A few hours later, the helicopter landed safely.
The moment they landed, Denise was impatient to get out. She was in such a hurry that she almost tripped.
Benjamin quickly reached out to steady her and said in a low voice, “What's the rush? Be careful.”
“I can't wait to see Daddy and Mommy!” After saying that, she ran off happily while carrying her little backpack.
He shook his head helplessly as he watched her.
At that moment, Anthony stood up and also started to disembark. “Let her be. After being apart for so long, she's definitely going to be all clingy.”
Benjamin chuckled and followed him out without saying anything more.
It was the time of day when the night transitioned to early morning. With the somewhat overcast sky and gusts of wind, it looked like a storm was brewing.
Kenneth and Dave were standing not far away with their hands behind their backs. They seemed to have been waiting for some time.
After exchanging glances, Anthony and Benjamin proceeded to walk in that direction.
“Daddy! Mr. Dave!” they greeted.
Kenneth nodded in acknowledgment. “How did things go?”
“Everything went smoothly,” Anthony replied. As he spoke, he looked over his shoulder at the others who had just disembarked from the nearby helicopter. Then, he remembered something and turned toward Dave. “Mr. Dave, I need to ask a favor of you. These two might need to stay here temporarily. Don't worry, though. I'll arrange some other accommodation for them as soon as possible.”
Dave chuckled when he heard that. “What's with all this talk about making other arrangements? Is there not enough space in this big house for all of us?”
“I'm just worried about inconveniencing you.”
“What inconvenience? It's not like I have to take care of them myself. Besides, this house has been empty for so long. It's about time some people stayed in it,” Dave said to Anthony.
The boy broke into a smile at his words. “In that case, I shall gratefully accept.”
“Make yourselves at home.”
Anthony nodded, then glanced around and asked, “Daddy, where's Nat?”
It has been a few days since we last saw each other. Usually, she'll also join them to welcome us back.
A complicated look flickered in Kenneth's eyes at the mention of Natasha, but it quickly faded. “It was getting too late. She couldn't wait any longer and fell asleep.”
“I'll go and see her now, then.”
“Anthony.” Kenneth suddenly called out, stopping him.
Anthony turned around, looking perplexed.
Taking a deep breath, Kenneth said softly, “It's too late now, so you should go tomorrow. Let her sleep.”
Anthony wanted to say something. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he said nothing.
He could not help noticing a certain indescribable complexity in Kenneth's expression. Am I overthinking it? Why do I have this feeling that I can't quite put into words?
Seeing that Anthony was silent, Kenneth walked over to him and said, “You must be tired from all the traveling. Get a good night's rest and wait until tomorrow. You're back now, so there's no need to rush, right?”
There was a long pause before Anthony finally nodded. “Okay.”
Upon hearing that, Kenneth patted his head and said, “Let's go.”
They began to walk toward the house.
Once they entered the living room, Kenneth turned to the group and asked, “How's everyone feeling? Are you hungry? Would you like the kitchen staff to prepare something for you to eat?”
“No need for that.” Anthony shook his head, his mind clearly elsewhere as he studied Kenneth's hesitant and conflicted expression.
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