the endless weight on her shoulders had lightened.
Liam had taken over all work-related matters in her absence without complaint. He had even seemed glad to do it—maybe relieved that she was finally getting some rest. The first day, Lauren slept almost the entire time, barely waking up except to eat. The second was more relaxed: she curled up on the couch, catching up on a few shows she hadn’t had time for, while ignoring every notification on her terminal.
And now—on the third day—her friends had dragged her out.
Currently, they were cruising along a smooth, winding highway in a sleek mana-powered vehicle, its silent hum gliding over the road. The transparent canopy overhead dimmed slightly under the afternoon sun, letting just enough light through to keep the interior warm without being overbearing.
Music played softly in the background, but Lauren barely heard it. Her eyes were fixed on the scenery rushing past as they made their way toward one of the most popular vacation spots in Europe: the domain of an intermediate clan blessed with the bloodline of the god of economy.
Even now, she still didn’t quite understand how their powers worked. It wasn’t combat-related like most clans. From what she’d heard, it was something deeper—more subtle.