Chapter 51: Coffe
Everyone was sitting around the dining room table. Caelan had made coffee, trying to lighten the mood, but the tension was still evident on everyone’s faces.
Rhys, however, felt the first sip calm him, at least a little. The coffee tasted good. Surprisingly good, coming from Caelan. Still, he didn’t dare say anything. The moment wasn’t right for praise.
Jess took a sip from her cup without taking her eyes off Rhys. She placed the cup on the table and spoke calmly.
"Why did you come back?" she asked."Did Milo send you?"
Rhys held her gaze for a few seconds before answering.
"No, I came on my own. Milo loves this place too much to send me... even me."
Jess narrowed her eyes.
"Then speak bluntly, you know I don’t like wasting my time."
Rhys took a deep breath, then rested both elbows on the table and clasped his hands together.
"Eun-woo is an esper," he said. "We freed him from the Research Center. We have nowhere else to go. Arthur attacked our shelter, and we barely escaped with our lives."
Jae looked down, Caelan stopped moving the spoon in his cup, and Eun-woo tensed. He kept his gaze fixed on his coffee, as if hesitant to drink it.
Jess didn’t seem shocked. She just took another sip of coffee, thoughtful.