He claimed he had buried the crystals in the dark underground and then dug them up when no one was watching, but Soleia already knew his penchant for lying. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Did you already have this back when we were trying to smuggle crystals? Answer me wisely, Rafael," Soleia said with deliberate calm, but one had to be deaf to miss the coldness in her voice. Even the elderly Minister Goldstein shifted his ears closer, attracted to the drama.
Meanwhile, Oliver winced and looked at the ceiling, pretending to be nothing more than a piece of stone lying on the ground.
Rafael gulped. He could lie, but then again, what was the point? His biggest lie had already been torn apart, and he could only salvage matters by being honest and by pacifying Soleia.
