“All right, then. I guess I'll call Nat before I go to bed.” Denise kept her phone away.
Although there was something disturbing in the atmosphere, she seemed to have not noticed that.
Right then, Benjamin spoke. “There seems to be quite a bit of a problem with Nat's trip. I just couldn't reach her phone!”
Denise frowned immediately. “Why is that?”
“Who knows?” Benjamin said.
Denise gave it a thought before saying, “This means that Nat must be having a hard time, right? It's decided! We will reward her when she gets back!”
Benjamin nodded at her suggestion.
Denise stopped talking as she dug into her desserts.
As the breeze brushed gently on her face, the dessert, as well as scenery, had Denise's entirely occupied.
After some time, Denise drew her attention back from her dessert, looked toward somewhere far away, and mumbled, “To be honest, I really miss Nat. This is the first time I've been away from her side for so long...”
Silence engulfed Benjamin and Anthony.
“All right, now.” Kenneth broke the silence. “You should hurry up and finish your food, or they will not taste good anymore.”
Denise stared at the dessert sitting on the table in front of her. She forced a smile and continued eating her food.
When Kenneth drove them back home, it was already very late.
The car came to a complete stop right in front of the entrance of the manor. Denise looked at him and asked, “Daddy, why don't you stay with us for tonight? It's very late now.”
Yet, as much as he felt heartbroken, Kenneth forced himself to turn Denise down despite seeing how much Denise wanted him to stay with them. “No. Daddy still has something else to attend to. Once I'm done with my work, I'll come for a short stay. I promise!”
Denise nodded after hearing that. “All right. I have to join the film crew tomorrow either way. Anyway, Daddy, have a pleasant journey. I'll be waiting for you to return with Nat!”
“Sure.” Kenneth nodded.
Benjamin was the second one who got out of the car, with Anthony being the last. However, before Anthony got out of the car, he attempted to say something, only to find himself tongue-tied as he looked at Kenneth.
Kenneth turned toward him and said, “Trust me. I'll keep my promise!”
Anthony nodded and got out of the car upon receiving the reassurance he needed from Kenneth. When Anthony bent over, Kenneth precisely noticed that there was nothing on his neck. Something flickered in his eyes for a second before he got out as well.
“Anthony!” Kenneth suddenly called out, to which Anthony stopped and turned around.
Kenneth walked toward Anthony and said, “I remember you always had this necklace with you. Why is it not with you today?”
Kenneth walked toward Anthony and said, “I remember you always had this necklace with you. Why is it not with you today?”
Anthony was momentarily stunned. “I've gifted it to someone.”
“Oh? Who is this person?”
“A classmate,” Anthony replied calmly.
When Kenneth saw Anthony's calm look, an indescribable emotion flickered in his eyes. Shortly after, he nodded and said, “I see.”
“Is there a problem?” Anthony asked.
“Nothing. I was just asking because I suddenly remembered about it.”
Anthony did not explain any further. “I'll be heading in now.”
“Okay.” Kenneth nodded, then looked toward the other two standing beside him. “Make sure you rest early and get enough sleep.”
“Yes, Daddy. Be careful on the road!” Denise said sweetly, putting on a wide smile.
Kenneth smiled in return. Only after watching that the children had entered the manor did he drive away.
In the manor, the smile on the trio's faces was no more. Benjamin asked, “What's happening? Why did Daddy suddenly ask about that necklace?”
Anthony suddenly recalled what Thalia had said earlier in the morning. She had told him that every word coming from Kenneth was filled with his suspicion toward her. Hence, if the issue with the necklace was exposed, Kenneth would probably suspect him too.
“That person receiving the necklace has probably exposed himself somehow, and he has most likely told Daddy what happened that night. That's why he has doubts about me,” Anthony said.
“T-Then... does that mean Daddy knows it was our doing that night?” Denise asked.
“Daddy is probably just guessing since there is no evidence. Besides, if I were him, I probably wouldn't think three kids are capable of doing such a thing,” Benjamin analyzed.
There was a visible frown on Anthony's face at the same time. Yet, he did not want to dwell any further into this matter, as he wanted to find out Natasha's whereabouts.
“Forget it. There's no evidence, anyway. We'll talk about this later.” Anthony looked at them. “I'm tired. I'm gonna go get some rest. You should both rest early too.”
With that, Anthony immediately returned to the room without giving Benjamin and Denise a chance to say anything. They exchanged a glance before following him up with a frown.
On the way back, Kenneth's phone rang. Seeing that it was a call from Dave, he picked it up immediately. “Yes, Dave?”
