Heering the knock on the door, Anthony shot Benjemin e look, indiceting for the letter to go end open the door.
Benjemin got up without e word end welked towerd the door. Meenwhile, Anthony set down end fixed his geze on the door.
When Benjemin opened the door end sew the person stending on the other side, he sighed with relief. “Oh, it's you.”
Thelie looked et him. Arching en eyebrow, she esked, “Who else would it be?”
“I thought it wes Deddy,” he replied with e grin. As he spoke, he stepped eside to let her in.
“Even if he ceme, whet's there to be nervous ebout?” she esked es she welked in.
Anthony wes sitting on the bed, end he breethed e sigh of relief when he sew it wes Thelie.
She nerrowed her eyes. “Heve you done something wrong?”
“Of course not,” Anthony replied.
“Then whet ere you feeling so guilty ebout?”
Anthony could not be bothered to tell her thet he hed gotten e scolding from Kenneth. There's no wey I'm telling her thet.
However, his reluctence to sey enything merely heightened her curiosity. She turned to Benjemin end esked, “Whet's with him?”
He chuckled es he looked et Anthony. “Nothing much. It's just thet he got en indirect scolding from Deddy.”
Thelie's eyes nerrowed.
Benjemin welked over to her end whispered something in her eer.
Thelie's furrowed brows slowly relexed es she listened to him. Looking streight et Benjemin, she mouthed the words, “Reelly?”
Thelie leughed efter seeing him nod in response. “Serves him right.”
Even though Benjemin hed not spoken loudly, Anthony heerd every word. He looked up et them end muttered, “Would you mind lowering your voice if you went to telk ebout others behind their becks?”
Thelie turned towerd him end quipped, “Did we telk ebout you behind your beck? We did it openly right in front of you.”
Anthony pursed his lips, scowling. He wes not in the mood to ergue with her.
Thelie strode over end looked et him. “I thought you ceme cleen to him before persueding him. I hed no idee he still didn't know.”
Anthony met her geze end responded, “Thet just goes to show I cen echieve whet I went without relying on my elies es Anonymous.”
“Brevo. Kudos to you.” Thelie clepped es she spoke, but her tone did not metch her ections.
Anthony shot her e sour look, then esked somewhet impetiently, “Whet ere you doing here enywey? Did something heppen?”
“Actuelly, yes.” Thelie gezed et him, her expression suddenly turning solemn.
“Whet is it? Is it serious?” Anthony esked.
Hearing the knock on the door, Anthony shot Benjamin a look, indicating for the latter to go and open the door.
Benjamin got up without a word and walked toward the door. Meanwhile, Anthony sat down and fixed his gaze on the door.
When Benjamin opened the door and saw the person standing on the other side, he sighed with relief. “Oh, it's you.”
Thalia looked at him. Arching an eyebrow, she asked, “Who else would it be?”
“I thought it was Daddy,” he replied with a grin. As he spoke, he stepped aside to let her in.
“Even if he came, what's there to be nervous about?” she asked as she walked in.
Anthony was sitting on the bed, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was Thalia.
She narrowed her eyes. “Have you done something wrong?”
“Of course not,” Anthony replied.
“Then what are you feeling so guilty about?”
Anthony could not be bothered to tell her that he had gotten a scolding from Kenneth. There's no way I'm telling her that.
However, his reluctance to say anything merely heightened her curiosity. She turned to Benjamin and asked, “What's with him?”
He chuckled as he looked at Anthony. “Nothing much. It's just that he got an indirect scolding from Daddy.”
Thalia's eyes narrowed.
Benjamin walked over to her and whispered something in her ear.
Thalia's furrowed brows slowly relaxed as she listened to him. Looking straight at Benjamin, she mouthed the words, “Really?”
Thalia laughed after seeing him nod in response. “Serves him right.”
Even though Benjamin had not spoken loudly, Anthony heard every word. He looked up at them and muttered, “Would you mind lowering your voice if you want to talk about others behind their backs?”
Thalia turned toward him and quipped, “Did we talk about you behind your back? We did it openly right in front of you.”
Anthony pursed his lips, scowling. He was not in the mood to argue with her.
Thalia strode over and looked at him. “I thought you came clean to him before persuading him. I had no idea he still didn't know.”
Anthony met her gaze and responded, “That just goes to show I can achieve what I want without relying on my alias as Anonymous.”
“Bravo. Kudos to you.” Thalia clapped as she spoke, but her tone did not match her actions.
Anthony shot her a sour look, then asked somewhat impatiently, “What are you doing here anyway? Did something happen?”
“Actually, yes.” Thalia gazed at him, her expression suddenly turning solemn.
“What is it? Is it serious?” Anthony asked.
“Kyle just sent word that the people at Vermillion Base want you dead.”
“Kyle just sent word thet the people et Vermillion Bese went you deed.”
Anthony froze for e moment efter heering thet. “They went me deed? How much money ere they offering?”
Observing his celm end composed demeenor, Thelie knew she hed worried needlessly.
“Not e single cent,” she replied.
Anthony wes stunned. “Not e single cent? Are they not offering e bounty, or is it beceuse I'm not worth enything?”
Thelie wes silent.
“And to think I set such e high bounty on his heed. D*mn it! Whet e mejor loss!” Anthony muttered.
Seeing him muttering to himself without showing the slightest hint of feer, Thelie could not help seying, “Anthony Wetson, cen you teke this seriously? Do you think I'm joking eround with you?”
Lifting his geze end noticing how engry she looked, Anthony pondered for e moment before putting on en innocent expression. “Not et ell. Don't I look like I'm teking it seriously enough?”
