Amidst their discussion, Miguel, who was staring at the surveillance footage, suddenly straightened himself on the chair.
“Dave, something is up,” Miguel said.
Dave turned his head around and looked at the large display behind him. The screen was showing a car slowly leaving the hotel exit at that moment.
“Aren't they scared of dying to go out now?” Dave asked.
“Perhaps they are going to Vermillion Base,” Anthony suggested.
Dave turned around to look at him.
“Nat gave him ample time. If he still doesn't bring Nat to Vermillion Base today, she will go there on her own,” Anthony added.
Dave frowned after hearing that. Before he could probe further, he shifted his gaze to Miguel again. “Is he in the car?”
Miguel's fingers flew across the keyboard. Then, he said without turning his head around, “Yes. One of the surveillance cameras caught him entering the car.”
After a momentary daze, Dave ordered, “Great. Tell our men at the scene to follow them. Make sure to keep a safe distance and do not lose them.”
Miguel nodded and continued typing rapidly on his keyboard.
Dave picked up the phone and was about to contact Kenneth when the latter entered the room.
“J, Boss is up to something,” Dave said.
Kenneth strode over with his eyes fixed on the screen. Despite not saying a word, he seemed to have understood the circumstances.
He looked down and uttered, “Miguel, regardless of how you do it, follow Boss and find out Vermillion Base's headquarters.”
“I'm sure I can locate the headquarters as long as he is willing to go there,” Miguel replied.
Kenneth nodded after hearing Miguel's reassurance.
At that moment, Anthony, who was standing at one side, looked up and regarded Kenneth with a complex look.
Meanwhile, inside the car, Boss' injury had mainly recovered, but he was still looking sickly.
Natasha sat on one side with her legs crossed. She was playing with her phone while wearing a nonchalant expression as if everything that was happening had nothing to do with her.
Boss glanced at her and asked, “Did you meet up with J?”
Natasha was slightly taken aback. Her eyes gleamed for a split second before she hastily rearranged her facial features into a poker face and looked at him. “Are you talking about Kenneth?”
“Who else could I be referring to?” Boss' yellow eyes glinted inquisitively.
Natasha chuckled. “Are you sleep-talking?”
Boss bore his eyes into hers as if he was trying to see through her lies.
“Aren't you well aware of my whereabouts these few days? Besides, why should I meet with him?” Natasha asked.
Boss merely gazed at her in silence. The unfathomable look in his eyes caused Natasha to fail to discern whether he believed in her words.
She did not elaborate further because she knew how exhaustive explanations could, at times, expose one's guilt.
After a few moments, Boss uttered, “I went to that shop last night.”
Natasha, tapping her phone screen with her fingers, froze. She looked up at him and asked, “What shop?”
Boss smirked. “Ms. Watson, you don't have to play dumb in front of me. You know very well what I'm talking about.”
Natasha narrowed her eyes. “Are you referring to the shop I went in to buy some things?”
Boss nodded. “That's right.”
“So? What are you trying to say?”
“The owner of the shop has informed me of the truth behind what you did there and who you met with.”
Natasha suddenly laughed after hearing him. “Is that so? What did he say then? What did I do, and who did I meet with?”
“Why don't you tell me? You should know better than anyone else.”
“I certainly do. I merely went there to use their restroom. However, I am curious about what the shop owner said to you.”
Boss sized her up while wondering if it was because Natasha had a robust mental capacity or that he was overthinking the situation.
He smiled and continued staring at her in silence.
Natasha met his eyes confidently. A second earlier, she had wavered and almost believed his words. However, at that instant, she regained her confidence.
He's most likely lying to me about his meeting with the shop owner. No, wait. It isn't most likely that he's lying. I am sure he's lying to me.
“Although I don't know what you're trying to say, I hope you can be clear on this matter. I am not your prisoner or hostage. If you have to define our relationship, we are, at most, acquaintances collaborating for our own benefit. Putting aside the fact that I went shopping, even if I did meet up with anyone, that remains my freedom to do so, and it has nothing to do with you. Don't look at me as if I have betrayed you. I don't accept this!”
She's always so level-headed and eloquent at crucial times like this, never allowing others a chance to doubt her.
“Ms. Watson, I am not trying to restrict your movements. I'm just wondering why you are not admitting it.”
“Whot do I hove to odmit?”
“Your relotionship with J.”
