Julian slid into the driver’s seat.

Laura sat in the passenger seat beside him, her head tilted slightly as she spoke in a soft voice. “The company's monthly meeting starts in thirty minutes, Mr. Hale. You might want to skim through these materials beforehand.”

Julian flipped through a few pages absentmindedly, his mind elsewhere, as though anticipating something imminent.

After a moment, he closed the file and instructed Laura curtly, “Postpone ...