Every second of Kenneth's silence was torturous to Thea. His silence indicated that he was hesitant, or that he did not actually hate Natasha.
“You don't hate her anymore?” Although it was a question, it sounded more like an affirmative statement.
Kenneth looked at her. “She was not the only one at fault for what happened back then.”
“So you've forgiven her?” asked Thea.
“It's not about forgiveness. If I hate her, she probably hates me more,” explained Kenneth. “After all, she was the biggest victim.
An awkward expression crossed Thea's face, but she still forced herself to smile. “You're starting to defend her now... Doesn't it mean that you have forgiven her?”
“You don't understand, Thea. Marriage cannot be explained clearly with a few sentences.
“Yeah, I don't understand. After all, I've never experienced it. But I can tell that you're treating her differently now,” said Thea as she stared at Kenneth directly, hoping to detect a small reaction that would deny what she had guessed.
She could discover even the smallest detail.
However, there was none of that.
Kenneth did not deny it.
Thea averted her gaze, trying her best to conceal her disappointment.
“Kenneth, have you fallen in love with her?” she asked.
Frowning, Kenneth denied it, “No.”
“No?”
“No,” he emphasized.
Thea stared at him, still wanting to discover something from his gaze. However, she did not know if it was because his acting was too good, or if he really did not feel anything.
Unable to find out anything, she felt extremely conflicted.
Isn't this the answer that I want? Why am I still suspecting him?
Thea took a deep breath. “Okay, let's stop talking about this. When are you free, Kenneth? My parents would like to treat you to a meal to express their gratitude. If you keep refusing to go, they might start to wonder about how I'm treated here.”
Now that the conversation had changed, Kenneth felt much more relaxed. He glanced at the time. “What about tomorrow night?”
“Are you busy during the day?”
“I'm going to Baykeep for a business trip and will only be back at four in the afternoon,” replied Kenneth.
Thea nodded. “Tomorrow night, then. Don't stand us up anymore! Otherwise, my parents will bring me away.”
When she said that, Kenneth raised his eyebrows and looked at her. “Be honest. Are your parents not worried about leaving
you here?” “Of course they're worried! But if I can find a boyfriend, they might be more relieved,” said Thea as she snuck a peek at him. Is this hint obvious enough?
He thought about it seriously. “You'll definitely find a good man.”
Although Thea was disappointed, she said with a smile, “I think so too.”
At that moment, Kenneth's phone rang. He hesitated when he saw that it was from Liam.
“Is it Old Mr. Hamilton?”
Kenneth nodded.
“Is he okay now?”
“He has already been discharged from the hospital, so he's fine.”
Thea nodded. “Go ahead and receive your call. I'll leave now.”
Kenneth nodded again.
After she left, he took a deep breath and accepted the call.
“Grandpa.”
“You brat! Why didn't you tell me that Nat got injured?” He was greeted with a harsh scolding from Liam the moment he picked the call up.
Kenneth was so shocked that he quickly brought the phone away from his ears. After Liam was done scolding, he said, “It's not a serious injury. She just got cut by a knife.”
“Fine. You've finally done something good, brat. Since he has already been punished, I have nothing to worry about. I'll visit Nat someday.”
“Considering your health, you should rest at home.”
“No way! If I can't confirm that Nat's fine, I will not feel relieved,” insisted Liam.
“She has already returned to work!” said Kenneth.
After thinking about it, Liam instructed, “Send the address of her workplace to me. I'll visit her at her office.”
“Are you sure? If you go, you'll...” Before Kenneth finished his sentence, he could already imagine the scene. He said, “Fine, I'll send you the address.”
“Are you coming too?”
“She probably doesn't want to see me,” replied Kenneth.
“You're right. You shouldn't go, or Nat might start to ignore me too.”
Kenneth was speechless.
“That's it. I'm hanging up,” said Liam.
Just when Kenneth was about to end the call, Liam suddenly asked, “Does Nat knows that you did this?”
“About Gaston?”
“Yeah.”
“She knows.”
“Was she very touched?”
When Kenneth recalled how Natasha reacted, he smirked mockingly. “She told me to mind my own business and that she could've settled it herself.”
Liam was silent for a while before praising, “That's just like Nat's personality. She's so independent. Very good!”
Kenneth was at a loss for words. Whose grandpa is he?
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