Chapter 9

Silence fell as the room filled with an awkward tension.

Sporting an unpleasant expression, Matthew clutched the saucer without knowing whether to put it away or toss it in the trash.

"What kind of heinous trick did you pull to make the pattern disappear, Gideon?" Elara questioned in fury.

Scoffing, Gideon replied, "The pattern was made with a special kind of ink that is hard to remove, but it's possible to do so with the help of heat and alcohol. It's that simple."

However, Elara didn't let up. "How did you know it could disappear with the combination of heat and alcohol? I get the feeling that you wanted to ruin the saucer on purpose! Apologize to Matthew at once, or else, you'll have to pay for his loss!"

Gideon's expression turned grim. Why was Elara being so unreasonable and saying such ridiculous things? Was it simply because Matthew was her bosom friend?

Alas, those words sounded disgusting to his ears. He was repulsed by them.

At that very moment, Matthew chimed in with