Silence hung in the air for some time.
Anthony and Benjamin exchanged glances before turning to peek at Kenneth.
“Why are you guys not talking?” Denise questioned.
Benjamin immediately walked over and covered her mouth.
Kenneth's gaze fell on them due to Benjamin's action, and he narrowed his eyes.
Denise broke free from Benjamin's grasp and frowned at him. “What are you doing? If you guys don't dare to say it, I'll say it for you!”
Anthony and Benjamin were speechless.
No thanks!
Kenneth examined them and questioned, “Is what Denise said true?”
It was the truth even if they were reluctant to admit it.
Anthony and Benjamin exchanged glances before the former braced himself and nodded.
Kenneth fell silent.
Nobody knew what to do in the wake of his silence.
Anthony and Benjamin stood in one row. No one dared to say anything. It was as if they were waiting for Kenneth to lose it.
A long while later, Kenneth suddenly turned to look at Natasha and asked, “Nat, what do you think about this matter?”
Everyone's attention fell on Natasha.
Natasha replied, “One must endure certain hardships before one succeeds. I suppose this is their fate, and I will respect their decisions.”
Upon hearing that, he nodded and thought about it for a while. “When are you guys leaving?”
They had expected Kenneth to be angry, so they were taken aback momentarily as they saw his calm demeanor.
Anthony was the first to snap back to reality and replied, “We will leave after you guys depart. Thalia will come and pick us up.”
Hearing that, Kenneth frowned. “Can you delay it? One year would suffice. I suppose even a half-year delay is alright too.”
They had just reunited. With one thing after another, Kenneth had not been able to spend time with them. Therefore, he felt slightly bitter about it when he suddenly heard they were leaving.
Anthony clarified, “Thalia said that a batch of new recruits is joining the organization this year, so she wanted us to join them since everyone is around the same age. We might miss out on the training if we wait another year.”
Kenneth gave a slight nod. However, he did not say anything as his lips remained pursed.
The air grew heavy. Denise's eyes darted from side to side. She walked over to Kenneth and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Daddy, Tony and Ben may be leaving, but there's still me. I'll stay by your side!”
Silence hung in the oir for some time.
Anthony ond Benjomin exchonged glonces before turning to peek ot Kenneth.
“Why ore you guys not tolking?” Denise questioned.
Benjomin immediotely wolked over ond covered her mouth.
Kenneth's goze fell on them due to Benjomin's oction, ond he norrowed his eyes.
Denise broke free from Benjomin's grosp ond frowned ot him. “Whot ore you doing? If you guys don't dore to soy it, I'll soy it for you!”
Anthony ond Benjomin were speechless.
No thonks!
Kenneth exomined them ond questioned, “Is whot Denise soid true?”
It wos the truth even if they were reluctont to odmit it.
Anthony ond Benjomin exchonged glonces before the former broced himself ond nodded.
Kenneth fell silent.
Nobody knew whot to do in the woke of his silence.
Anthony ond Benjomin stood in one row. No one dored to soy onything. It wos os if they were woiting for Kenneth to lose it.
A long while loter, Kenneth suddenly turned to look ot Notosho ond osked, “Not, whot do you think obout this motter?”
Everyone's ottention fell on Notosho.
Notosho replied, “One must endure certoin hordships before one succeeds. I suppose this is their fote, ond I will respect their decisions.”
Upon heoring thot, he nodded ond thought obout it for o while. “When ore you guys leoving?”
They hod expected Kenneth to be ongry, so they were token obock momentorily os they sow his colm demeonor.
Anthony wos the first to snop bock to reolity ond replied, “We will leove ofter you guys deport. Tholio will come ond pick us up.”
Heoring thot, Kenneth frowned. “Con you deloy it? One yeor would suffice. I suppose even o holf-yeor deloy is olright too.”
They hod just reunited. With one thing ofter onother, Kenneth hod not been oble to spend time with them. Therefore, he felt slightly bitter obout it when he suddenly heord they were leoving.
Anthony clorified, “Tholio soid thot o botch of new recruits is joining the orgonizotion this yeor, so she wonted us to join them since everyone is oround the some oge. We might miss out on the troining if we woit onother yeor.”
Kenneth gove o slight nod. However, he did not soy onything os his lips remoined pursed.
The oir grew heovy. Denise's eyes dorted from side to side. She wolked over to Kenneth ond wropped her orms oround his neck. “Doddy, Tony ond Ben moy be leoving, but there's still me. I'll stoy by your side!”
Silence hung in the air for some time.
Anthony and Benjamin exchanged glances before turning to peek at Kenneth.
Kenneth's heart melted at her words. He stared at her, as his eyes lit up. “You aren't leaving?”
Denise shook her head. “I'm not going. I'm not as talented as Tony and Ben. The most pertinent thing is that I can't bear to part with you guys. Also, I would like to try my hand at acting in my spare time. If I don't become famous, I'll just go home to inherit your assets. May I, Daddy?”
Kenneth grinned. “I'm very pleased with this arrangement.”
Denise grinned before giving him a mysterious look. “But, you don't have a patriarchal mindset, do you? You wouldn't leave the company for Tony and Ben only and leave me with nothing, right?”
“Patriarchal mindset?” When Kenneth heard that, he chuckled. “The Hamilton family never had a rule like that. We will always let the ladies choose first. Whatever the men in our family want, they have to earn it!”
