Chapter 8 The Cunning Tasha
1048 Words
Overcoming a deep-seated fear wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.
I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, pushing the pile of burning tools aside, finally feeling a bit of relief.
Gino, now dressed in clean clothes, walked over and handed me a cup of coffee. "Have some coffee. Don't push yourself too hard."
I didn't usually drink regular coffee, but since Gino had already offered it, I took a sip.
The coffee's aroma was mixed with a hint of sea salt, a flavor that blossomed on my tongue. I was pleasantly surprised—it was my favorite kind!
"Do you also like sea salt coffee?" I asked Gino.
Sea salt coffee was pretty niche, and it was the only flavor of coffee I drank. I didn't expect to find someone who shared the same taste.
"No," Gino replied with a smile, shaking his head. "I don't usually drink coffee."
"I just remembered seeing you add salt to your coffee once, so I made it for you."
I was puzzled. "Where did you see that?"
Gino's smile widened. "Three years ago, at an art exchange event. You were there as a student representative, and I was in the corner with the archaeology department staff. That's when... I first noticed you."
Gino closed his eyes, a smile lingering on his lips as if he was recalling the scene. "I remember clearly how you spoke, and how you drank your coffee."
His words left me with a strange feeling.
In my daily life, I was just a reclusive bookworm, deliberately dulling my personality and charm to avoid trouble. I never expected someone to remember my preferences from years ago, and now, by some twist of fate, we'd met again.
I couldn't help but look at Gino. He was watching me too, his gaze warm, filled with an emotion that seemed ready to overflow.
My heart skipped a beat—I could feel that he was showing interest in me.
But it made me uncomfortable. My long-standing aversion to men made me want to avoid this.
'Please, don't look at me like that anymore!'
Just then, a set of heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed in the hall, interrupting my thoughts.
"Sylvia, the lab has caught fire twice in just two days. This is not a place for you to mess around!" Tasha's cold, stern voice rang out.
Tasha led the way, flanked by several burly bodyguards and a safety inspector, barging into the restoration room with the air of someone ready to lay down the law.
Gino and I exchanged a quick, worried glance—if we were deemed unprofessional, the whole project could be shut down!
The safety inspector pulled out a notebook. "We've received reports of unsafe practices. I'm here on behalf of the archaeology department to assess the situation. Please give me an honest account."
Gino immediately rolled his wheelchair over to stand beside me. "The fire wasn't Sylvia's fault. I was conducting a reagent test."
I shot Gino a look, hoping he wouldn't be too honest, and then quickly added, "It was a necessary step to test for any substances on the parchment map. It was just a drill, carried out in the fire-safe zone."
Gino didn't look at me, but he was perfectly in sync. "That's right. I was testing the reagent's activity. You know, Mr. Inspector, that this is a standard procedure for removing impurities. The fire was no bigger than lighting a cigarette."
The safety inspector was about to nod in agreement when Tasha stepped forward, pointing at the smoke detector. "But the smoke detector was triggered. If it was just a simple test, how do you explain that?"
Tasha had clearly come prepared, hitting all the right points.
The inspector hesitated. "That's true. If it was such a minor flame, why did it trigger the alarm? Can you explain?"
Gino remained calm, his voice steady and unflappable. "I apologize—that was my oversight. My movements were slower than most, so the smoke wasn't ventilated in time. But I handled it promptly afterward."
The inspector finally nodded, his gaze softening as he looked at Gino in the wheelchair.
He turned to Tasha and said, "The discrepancy was minor and didn't cause any actual damage. I recommend the restoration work continue."
Tasha pursed her lips, clearly dissatisfied. She fixed her gaze on me. "As the primary investor in the archaeology department, I have a right to personally inspect the parchment map. Sylvia, hand it over."
I refused immediately. "The department will handle any issues. There's no need to trouble you."
'No way! If she gets her hands on it, I'll never see it again.'
"You don't have a say. I need to verify it myself." Tasha's smile was all too knowing, like she was enjoying the show.
A terrible premonition washed over me.
Tasha flashed me a taunting grin. "After all, this treasure was donated by Carrie, the lunatic. It's only right that as the acting curator, I should clean up her mess!"
My nerves snapped.
How dare she compare herself to my mom—and call her a "lunatic"?
I reacted instinctively, shouting at her, "Shut up!"
Of course I would!
She had no right to speak of my mom!
If it weren't for my efforts to restore my mom's reputation and recover her lost collection, I wouldn't have tolerated her for this long!
There were plenty of ways to deal with her without leaving a trace!
All the years of restraint boiled over because she called my mother a lunatic in public. I knew I should stay calm, but this public humiliation made me see red.
Everyone was taken aback by my outburst—even Gino looked shocked.
But I was too furious to care about Tasha, missing the look of satisfaction on her face at having provoked me.
"It seems you can't control your emotions either—just like your mother. Inspector, do you still believe this restoration project should continue after seeing her lose it like this?"
Tasha pressured the inspector, who was now sweating bullets. "Well..."
"You're calling me a lunatic now?"
My eyes locked onto one of the bodyguards' waists, where a gun was concealed. The rage inside me surged!
I lunged towards the guard, reaching for his gun!
- Writer
