"I believe it is not hard for you to understand this," Joanna added instead.
As the words were said, a kind smile slowly graced her face, making her now appear like she had never shown any stern expressions a few moments ago. She then reached her hand to hold Valerie's, as if trying to soothe the somehow unfriendly atmosphere around them.
Nonetheless, surprise soon took over Joanna as she found how cold and tense Valerie's hand was.
"Are you fine, Val? Why is your hand so cold?" Joanna asked in genuine concern. Creases appeared between her brows as she reached out her other hand to grab both of Valerie's hands, as if to check if she perceived the temperature of her hands correctly.
"I am fine. I am just…" came Valerie's reply before she paused while gently retracting her hands from Joanna's.
Joanna then saw Valerie fidget her hands on her lap, looking anxious with her eyes darting around.