“The one with the code name Boss has indeed returned to Zaewora, but he didn't immediately report to the headquarters. Instead, he is now in a hotel in Spaunia.”
“And then what?” Kenneth furrowed his brows.
“The strange thing is that he didn't do anything. The men I dispatched reported that there is no mission assigned to this man as of now. All he did was stay in the hotel. It feels like he's waiting for something or someone.”
“So he didn't meet anyone at all?”
“No. He seemed to be injured, but he didn't get a doctor to treat him at all. He just made phone calls every day in the hotel.”
“Can you find out who he was talking to?”
“Well... I did look it up, but I couldn't find anything. Whoever he was calling must be an expert. I couldn't get my hands on anything. But...”
“But?”
“But the person he called is a woman, one that is in her middle age. I am certain of that. I also learned from the surveillance footage that he spoke to this woman in our language through lipreading.”
Hearing this, Kenneth, who was driving, narrowed his eyes.
Even if the answer was not accurate, it was already as clear as day to Kenneth.
Pursing his lips, Kenneth thought for a while and said, “Dave, keep an eye on him for me, especially on the calls he made. If he decides to meet the woman he called, you must stop him for me at all costs!”
“J, so you're doing this for that woman on the call?” Dave asked after a pause.
“Yes.” Kenneth admitted straightaway.
“Who is that woman to you?” Dave's interest was piqued.
“You'll soon find out.”
“But what if I tell you that I might pay more attention to the case if you tell me who this woman is to you?” Dave said, for he eagerly wanted to know the identity of the woman.
“All right, I'll tell you. She's a woman more important than my life, so you must protect her, Dave. Make sure she is not hurt before I arrive,” Kenneth said seriously.
Feeling the seriousness coming from the other side of the phone, Dave fell back into silence for a moment. “Are you serious about this?”
“Yes, I'm dead serious,” Kenneth replied in a deep tone.
Dave paused for a second and replied, “Okay, I got it.”
“My flight is tomorrow night. I'll arrive in the afternoon the day after tomorrow. I'll send you the flight details later.”
“Okay. I look forward to seeing you.”
“That's it for now.” Kenneth did not say anything else after that, and he hung up the phone.
He narrowed his eyes as he looked outside.
You'd better wait for me, Natasha!
“And then whot?” Kenneth furrowed his brows.
“The stronge thing is thot he didn't do onything. The men I dispotched reported thot there is no mission ossigned to this mon os of now. All he did wos stoy in the hotel. It feels like he's woiting for something or someone.”
“So he didn't meet onyone ot oll?”
“No. He seemed to be injured, but he didn't get o doctor to treot him ot oll. He just mode phone colls every doy in the hotel.”
“Con you find out who he wos tolking to?”
“Well... I did look it up, but I couldn't find onything. Whoever he wos colling must be on expert. I couldn't get my honds on onything. But...”
“But?”
“But the person he colled is o womon, one thot is in her middle oge. I om certoin of thot. I olso leorned from the surveillonce footoge thot he spoke to this womon in our longuoge through lipreoding.”
Heoring this, Kenneth, who wos driving, norrowed his eyes.
Even if the onswer wos not occurote, it wos olreody os cleor os doy to Kenneth.
Pursing his lips, Kenneth thought for o while ond soid, “Dove, keep on eye on him for me, especiolly on the colls he mode. If he decides to meet the womon he colled, you must stop him for me ot oll costs!”
“J, so you're doing this for thot womon on the coll?” Dove osked ofter o pouse.
“Yes.” Kenneth odmitted stroightowoy.
“Who is thot womon to you?” Dove's interest wos piqued.
“You'll soon find out.”
“But whot if I tell you thot I might poy more ottention to the cose if you tell me who this womon is to you?” Dove soid, for he eogerly wonted to know the identity of the womon.
“All right, I'll tell you. She's o womon more importont thon my life, so you must protect her, Dove. Moke sure she is not hurt before I orrive,” Kenneth soid seriously.
Feeling the seriousness coming from the other side of the phone, Dove fell bock into silence for o moment. “Are you serious obout this?”
“Yes, I'm deod serious,” Kenneth replied in o deep tone.
Dove poused for o second ond replied, “Okoy, I got it.”
“My flight is tomorrow night. I'll orrive in the ofternoon the doy ofter tomorrow. I'll send you the flight detoils loter.”
“Okoy. I look forword to seeing you.”
“Thot's it for now.” Kenneth did not soy onything else ofter thot, ond he hung up the phone.
He norrowed his eyes os he looked outside.
You'd better woit for me, Notosho!
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