Married to Julian Grey

Chapter 5

The HR department felt different the moment I walked out of it.

Not louder.

Not busier.

Just... final.

It was the kind of feeling that came when a decision had already been made somewhere far above me, and everyone else was simply carrying out instructions.

That unsettled me more than the transfer itself.

Aurelius Group Headquarters.

Another city.

Effective immediately.

I stared down at the document in my hand as I walked back toward my department.

On paper, it was an incredible opportunity.

The transfer came with accommodation, increased pay, and additional benefits. It was the kind of offer people spent years hoping for—the kind of opportunity that could completely change someone's career.

And yet, I couldn't shake the strange feeling sitting heavily in my chest.

I hadn't applied for it.

I hadn't asked for it.

I hadn't even known it was possible.

So why me?

By the time I returned to my department, I didn't have to explain anything.

Everyone already knew.

Mark looked up the moment I approached my desk.

"So it's real."

I gave a small nod.

Jessica pushed her chair back slightly, her expression a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

"That was fast."

Daniel glanced over from his computer but didn't say anything. He didn't need to. The question on his face was the same one everyone else seemed to have.

Sandra stood near Mr. Lawson's office with a folder tucked neatly beneath one arm.

Of course she knew.

As Mr. Lawson's executive assistant, Sandra usually knew things before the rest of us did.

"It was signed this morning," she said.

I frowned.

"This morning?"

She nodded.

"Mr. Lawson signed the transfer papers, but the decision came from Headquarters."

I looked down at the document again.

"So everyone already knew?"

"No," Sandra replied. "Only the people who were here when it came through."

My fingers tightened slightly around the paper.

"So there was no discussion?"

Her expression remained calm.

"There wasn't time for one. It had already been approved before it reached us."

Something about that bothered me.

Not because I wanted to argue.

Not because I wanted to reject the opportunity.

But because it meant this decision had been made long before anyone thought to ask what I wanted.

Jessica leaned forward.

"Headquarters, though..."

A small smile touched her lips.

"That's a huge opportunity, Elena."

"It is," Mark agreed. "Most people would do anything for a chance like that."

Daniel finally looked away from his screen.

"You'll probably be earning more than the rest of us soon."

I laughed softly.

"I don't even know what position they're transferring me into."

Mark shrugged.

"Whatever it is, it must be good."

I didn't answer.

Because somehow, I wasn't convinced.

I looked around the office—the familiar desks, the familiar faces, the small routines I had grown used to without realizing it.

Yesterday, this had been my normal. My predictable, comfortable life, and now everything was changing whether I understood why or not.

The rest of the morning passed in a strange blur. People stopped by my desk to congratulate me.

Some asked questions I couldn't answer.

Where was I going?

What department would I be joining?

Why had I been selected?

I had no answers.

Eventually, there was nothing left to do except pack.

It was strange how quickly a place could become familiar.

A framed photograph.

A coffee mug.

A few personal items tucked away inside my drawers.

Small things that seemed insignificant until the moment you had to put them away.

As I placed them into a box, an unexpected heaviness settled in my chest.

This department had become part of my routine.

The busy mornings.

The endless reports.

The familiar faces.

Even Mr. Lawson's lectures had become something I expected.

And now I was leaving it all behind.

Sandra watched me from across the room as I sealed the box.

"You'll go today."

It wasn't a question.

I looked up.

"Apparently."

For a brief moment, her usual professional composure softened.

"Good luck, Elena."

I smiled faintly.

"Thanks."

A few minutes later, I walked out of the department carrying the box.

I paused briefly before leaving.

It was only an office.

Only a desk.

Only a job.

But it had been my life for years.

Then I stepped forward.

The doors closed behind me.

And just like that...

It was over.

---

When I got home, I didn't waste any time.

There was no reason to.

Everything had already been decided.

I opened my suitcase and started packing.

Clothes.

Toiletries.

Books.

Anything I thought I might need.

My hands moved automatically while my mind struggled to catch up.

This morning, I had woken up expecting an ordinary day.

Now I was preparing to leave my city.

Halfway through packing, my phone lit up.

I looked down.

A message appeared on the screen.

Flight arranged. Departure: 6:40 PM. Driver will arrive at 4:30 PM.

Signed, Aurelius Group.

I stared at the message longer than necessary.

Then I laughed softly.

Of course they had already arranged everything.

At this point, nothing about the transfer surprised me anymore.

The driver arrived exactly on time and took me straight to the airport.

There, I discovered I had been booked in business class.

The ticket was already paid for.

My seat was already assigned.

Every detail had been handled before I even arrived.

All I had to do was show up.

The entire experience felt strangely unreal.

Like I had somehow stepped into someone else's life without permission.

The flight passed quietly.

I spent most of the journey staring out the window, watching clouds drift beneath us and wondering when exactly my ordinary life had become something I no longer recognized.

The distance between me and everything familiar grew with every passing minute.

The difference became obvious the moment we landed.

The airport was larger than any I had ever seen.

Brighter.

Busier.

More alive.

Everything about it seemed designed to make my own city feel smaller.

While I collected my luggage, another message appeared.

Accommodation assigned. Address attached. Keys available at reception.

Signed, Aurelius Group.

I looked around.

A car was already waiting outside.

Of course it was.

The drive through the city only made the reality of the move settle deeper.

The skyline stretched endlessly beyond the windows.

Glass towers rose into the sky, reflecting sunlight from every angle.

Roads crossed above one another in layers.

Massive digital screens covered buildings, flashing images over the constant movement below.

Traffic flowed beneath elevated highways.

Everywhere I looked, there was movement.

Scale.

Money.

Power.

The city seemed determined to remind everyone how important it was.

I found myself staring out the window as we moved deeper into it.

I had never seen anything like this.

For the first time since receiving the transfer, excitement pushed through the uncertainty.

Maybe Headquarters really was different.

Maybe this was exactly the opportunity everyone thought it was.

The car finally stopped in front of a building that looked more like a luxury residence than employee accommodation.

I stared up at it.

Surely this couldn't be standard housing.

Could it?

Inside, the receptionist already had my details.

No questions.

No delays.

She simply handed me a key card.

"Apartment 1803."

I thanked her and headed upstairs.

The elevator opened onto a quiet hallway.

A few moments later, I stood before the apartment door and unlocked it.

Then froze.

The apartment was enormous.

I stepped inside slowly.

The living room alone looked larger than my entire apartment back home.

Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across one wall, revealing the city below.

The furniture looked untouched.

The kitchen belonged in a design magazine.

Everything looked as though no one had ever lived there before.

For a brief moment, excitement flickered inside me again.

Maybe this was simply how Headquarters treated its employees.

Maybe this was normal.

Then I opened the bedroom door.

And my thoughts stopped.

The bedroom was almost the size of my old apartment.

I stood there silently for several seconds.

Then I walked back into the living room and looked around again.

No.

This wasn't normal.

Aurelius Group had paid for my flight.

Arranged transportation.

Provided a fully furnished luxury apartment.

For what?

I wasn't an executive.

I wasn't senior management.

I wasn't important.

A cold unease settled in my stomach.

I set my suitcase down and slowly turned in place.

The apartment was silent.

The kind of silence that came with thick walls, expensive furniture, and a view worth more than anything I had ever owned.

There had to be a mistake.

Maybe there was another Elena Vale in the company.

Someone important.

Someone who actually belonged here.

And as I stood there, surrounded by a life that felt impossibly far beyond my own, I couldn't shake the feeling that Aurelius Group had sent for the wrong Elena.