"...Haynes, I''m fine. Really, it was my own fault for being careless."


    Haynes'' voice was low and steady. "The mug''s already broken. There''s no point picking up the pieces now."


    "But... Keen made it himself. It''s such a shame for it to be ruined like this." Rachel''s face was full of regret as she knelt, still intent on gathering the shards. She looked genuinely pained. "Maybe... there''s still a way to fix it."


    Haynes stopped her firmly. "Leave it. You''ll only end up hurting yourself again. If you liked it that much, I''ll ask Keen to make another for you."


    Rachel made a show of protesting a few times more, but Haynes was resolute. Eventually, she had no choice but to give up.


    A momentter, Rachel turned her gaze on Ste with a look of polite disapproval, though a flicker of satisfaction and judgment danced in her eyes.


    "Ms. Cameron, whatever the reason, you can''t just take your anger out on things. Wouldn''t you agree?"


    Haynes joined in, looking straight at Ste. "Ste, has it reallye to this? You can''t even tolerate a mug anymore?"


    But as soon as they finished, both Haynes and Rachel realized the rest of the room was staring at them with a strange, almost incredulous expression.


    Rachel''s eyelid twitched.


    And then she noticed it-Keen, who usually hovered around her with concern, hadn''t evene over this time.


    A low,zy chuckle broke the tension. Neville spoke up, his tone dry.


    "Mr. O''Brien, Ms. Pearce, aren''t you being a little hasty? Is it really too much to expect that you''d ask what happened before jumping to conclusions? That''s basicmon sense, isn''t it?"


    He nced between them with a half-smile. "You both strike me as intelligent people, so why act as if you''ve never heard of due diligence?"


    "You saw a mug on the floor and just assumed Ste smashed it in a tantrum. What''s the story? Does Ste go around breaking mugs for fun so often that you don''t even bother to check before pointing fingers? Or..."


    Neville paused, his eyes sharpening as he fixed his gaze on Haynes, his expression unreadable.


    "Is it just that you''re so used to ming Ste for everything that you can''t help but throw her under the bus every time something goes wrong?"


    Abby chimed in with a scoff. "Ste didn''t break the mug. With that kind of reasoning, how did either of you end up running apany? Are the standards that low these days?"


    Marvin spoke up too. "It was my fault. I dropped it by ident. Ste didn''t even touch it."


    Now, every eye in the room was on Haynes and Rachel, the atmosphere charged with silent judgment.


    Haynes, unppable as ever, kept his face unreadable. But Rachel''sposure was starting to crack.


    She bit her lower lip, about to say something in her defense-


    But Ste''s cool, measured voice cut her off.


    "Let me guess—you''re about to say they''re all my friends, so of course they''d take my side. Maybe even lie for me, right?"


    Keen, who had been watching the exchange anxiously, finally found his voice, though it was small and uncertain. "It wasn''t Mommy who broke it... it was that naughty boy..."


    The room fell instantly silent.


    Rachel fixed Keen with an intense stare. "Keen, are you sure?"


    Keen, too young to sense Rachel''s suspicion, just nodded. Ste, on the other hand, understood perfectly.


    She turned to Rachel, a faint, enigmatic smile curving her lips.


    "Ms. Pearce, you think because Keen is my son, he''d automatically lie for me, don''t you?"