Velin felt the warmth by his ear and sighed inwardly.
'Here we go again. More time wasted on a tedious problem born from a simple misunderstanding.'
Considering their currently strong working relationship, Velin composed himself, then turned his head to look at Caroline, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
He didn't explain right away, preparing to let the facts speak for themselves.
But in Caroline's eyes, that smile was a fuse that instantly ignited her suspicion and fury.
'That wasn't an explanation or a confession. It was an admission, a provocation!'
It was a silent taunt that screamed, 'You guessed right, so what?'
SHINK—!
A soft but piercing scrape of metal.
Caroline silently drew an exceptionally sharp letter opener from her alligator-skin handbag and slammed it into a nearby supply crate.
The tip sank an inch into the wood, the hilt humming as the trembling blade reflected the cold sunlight.
