After pondering for a moment, Anthony said, “Daddy, actually...”
“Actually what?” Kenneth asked.
The words were on the brink of rolling off his tongue, but Anthony swallowed them back at the very last moment.
After a brief hesitation, he answered, “It's nothing. When you find Nat and come home, we'll talk about it in more detail. For now, I promise you that Darknetz will not take any action.”
Kenneth digested his words before grunting in acknowledgment. “All right.”
“In that case, Daddy, please be careful.”
“You, too, should behave. Take good care of Great-grandpa and Gramps,” Kenneth reminded.
“I know!”
When Anthony finally ended the call, Thalia and Benjamin stared at him.
“Has Daddy begun to suspect us?” Benjamin asked.
“I don't know.” Anthony shook his head. “It feels as if he's threatening me or perhaps trying to probe for more information. It's really hard to guess what's going through his mind.”
Lazing on the couch, Thalia grumbled when she heard their exchange, “Isn't that typical of members of the Hamilton family? All of you have plenty of agendas and speak in riddles. That's why you're so hard to understand!”
Anthony gave her the side-eye. “Isn't this all your doing? If only you had made things clear earlier, I wouldn't have needed to hack into Daddy's system and subsequently be detected.”
“That's why you shouldn't act impulsively the next time,” Thalia asserted.
“In that case, the next time you tell us something, please do so in one shot.”
Thalia, with a defiant cock of her brow, smiled faintly at him. “I'll try.”
Watching them banter, Benjamin interrupted, “I heard Daddy mention Anonymous on the phone. How did he know it was Anonymous? And from where did he hear that Anonymous had joined Darknetz?”
“Didn't Thalia mention just now that the top twenty hackers had joined DX? Therefore, it's not a surprise that someone recognized my methods. Besides, considering how close Kyle and I are, it's just a matter of time before rumors begin to spread like wildfire,” Anthony explained.
“Are you saying that Daddy has begun to suspect you?” Benjamin clarified.
“Not necessarily. He might just be using me to convey a message to Darknetz instead of knowing that it was me.”
Benjamin nodded in acknowledgment. “You have a point. Nonetheless, I don't think we can hide this matter for much longer.”
“That's right. If Daddy wasn't busy trying to locate Nat, he would already have found out. We just got lucky, and that's how we managed to follow him here. As long as we can find Nat, I don't mind telling him the truth at all,” Anthony remarked.
Benjamin nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Thalia casually added, “By then, you will have no other choice than to speak candidly. Otherwise, how are you going to join me at Darknetz?”
Upon hearing the topic, Anthony looked at her, his eyes filled with resignation. “Is it necessary to speak so candidly?”
Thalia grinned mischievously. “I just wanted to remind you. That's all.”
She had barely finished when she popped a cherry into her mouth.
Hmm, it's really sweet!
Meanwhile, in an open-air restaurant, Kenneth had just returned after ending his call.
There, he saw Dave talking to a woman.
The moment he joined them, the woman quickly left.
Kenneth was surprised. “Why did she leave so fast? I don't mind giving up my spot.”
“Friends are always more important than women,” Dave quipped.
Chuckling, Kenneth scanned the surroundings. “What made you decide to come here?”
“Doesn't it look familiar?” Dave asked.
Now that he had mentioned it, Kenneth did find the place familiar.
“This was where we got to know each other after fighting!” Dave reminded.
After giving the place a closer look, Kenneth reconfirmed, “Are you saying that this used to be Bar Street?”
Dave nodded. “Hasn't it changed a lot?”
“It's no longer recognizable,” Kenneth commented.
“Indeed. It has gone through significant changes over the years, having evolved from a dilapidated street littered with bars into one that's filled with chic restaurants. It's undeniable that its development was swift,” Dave elaborated.
Observing the surroundings, Kenneth could feel the memories flooding back into him.
The flashbacks he experienced elicited a smile from his face. He couldn't deny that he had been living on the knife's edge back then. Despite the dangerous circumstances, it was a lot more exciting than his current life.
Back in the day, they lived and died by the sword, fighting with real weapons. That was in contrast to the current age, which was dominated by technology. Nowadays, battles were fought without smoke or bloodshed.
“Thinking about it makes it feel like it was just yesterday,” Dave remarked, staring into the horizon.
Kenneth concurred with a smile, “Indeed.”
Subsequently, Dave looked at him. “Do you have any regrets?”
Kenneth cracked a smile at the thought as he, too, gazed out at the horizon.
From the open-air balcony, he could see the sky dotted with stars.
A long while passed before he finally spoke. “There's no such thing as regrets. Everything we have been through is very much part of living.”
Dave wasn't sure if Kenneth meant what he said. He figured that just part of it was true.
Regrets might also be a form of blessing too.
Regrets might also be a form of blessing too.
He got to his feet and patted Kenneth on the back. “I'm heading to the men's.” With that, he left.
In the meantime, Kenneth picked up the beer on the table and took a mouthful. His heart was filled with mixed emotions as he stared blankly into space.
Meanwhile, when Dave came out of the restroom, he saw a young child running around the restaurant before falling onto the ground and bursting into tears.
At the same moment, a lady walked over to help the boy up.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Throwing her a glance, the boy said something inaudible before leaving the scene.
Subsequently, a smile flashed across the woman's face as she gradually stood back up.
The moment she turned around, Dave was stunned by the sight of her.
Even though he was born of mixed blood, he appreciated the beauty of ladies from Aploth.
As for the lady in front of him, she looked so stunning that he was floored by her beauty.
Her slender figure, flawless skin, and silky-smooth hair that draped over her shoulders made her look aloof and mesmerizing at the same time.
Just by standing there, she was a sight to behold.
When the lady saw how he was brazenly ogling her, a frosty glint flashed across her exquisite-looking eyes.
After a fleeting moment of eye contact, she got up and left without saying a word.
It wasn't until she left that the smitten Dave regained his senses. By the time he took another look, she was nowhere to be seen.
Furrowing his brows, he curled his lips into a mischievous grin before returning to his table.
Kenneth, who was almost done with his drink, asked, “What took you so long?”
Dave exclaimed, “I saw a beauty just now!”
“You seem to have quite the luck with the ladies tonight.”
“No, no, no. This is different. She's not like anyone else,” Dave explained.
Kenneth laughed, thinking nothing of it. “That's what you always say every time.”
“It's really different this time,” Dave insisted.
“Even this, I have heard countless times.”
Dave was rendered speechless.
Chatting as they walked, both of them proceeded into the car.
While Dave was driving, Kenneth stared at his phone's wallpaper and ran his fingers over it.
Glancing at the picture on Kenneth's phone, Dave asked, “What's wrong? Are you thinking of your girlfriend again?”
Kenneth didn't respond.
“Who in the world is capable of having such a hold on you?” As Dave peered over, he was shocked when he finally got a good look at the picture.
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