Her lack of response elicited a frown on Zachary's face.
“Do you not believe me?” he asked.
“I do,” she replied.
“Really?” Zachary repeated his question in a helpless tone, for he was unconvinced by her answer.
“If you really had something to do with it, Thea wouldn't have been the only one I took away,” Natasha replied.
She was speaking the truth, and yet, it was also a veiled threat.
Furthermore, she didn't sound as if she was bragging when the words rolled off her mouth. Instead, it felt as if she was just relating the facts of the situation.
As for Zachary, he stared at her with an unfathomable look in his eyes.
Without him noticing, Natasha had become someone different from the person he knew. The young and vibrant aura he felt from her was now replaced by a mysterious air that seemed to be hiding something.
A short while later, Zachary finally nodded. “I'm glad that you believe me. That's all I'm concerned about.”
Just when Natasha narrowed her eyes to speak, Zachary beat her to it. “I saw the news about Thea. From the looks of it, Kenneth is probably the one who did it. I still can't believe how cruel he can be to his ex.”
Natasha looked up at him the moment she heard his words. “Zachary, since when have you become so despicable as to sow discord?”
Zachary knitted his brows. “I was just stating the truth—”
“The truth is he has nothing to do with what happened to Thea,” Natasha cut him off, shocking him in the process.
“Also, let's set aside the topic of who's responsible. Zachary, if your ex harmed your child, are you still going to turn a blind eye to it for old times' sake?” Natasha questioned him.
The question was obviously a trap.
“That's not what I meant—”
Natasha sneered, “I don't know what you will do in that situation, but as an outsider, you will always choose to criticize the actions of others.”
Zachary's face turned grim, for Natasha's words struck him like a forceful slap.
By then, Natasha, who was not in the mood to continue the conversation, got to her feet. “If there's nothing else, I'm leaving.”
“Nat!” Zachary called out suddenly. Looking at her silhouette, he asked in a hesitant tone, “Is there really no going back for us?”
Pursing her lips at him, Natasha paused briefly before replying, “I can look past what happened between your parents and me, but are you capable of doing so?” Natasha asked.
As he gazed into her eyes, a hesitant look flashed across his face.
“Despite the fact that you disagree with them and are aware that they wronged me first, you, Zachary, still hate me for it.” Natasha laid out the facts word by word.
“I don't...” Zachary replied.
Natasha's lips curled into a smirk. “You should really ask yourself that question.”
Staring at Natasha, Zachary felt as if the gulf between them had reached proportions that could never be surmounted.
“Also, regardless of what you're planning with Thea, let me give you a final warning as a friend. Stop it before you lose everything.”
Natasha had barely finished and was about to leave when Zachary burst into sudden laughter. “Lose everything? Hasn't that already happened? My family, my parents, and you... I have lost everything a long time ago. What else do I have to fear?”
“She was never yours to lose.” Out of nowhere, a deep voice interrupted their conversation.
When Zachary looked up, he was greeted by the sight of Kenneth standing two meters away. With his hands in his pockets, Kenneth was giving him a curious look and seemed to have been standing there for some time.
The sight of him ignited the hatred in Zachary's eyes.
When Natasha saw him too, she frowned. “Why are you here?”
Kenneth shifted his gaze from Zachary to Natasha as he walked to her side, wearing a grin. “I came because I was missing you, but little did I expect that my timing was perfect.”
“Your timing has always been uncanny,” Natasha teased.
In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Someone in the company had called to inform Kenneth of Zachary's visit.
Kenneth didn't deny her words. Instead, he looked at her and asked, “So, are you done here?”
Natasha nodded.
“Let's go then.” Kenneth had barely spoken when he held her hand and wheeled around to leave, as if Zachary was a stranger to them.
Natasha, without saying a word, allowed Kenneth to lead her away.
From her perspective, dousing all of Zachary's hopes was for his own good.
As he stood there watching their leaving silhouettes, gloominess further enshrouded Zachary's eyes.
Kenneth, one of these days, you will pay for what you have done!
Amidst the hatred that filled his mind, his phone suddenly rang.
When he saw that it was a call from an unknown number, Zachary hesitated before finally answering it.
“Hello?”
“It's me.”
Zachary frowned at the voice. “Thea?”
“I want to see you.” Her voice rang out softly over the phone.
Zachary, who viewed Thea's methods with disdain, sneered, “Is it still necessary?”
“What do you mean?”
“I could never believe that you would be cruel enough to harm a child,” he remarked.
“What's wrong? Are you feeling indignant on behalf of the one you love? Even if you kill me for her, she would never appreciate what you have done,” Thea retorted confidently.
As if her words hit a nerve, Zachary narrowed his eyes.
“I've sent you the address. If you don't come, you'll never be able to take Kenneth down.” Thea ended the call the moment she finished speaking.
With his phone in hand, Zachary's face turned solemn.
Meanwhile, Kenneth, with Natasha in tow, led her out of the office.
Natasha asked helplessly, “Where are you taking me?”
“I'm going to get some food, so eat with me,” Kenneth replied.
“Can't we eat here?” Natasha questioned.
“This place makes me lose my appetite.”
Stumped, Natasha knew that he was referring to Zachary's presence.
“But I'm still at work,” Natasha protested as she stopped in her tracks.
At that moment, Kenneth gave her a fleeting look before taking out his phone. He made a call right then and there. “Hello, Mr. Yondel? It's me. Natasha wants to take the rest of the day off, is that all right?”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Just like that, Kenneth ended the brief call.
“I've applied for leave on your behalf, so let's go,” Kenneth remarked.
Natasha was speechless.
Does that even qualify as a leave application?
In fact, she could imagine how Mark was bowing in fright while answering the call. There was no way he would dare to even utter the word “no.”
“What's wrong? Can't you even accompany me for a meal?” Kenneth inquired.
Given that Kenneth had begun to put on a piteous act in front of her, there was nothing else she could say.
Looking at the opened car door, Natasha bent down and got into the car.
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