Chapter 59 Her Blatant Ignorance (1)

In the quiet study, the air stood still. Except for the ruffling of pages, there was nary a sound. There were only two people in the study, yet it was more suffocating than a crowded room full of clamour.

As he flicked through the pages of the ledger, every now and then, Ruth pressed the middle of his forehead with his forefinger as if trying to pin down his emotions. As he went through line after line, word after word, his thoughts dared not reflect on his face.

Nearby, a sullen Max stood still, like a child who had been reprimanded for wrongdoings. Her gaze was fixed on the ledger as well as if it held authoritarian power over her future. Every time a page turned, her heart paused. Every fleeting second, shed steal a glimpse of the vacant visage before her, trying to gauge the others mood.

She could, however, glean nothing and could only go back to feeling more sullen.

After what felt like forever, his wordless audit had finally drawn to a close. The party in charge of the rising tension in the room, let out a deep sigh and roughly rubbed his face out of habit. Then, he turned to the only other person in the room, and without preamble, looked her straight in the eyes.

I dont know what to talk about first, he said impassively.

Max, who was by now a bundle of nerves, felt like crawling into a hole. She had little courage to face what was to come.

Are you sure you have all the purchase bills in here? His face did not betray his thoughts even now.

Y-yes! The b-bundle of p-papers there

He narrowed his eyes at the pile of parchment paper she was referring to, then closed the ledger with a smack that