ROWAN
The door opened slowly.
Rosa stepped inside.
The moment I looked at her, I knew something was wrong.
She didn't have her usual smile.
Rosa was the kind of woman who smiled through almost everything. Whether she was tired, stressed, or busy, she always managed to keep that warm smile on her face.
Today, it was gone.
Her eyes looked worried, and her hands were tightly locked together.
"Boss," she said quickly, "I came to ask for a leave."
She took a small breath before continuing. "My son collapsed at work. I need to go take care of him. His wife and children are still away."
She spoke so fast that it sounded like she was afraid every second mattered.
I straightened in my chair.
I already knew his wife and children had traveled for a family visit, but this was the first tim
