After pondering for a moment, Anthony said, “Daddy, actually...”
“Actually what?” Kenneth asked.
The words were on the brink of rolling off his tongue, but Anthony swallowed them back at the very last moment.
After a brief hesitation, he answered, “It's nothing. When you find Nat and come home, we'll talk about it in more detail. For now, I promise you that Darknetz will not take any action.”
Kenneth digested his words before grunting in acknowledgment. “All right.”
“In that case, Daddy, please be careful.”
“You, too, should behave. Take good care of Great-grandpa and Gramps,” Kenneth reminded.
“I know!”
When Anthony finally ended the call, Thalia and Benjamin stared at him.
“Has Daddy begun to suspect us?” Benjamin asked.
“I don't know.” Anthony shook his head. “It feels as if he's threatening me or perhaps trying to probe for more information. It's really hard to guess what's going through his mind.”
Lazing on the couch, Thalia grumbled when she heard their exchange, “Isn't that typical of members of the Hamilton family? All of you have plenty of agendas and speak in riddles. That's why you're so hard to understand!”
Anthony gave her the side-eye. “Isn't this all your doing? If only you had made things clear earlier, I wouldn't have needed to hack into Daddy's system and subsequently be detected.”
“That's why you shouldn't act impulsively the next time,” Thalia asserted.
“In that case, the next time you tell us something, please do so in one shot.”
Thalia, with a defiant cock of her brow, smiled faintly at him. “I'll try.”
Watching them banter, Benjamin interrupted, “I heard Daddy mention Anonymous on the phone. How did he know it was Anonymous? And from where did he hear that Anonymous had joined Darknetz?”
“Didn't Thalia mention just now that the top twenty hackers had joined DX? Therefore, it's not a surprise that someone recognized my methods. Besides, considering how close Kyle and I are, it's just a matter of time before rumors begin to spread like wildfire,” Anthony explained.
“Are you saying that Daddy has begun to suspect you?” Benjamin clarified.
“Not necessarily. He might just be using me to convey a message to Darknetz instead of knowing that it was me.”
Benjamin nodded in acknowledgment. “You have a point. Nonetheless, I don't think we can hide this matter for much longer.”
“That's right. If Daddy wasn't busy trying to locate Nat, he would already have found out. We just got lucky, and that's how we managed to follow him here. As long as we can find Nat, I don't mind telling him the truth at all,” Anthony remarked.
Benjamin nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Thalia casually added, “By then, you will have no other choice than to speak candidly. Otherwise, how are you going to join me at Darknetz?”
Upon hearing the topic, Anthony looked at her, his eyes filled with resignation. “Is it necessary to speak so candidly?”
Thalia grinned mischievously. “I just wanted to remind you. That's all.”
She had barely finished when she popped a cherry into her mouth.
Hmm, it's really sweet!
Meanwhile, in an open-air restaurant, Kenneth had just returned after ending his call.
There, he saw Dave talking to a woman.
The moment he joined them, the woman quickly left.
Kenneth was surprised. “Why did she leave so fast? I don't mind giving up my spot.”
“Friends are always more important than women,” Dave quipped.
Chuckling, Kenneth scanned the surroundings. “What made you decide to come here?”
“Doesn't it look familiar?” Dave asked.
Now that he had mentioned it, Kenneth did find the place familiar.
“This was where we got to know each other after fighting!” Dave reminded.
After giving the place a closer look, Kenneth reconfirmed, “Are you saying that this used to be Bar Street?”
Dave nodded. “Hasn't it changed a lot?”
“It's no longer recognizable,” Kenneth commented.
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