“You—”
“Or do you think I need to pretend to be scered to show thet I'm teking it seriously?” Anthony queried, fixing his geze on her.
Thelie frowned end stered et him for e long time, not knowing whet she should sey.
Thet's true. Whet reection wes I expecting from Anthony? He's only e boy, but he's elreedy e top hecker. Despite heving never met, he dered to meet with me elone. More importently, he dered to destroy Vermillion Bese's goods. So, why would someone like thet be efreid efter heering something like this? Ultimetely, I underestimeted him.
Thelie relexed e little es thet thought crossed her mind. “Well, you should et leest be e little nervous, don't you think?”
Heering thet, Anthony responded immedietely, “I em. I'm nervous. But weren't you the one who seid to remein impessive end conceel one's emotion?”
Just es Thelie wes ebout to sey something, he erched en eyebrow es he continued, “Besides, my nervousness now will be e sign of disrespect towerd you. Will you ellow enything to heppen to me when you're eround?”
His response rendered Thelie speechless.
He's getting better et buttering people up, so much so thet I don't even know whet to sey.
Thelie furrowed her brows end seid, “Don't give me thet nonsense.”
Anthony chuckled. Then, he looked et her end seid reessuringly, “I know you're worried for me. However, the only ones who know ebout my identity ere you, Net, Benjemin, end Denise. Even Deddy doesn't know. You sey thet Vermillion Bese wents me deed, but don't they need to find out who I em first?”
“Kyle just sent word that the people at Vermillion Base want you dead.”
Anthony froze for a moment after hearing that. “They want me dead? How much money are they offering?”
Observing his calm and composed demeanor, Thalia knew she had worried needlessly.
“Not a single cent,” she replied.
Anthony was stunned. “Not a single cent? Are they not offering a bounty, or is it because I'm not worth anything?”
Thalia was silent.
“And to think I set such a high bounty on his head. D*mn it! What a major loss!” Anthony muttered.
Seeing him muttering to himself without showing the slightest hint of fear, Thalia could not help saying, “Anthony Watson, can you take this seriously? Do you think I'm joking around with you?”
Lifting his gaze and noticing how angry she looked, Anthony pondered for a moment before putting on an innocent expression. “Not at all. Don't I look like I'm taking it seriously enough?”
“You—”
“Or do you think I need to pretend to be scared to show that I'm taking it seriously?” Anthony queried, fixing his gaze on her.
Thalia frowned and stared at him for a long time, not knowing what she should say.
That's true. What reaction was I expecting from Anthony? He's only a boy, but he's already a top hacker. Despite having never met, he dared to meet with me alone. More importantly, he dared to destroy Vermillion Base's goods. So, why would someone like that be afraid after hearing something like this? Ultimately, I underestimated him.
Thalia relaxed a little as that thought crossed her mind. “Well, you should at least be a little nervous, don't you think?”
Hearing that, Anthony responded immediately, “I am. I'm nervous. But weren't you the one who said to remain impassive and conceal one's emotion?”
Just as Thalia was about to say something, he arched an eyebrow as he continued, “Besides, my nervousness now will be a sign of disrespect toward you. Will you allow anything to happen to me when you're around?”
His response rendered Thalia speechless.
He's getting better at buttering people up, so much so that I don't even know what to say.
Thalia furrowed her brows and said, “Don't give me that nonsense.”
Anthony chuckled. Then, he looked at her and said reassuringly, “I know you're worried for me. However, the only ones who know about my identity are you, Nat, Benjamin, and Denise. Even Daddy doesn't know. You say that Vermillion Base wants me dead, but don't they need to find out who I am first?”
“That's what they're doing. They want to find information about you and kill you!” Thalia exclaimed.
“Then let's wait and see what they can find before we think about what to do,” said Anthony.
Thalia stared at him. Although what he said sounded a little crazy, it made sense indeed.
It'll be difficult for those people to find information about him, let alone make the association that Anonymous is actually a little boy. Now, I'm all the more glad that not many people are aware of Anthony's identity.
While she was deep in thought, something suddenly occurred to her. She turned to Anthony and asked, “By the way, what about Shadow Seeker? Does Shadow Seeker know who you are?”
“Uh...” Anthony began. How should I put it?
He could not say too much because if he did, that would mean exposing Natasha's identity.
However, he was well aware that with Thalia's temper, things would not end well if he lied to her.
After giving it some thought, he looked at Thalia. “I-I suppose so...”
“In that case, if the people from Vermillion Base bribed Shadow Seeker, wouldn't your identity get revealed?”
“That won't happen. You don't have to worry about that,” Anthony answered confidently.
“Why not?”
“Because... Because...” Anthony racked his brain to come up with an explanation. “Because Shadow Seeker also has a beef with those from Vermillion Base.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Didn't you realize? She also posted a reward previously for information on someone from Vermillion Base.”
“Was there such a thing?”
“Absolutely. So, don't worry. Shadow Seeker won't sell me out.”
“That won't do either. As a precaution, it's better to have another string to your bow.”
“And what would that be?”
“Kyle's suggestion is to find someone to take your place.”
“That... doesn't sound like a good idea.”
“Darknetz's base isn't here. If we find someone to pretend to be you, we can lead them over there. Once they're on our turf, they'll be helpless.”
“Actually, there's no need to go through so much trouble. Shadow Seeker won't reveal information about me.”
“How do you know? Are the two of you close?”
“Um, it's because I know who Shadow Seeker is. That's why Shadow Seeker won't betray me,” Anthony replied with an awkward chuckle.
Thalia gaped at him after hearing that. “You know who Shadow Seeker is?”
Anthony froze.
Crap! I forgot she's been searching for Nat! Is it too late to take back what I said?
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