Anthony was still wondering how to salvage the conversation when he noticed Thalia's inquisitive eyes boring into him.
“Did you just say you know Shadow Seeker's identity?” she asked, enunciating each word carefully.
“I...” Anthony trailed off. Argh! Me and my big mouth! Why on earth did I blurt that out?
“What?” Thalia fumed. “You know, don't you?”
“Maybe a little?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Well then, I do know a little!” Anthony replied with a grin.
Thalia took a deep breath to calm herself down. Oh, please! Who's going to believe that? “When did you find out about it?”
“Uh, not too long ago...”
“Okay, and how long ago was that?”
“It was pretty early on. I don't remember the exact moment...”
Thalia took another deep breath as she paced around the room and tried her best to hold her temper.
Seconds later, she finally opened her eyes and glared at Anthony. “You knew my mission in Glenport City was to look for Shadow Seeker, so why didn't you tell me?”
“It's not that I didn't want to,” Anthony mumbled, pretending to be in a dilemma. “But it was a matter of morality. Since I've promised to keep it a secret, wouldn't I be betraying my morals if I divulged it?”
“Morals? What about the morals between us?” Thalia retorted.
“I-It's not like I've betrayed you!”
“What about your conscience, then? Can you live with it?”
A smile tugged at Anthony's lips. “Well, from what I know, Shadow Seeker hasn't done anything. I guess my conscience is clear!”
“Y-You—” Thalia sputtered with rage. “Fine! You've got some guts, Anthony Watson! To think I've been so open and genuine with you!”
“I know you want to persuade Shadow Seeker into joining Darknetz,” Anthony hastily said when he saw how angry Thalia was. “But didn't I tell you before that Shadow Seeker won't agree to it? I even checked and confirmed it for you! Long story short, there's no way Shadow Seeker would join any organizations. Not now, not ever!”
Alas, that wasn't enough to quell Thalia's rage, and Benjamin had long since shrunk into a corner.
After all, given the tense situation, one would be wise to stay away from it as much as possible.
When Anthony realized it and gestured for his brother to return, the latter shook his head defiantly.
Oh, hell no! Going out now would be asking for trouble, and I'm no fool!
Exasperated at Benjamin's lack of loyalty, Anthony shot him a helpless look before turning back to Thalia. “I know you're mad, Thalia, but Shadow Seeker has a hold on me too. If I revealed their identity, they'd undoubtedly leak my information. Wouldn't everyone just end up suffering heavy losses?”
“Do you think I'd betray you if you told me?” Thalia asked.
“But how can you be sure that Shadow Seeker's information is accurate? What if it's fake, and they get alerted when you try tracking them down?”
For a moment, Thalia was rendered speechless. “Oh, please. Do you honestly think everyone's as petty as you?”
“That's a common tactic, isn't it? When you don't know someone well enough, it's only normal to resort to that to protect yourself.”
“Even so, that doesn't change the fact that you hid the truth from me!”
“All right, tell me, what must I do to resolve this matter?”
To Anthony's surprise, Thalia said nothing.
“Shall I admit my mistake and apologize?” he added with raised eyebrows.
“No. I'm sick of hearing apologies.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
Thalia turned to look at him with a twinkle in her eyes. “Will you do anything I say?”
“Of course! As long as it's within my power!”
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