?strongChapter 32:/strong

Kallie’s fingers were long, slender, and delicate—a sight to behold even when idle. Now, as she wielded ck tweezers to manipte the fragments of a red vase, the vivid contrast highlighted the stunning beauty of her hands.

Initially, everyone was captivated by the vase Kallie was meticulously piecing together. However, their attention soon drifted to her elegant hands. These gazes didn’t disturb Kallie in the slightest. Though slightly nervous at first, her passion for restoring artifacts quickly enveloped her, shielding her from the outside world.

The task was akin to solving aplex jigsaw puzzle but far more intricate. Kallie’s methodical approach to picking up each shard, sorting them effortlessly into categories, was remarkable.

Her speed and precision left the onlookers, including Gregory—who had been skeptical at first—utterly amazed. His initial disbelief soon morphed into open admiration as Kallie progressed.

When the timer signaled twenty minutes, Kallie had already reconstructed half of the vase. The sections shepleted—the base and the framework—began to outline the vase’s original form. It seemed highly possible she might finish the entire restoration in under another twenty minutes.

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“How did you manage to do that?” Gregory couldn’t contain his astonishment.

Standing up, Kallie offered him a warm smile and exined using signnguage that having the photo for reference made the task simpler. Unlike working with real artifacts, where one didn’t have a reference and had to carefully deduce the original design before starting, this task was easier.

After Kallie finished her exnation, the room fell into an even deeper silence. The other apprentices realized how much they had struggled despite having the same advantage—a photo. Their progress paledpared to Kallie’s. But for her, the task was a piece of cake.

“Now you all witness her skills firsthand!” Hayden eagerlymented on his phone before showing the screen to the other apprentices, radiating pride.

Beaming with admiration, Hayden continued using his text-to-speech function, “The puzzles she solved as a kid were far tougher than this! I told you she was talented! You just didn’t believe me. Gregory, wasn’t there a bet you mentioned? And now?”

Gregory’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. He was relieved he hadn’t made any specific wagers earlier, which would have been truly humiliating.

Nevertheless, Gregory wasn’t one to hold grudges. He bowed respectfully to Kallie and apologized. His apology was silent but sincere, conveyed through signnguage.

Kallie, visibly taken aback, quickly reassured him that she didn’t mind.

This marked the first time someone had formally apologized after doubting Kallie. Usually, even after proving herself, no one would apologize—they justified their initial skepticism and assumed it was only right for her to demonstrate herpetence.

“Alright, let’s give a warm wee to Kallie in our studio!” Hayden’s phone articted his messages.

Everyone apuded Kallie, except for a girl in the corner, who surreptitiously snapped a photo of Kallie and sent it to a group chat with her friends. “Look who we have here!” she typed.

“For now, we all have restoration tasks,” Gregory exined as he led Kallie to her new spot, “but Hayden mentioned he won’t assign you any just yet. He wants you to get settled in first.”

It was a seat by the window on the second floor, offering a view of blossoming peach trees and the clear blueke. The setting was sure to lift her spirits.

Kallie gestured that she might not be able toe here every single day.

“That’s perfectly fine. We don’t keep strict hours here. Come when there’s work or whenever you feel up to it,” Gregory reassured her. He then added her to the studio’s group chat. “If you need anything, just drop a message here. We’re all here to help.”

Kallie beamed at him with gratitude, signing her thanks.

Settling into her seat, Kallie straightened things around her before reaching out to test different tools, getting a feel for each.

Suddenly, the ring of the doorbell echoed from the first floor.

Gregory, quick to respond, went to answer it. As Kallie toyed with the tools, a distinctly familiar female voice drifted up from below. “I have an item that needs restoring. I heard there’s a new restorer on board. Could you let her handle it for me?”

This voice belonged to the unpleasant woman who had apanied Sarah that day.

Kallieter learned that she was Ste Hayes, the youngest daughter of the prestigious Hayes family.

Now, Ste had turned up at Hayden’s studio, explicitly requesting Kallie’s services. Clearly, word of Kallie’s presence had spread, and Ste was undoubtedly here to stir up some trouble.

Concerned about Ste causing problems and inadvertently putting Hayden in a tough spot, Kallie rushed downstairs.

There, Ste stood, as imposing and disdainful as ever, d in a garishly bright red dress, clutching a paper bag, and surveying her surroundings with a haughty air.

Spotting Kallie descending the stairs, Ste’s face twisted into a dramatic grimace. “So, it’s really you! Fine, take this and fix it. I’ll pay half a million!”

After saying that, Ste tossed the paper bag on the table, the distinct rustling of its contents reverberating through the room.

“Kallie has just joined our studio. She’s an apprentice and isn’t ready to handle jobs yet,” Gregory said solemnly, his expression stern. Having seen through Ste’s intentions, he was clearly displeased.

“Why? Doesn’t your studio boast that it can repair anything? So why refuse my job? What are you scared of? Worried you’ll mess it up and tarnish your reputation?” Ste taunted.

“If you want it fixed, then leave the item here and don’t worry about who will handle it,” Gregory retorted, his brow furrowing.

But Ste was undeterred and raised her voice further. “I insist that Kallie does it. If she won’t, it just shows your studio can’t cut it. I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re too frightened to ept the challenge. Make your choice!”

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