Since he had already started the conversation, Anthony no longer kept him on tenterhooks. He looked at him and asked, “What's your name?”
The young man responded, “My name is Lio.”
Anthony nodded thoughtfully. Then, with a sharp gaze, he asked, “Were you the one who brought those people?”
Lio's eyes widened instantly. “What?”
“Wasn't it you who called upon today's enemy?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Isn't that true? You said you'd come today, and those people came at the same time. If not you, then who else?” Anthony asked, gazing at him pensively.
Lio panicked. “I don't know them at all, let alone understand the conflict between you guys. Where am I supposed to find those people?”
Anthony flashed a casual smile. “You know we're from Darknetz, and finding someone here who holds a grudge against Darknetz shouldn't be too difficult.” As he spoke, his gaze grew increasingly sharp.
Lio immediately shook his head. “This has nothing to do with me. Things already happened when I arrived, and I even saved her...” He glanced at Thalia anxiously, as if hoping she could help corroborate his story.
Thalia sat quietly on the side, not uttering a word, showing no intention of offering help.
“Strategy.” Anthony crossed his arms and assumed a relaxed and confident demeanor. “First, you quietly brought the people here, then you put on a show of being a hero to win our favor. So, tell me, what's your purpose?”
Lio's gaze was filled with shock as he looked at Anthony. His mouth moved, but he was unable to utter a single word.
“It wasn't me...” Lio knew his explanations were futile, and after a long pause, that was all he could say.
At that moment, Anthony looked at the wound on his wrist. “Thalia hurt you yesterday, and today when you saw the enemies approaching, shouldn't your first reaction be to wish for her death? Why would you still help her?”
“I—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Anthony abruptly turned his head to Thalia and asked, “What do you think?”
Thalia was still holding a cup of water in her hand. After listening to Anthony's analysis, she nodded. “It makes sense.”
Upon hearing Thalia say the same thing, Lio was all the more speechless.
At that moment, Thalia put down her water and stood up, her gaze fixed on him. “There's one thing I must correct. Even without you, I wouldn't be in trouble, let alone get hurt.”
Lio furrowed his brows, pondering for a long while before he finally said, “It wasn't me. You should know that. You've spent the entire afternoon wandering around, hiding. Weren't you just testing the waters, trying to see if I was the one who did it?”
The look in Thalia's eyes shifted slightly.
After a moment, she smiled. “It seems that you know quite a bit about it.”
“This doesn't prove anything. I'm just quicker to react than others,” Lio said, looking at Thalia. “Moreover, the fact that you've brought me here suggests that I've been cleared of suspicion. Otherwise, you wouldn't have done so.”
Thalia studied him for a long time. It was undeniable that he was right in what he said.
Thalia had been testing him that afternoon. Only after being absolutely sure did she bring him to meet Anthony.
Otherwise, given her level of vigilance, she would not have so easily brought a dangerous person near Anthony.
She turned around and gave Anthony a glance.
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