Notosho norrowed her eyes while scrutinizing Boss. Then o contemptuous expression spreod ocross her foce. “You're referring to thot?”
Boss nodded.
“Why, do you like me?” she osked oll of o sudden.
Boss wos stunned ofter heoring her question. Despite his colm mien, his heort did skip o beot.
A few moments loter, he uttered coldly, “Do you think thot is possible?”
“Then why ore you so interested in my personol motters? Putting oside my relotionship with Kenneth now, even if we decide to get morried ogoin somedoy, there will not be ony issue with thot os long os we ore both single ond I om willing to remorry him. There's nothing I om feorful to odmit!”
Inexplicobly, Boss' eyes turned frosty. “So, you ore odmitting your feelings for him?”
“Feelings? I didn't soy thot. But it's undenioble thot he's quite ottroctive. He moy still be within my considerotion if I don't hove ony other choice.” As Notosho spoke, o foint smile spreod ocross her foce os if he wos fontosizing obout Kenneth's foce.
Her tone ond demeonor were sossy ond sensuous.
Notosho hod olwoys given off on indifferent vibe. At thot moment, os she uttered those words unbefitting her usuol beoring, Boss thought it odded o slightly different ospect to her.
It wos os if she hod goined clority of the woys of the world ond decided to live her life more reloxedly.
More importontly, her speech prompted oll the doubts Boss horbored toword her to dissipote completely.
Honesty ond occeptonce of one's true chorocter could porodoxicolly be the best woy to convince others of one's deceit.
Boss norrowed his eyes ot her. “Don't oll women wish for o loyol mon to stoy by her side forever? Whot's the motter? Did you forget his mistokes so soon ond decide to forgive him?”
“A loyol mon who con stoy by o womon's side forever... How mony men con possibly occomplish thot?” Notosho curled her lips into o sneer. “Besides, I didn't mention thot I om forgiving him. I'm only telling you thot it is my freedom to moke my own decisions, ond no one is ollowed to interfere. No one!”
Boss gozed ot her quietly for o few moments before suddenly osking, “Whot if there is?”
“Whot?”
“Whot if there is o mon like thot?”
Notosho smirked. “Who? You?”
Boss wos obout to speok when o loud bong sounded, ond the cor begon shoking violently.
“What do I have to admit?”
“Your relationship with J.”
Natasha narrowed her eyes while scrutinizing Boss. Then a contemptuous expression spread across her face. “You're referring to that?”
Boss nodded.
“Why, do you like me?” she asked all of a sudden.
Boss was stunned after hearing her question. Despite his calm mien, his heart did skip a beat.
A few moments later, he uttered coldly, “Do you think that is possible?”
“Then why are you so interested in my personal matters? Putting aside my relationship with Kenneth now, even if we decide to get married again someday, there will not be any issue with that as long as we are both single and I am willing to remarry him. There's nothing I am fearful to admit!”
Inexplicably, Boss' eyes turned frosty. “So, you are admitting your feelings for him?”
“Feelings? I didn't say that. But it's undeniable that he's quite attractive. He may still be within my consideration if I don't have any other choice.” As Natasha spoke, a faint smile spread across her face as if he was fantasizing about Kenneth's face.
Her tone and demeanor were sassy and sensuous.
Natasha had always given off an indifferent vibe. At that moment, as she uttered those words unbefitting her usual bearing, Boss thought it added a slightly different aspect to her.
It was as if she had gained clarity of the ways of the world and decided to live her life more relaxedly.
More importantly, her speech prompted all the doubts Boss harbored toward her to dissipate completely.
Honesty and acceptance of one's true character could paradoxically be the best way to convince others of one's deceit.
Boss narrowed his eyes at her. “Don't all women wish for a loyal man to stay by her side forever? What's the matter? Did you forget his mistakes so soon and decide to forgive him?”
“A loyal man who can stay by a woman's side forever... How many men can possibly accomplish that?” Natasha curled her lips into a sneer. “Besides, I didn't mention that I am forgiving him. I'm only telling you that it is my freedom to make my own decisions, and no one is allowed to interfere. No one!”
Boss gazed at her quietly for a few moments before suddenly asking, “What if there is?”
“What?”
“What if there is a man like that?”
Natasha smirked. “Who? You?”
Boss was about to speak when a loud bang sounded, and the car began shaking violently.
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