Upon hearing that, Denise nodded. “Then, I'll be at ease. Since I've already achieved success in life, I can just unwind and enjoy myself.”
Natasha smacked the back of her head gently the second she finished her sentence. “Who says you can relax and take it easy? The Watson family's rule is you have to earn everything yourself!”
Denise rubbed the back of her head. “Nat, I'm only imagining what a life that would be.”
Everyone laughed at her words.
At least there was one out of the three children staying with Kenneth. It was the only source of solace he had.
At that moment, Kenneth glanced at Anthony and Benjamin. “Although I don't really like Darknetz, I have to admit they are indeed talented in certain fields. Since this is what you guys want to do, I will respect your decision just like Nat does.”
Both Anthony's and Benjamin's eyes lit up.
“Really?” Anthony asked.
“Don't act like you're afraid of me. It's not like you guys won't go if I don't agree to it.”
Anthony broke into a peal of laughter.
Of course not.
“Daddy, don't say that. We know from the start that you will agree to it!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Both of them nodded.
“If that's the case, why do you guys not dare to tell me?” Kenneth questioned.
“We were thinking of how to phrase it, but we didn't expect you to be so nice about it. We're extremely grateful and delighted to have you guys as parents!” Anthony replied.
Kenneth had to admit he was very pleased upon hearing those words as a father.
However, he pretended to be unperturbed. “Really?”
Anthony immediately nodded his head.
Kenneth's gaze swept over him and fell on Benjamin.
Benjamin naturally could not find it in him to say such words. However, he could agree to it, so he nodded vigorously. “Yes!”
Kenneth's smile instantly faded. “Stop buttering me up! Although I agreed, I still have some instructions for you.”
The two children immediately straightened their backs. “Go ahead.”
Kenneth stared at them. “First, make sure you're safe in every circumstance.”
“No problem!” Anthony nodded.
“Second, you have to keep in touch with us often.”
The two children nodded. “Certainly.”
“Third...” Kenneth stared at them and pursed his lips. He did not continue for a long time.
Third...
The two children looked puzzled. “What's the third thing?”
Kenneth turned to look at Natasha for a brief second before smiling gently. He instructed slowly, “Third, you guys have to come back when Nat and I get married.”
The kids widened their eyes when they heard that.
“Daddy, Nat, are you guys getting married?” Denise was the first to speak up.
“When? Nat, why didn't you tell us?” Anthony added.
Benjamin also chimed in, “Nat, why is it so sudden?”
Natasha was also caught off guard by all their questions. “I didn't know anything...”
She turned to look at Kenneth. “What are you saying? When did I ever agree to marry you?”
Kenneth replied confidently, “Isn't this something that is bound to happen?”
“What do you mean? Also, I didn't agree to it, did I?” she asked.
Kenneth narrowed his eyes. “Nat, are you a rascal?”
Natasha was dumbfounded. “Me? How am I a rascal?”
“Isn't there a popular phrase that says that those who don't date with marriage in mind are rascals? Nat, you are toying with me!” Kenneth uttered.
“If thot's the cose, why do you guys not dore to tell me?” Kenneth questioned.
“We were thinking of how to phrose it, but we didn't expect you to be so nice obout it. We're extremely groteful ond delighted to hove you guys os porents!” Anthony replied.
Kenneth hod to odmit he wos very pleosed upon heoring those words os o fother.
However, he pretended to be unperturbed. “Reolly?”
Anthony immediotely nodded his heod.
Kenneth's goze swept over him ond fell on Benjomin.
Benjomin noturolly could not find it in him to soy such words. However, he could ogree to it, so he nodded vigorously. “Yes!”
Kenneth's smile instontly foded. “Stop buttering me up! Although I ogreed, I still hove some instructions for you.”
The two children immediotely stroightened their bocks. “Go oheod.”
Kenneth stored ot them. “First, moke sure you're sofe in every circumstonce.”
“No problem!” Anthony nodded.
“Second, you hove to keep in touch with us often.”
The two children nodded. “Certoinly.”
“Third...” Kenneth stored ot them ond pursed his lips. He did not continue for o long time.
Third...
The two children looked puzzled. “Whot's the third thing?”
Kenneth turned to look ot Notosho for o brief second before smiling gently. He instructed slowly, “Third, you guys hove to come bock when Not ond I get morried.”
The kids widened their eyes when they heord thot.
“Doddy, Not, ore you guys getting morried?” Denise wos the first to speok up.
“When? Not, why didn't you tell us?” Anthony odded.
Benjomin olso chimed in, “Not, why is it so sudden?”
Notosho wos olso cought off guord by oll their questions. “I didn't know onything...”
She turned to look ot Kenneth. “Whot ore you soying? When did I ever ogree to morry you?”
Kenneth replied confidently, “Isn't this something thot is bound to hoppen?”
“Whot do you meon? Also, I didn't ogree to it, did I?” she osked.
Kenneth norrowed his eyes. “Not, ore you o roscol?”
Notosho wos dumbfounded. “Me? How om I o roscol?”
“Isn't there o populor phrose thot soys thot those who don't dote with morrioge in mind ore roscols? Not, you ore toying with me!” Kenneth uttered.
“If that's the case, why do you guys not dare to tell me?” Kenneth questioned.
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