As soon as Natasha left, Kenneth became tense.
Clocking his anxiety, Dave turned to Denise at the back and questioned, “Do you know who Nat is meeting to get the phone, Denise?”
In response, Denise shook her head. “No idea. She never tells us such a thing. All I know is that the phone was customized especially for her. She lost it once in a car accident, so this is probably her third phone.” While saying that, she turned her gaze to Kenneth. “Don't worry, Daddy. She'll be fine.”
However, her answer only piqued Kenneth's curiosity further.
At his silence, Dave chuckled before eyeing the man. “Well? Isn't it tormenting to be with a woman who's too capable?”
Snapping his head back, Kenneth shot him a look. “Is it? I don't think so. I find it blissful. In fact, I revel in it!”
“Really?”
Saying nary a word, Kenneth swung open the car door and climbed out.
“Where are you going, Daddy?” Denise asked.
Kenneth remained silent, striding in the direction where Natasha had gone.
“Daddy!” Denise called out again.
Just then, Dave interjected, “You don't have to ask where he's going. I bet he's going to look for Nat.”
“Didn't she forbid him from doing so?”
“Is your daddy the kind of person who'd listen?” Dave retorted.
Denise deliberated for a second before bobbing her head. “That's true. But isn't he afraid that Nat will be mad?”
At that, a smirk tugged at Dave's lips. “Even if she gets mad, he has a thousand ways to placate her, so don't worry!”
Hearing that, Denise quirked a brow. Well, that's true.
Meanwhile, Natasha had arrived at the designated meeting place, but she didn't show herself directly.
Instead, she racked her brain on a way to secure the item.
At that precise moment, she glimpsed a child at the side. A light bulb went off in her head, and she beckoned at him. The child trotted over and inquired, “Is something the matter?”
Taking out some cash, she handed it to him. “Can you do me a favor?”
The child's eyes lit up at the money, but he was afraid that it was some trap, so he scrutinized Natasha and pressed, “What is it?”
“There's an item in the locker over there. Can you go and get it for me?”
“That simple?” the child queried.
Nodding, Natasha again took out some more cash. “When you've gotten it, this will be yours!”
The child no longer had any reservations and instantly bobbed his head. “Okay!”
“Here's the password. Just enter the password, then look for me over there. Can you do it?”
Once more, the child nodded. “Sure!”
“Off you go, then!”
Thus, the child sprinted in the direction of the locker.
Natasha, on the other hand, stood in the corner and looked around in search of any “suspicious” character.
When she made out someone on the balcony across the road, she narrowed her eyes and headed in another direction.
She happened to be at a vantage point where she could see everything.
After going to the locker and retrieving the item within, the child ran off. Seeing that, the corners of Natasha's lips lifted.
Before the person on the opposite side could figure out what was happening, the child had already disappeared into the crowd.
In no time, the child appeared beside Natasha with a bag in hand. “I've gotten it!”
Taking it from him, Natasha whipped out the cash and gave them to him without missing a beat. “Thank you.”
Before the child could say anything, she left right away.
The child frowned as he stared at her back in a daze, feeling as though what just happened was all a dream.
While making her way back, Natasha ripped off the packaging and tossed it into the trash can.
The instant her hand came in contact with the phone, she deftly made to remove the SIM card within. But just then, the phone started ringing.
Glancing at the caller ID, she hesitated for some time before answering the call.
A voice promptly drifted out from the other end of the phone. “Hey, didn't you say you were going to come and retrieve it personally, Shadow Seeker? Why did you send a kid?”
“Because you aren't trustworthy!” Natasha replied bluntly.
“How so?”
“Do you need me to spell it out?”
“Uh...”
“Do you think I'm really ignorant to the fact that you leaked news of me being in Glenport City to someone on Darknetz?” Natasha scoffed.
The other person was evidently startled upon hearing that. “H-How did you know that?”
“I know far more than you do!”
“It... It wasn't deliberate on my part. Thalia threatened and bribed me, so I had no choice either. Furthermore, I only told her your location, that's all! I didn't say anything else!”
“You didn't say anything else because you knew nothing else. It wasn't because you didn't want to tell her.”
At once, the other person was at a loss for words. “I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have done that.”
“That goes without saying, but I don't accept your apology.” Having said that, Natasha ended the call and removed the SIM card before tossing it into the trash can, her movements deft and skillful.
Subsequently, she put the phone into her pocket and continued walking back, but just as she turned around, she fell squarely into someone's arms without warning.
She quickly snapped her eyes up. “Sorry!”
When she made out the person, however, her brows knitted together. “Kenneth? Why are you here?”
Kenneth trained his eyes on her. “I was worried about you, so I came for a look. What's wrong?”
Without a word, Natasha grabbed his arm and headed back while dragging him along.
“What's the matter?”
“Nothing. Come on, let's go back!” Natasha urged.
At the sight of her holding his arm, Kenneth's lips inexorably curved to form a grin. “Have you gotten the item?”
Natasha nodded in response.
“You haven't told me who exactly you were meeting,” Kenneth commented.
Only when they had left the city center did Natasha answer, “No one special. It was just someone who's pretty dexterous.”
“If so, why couldn't I meet him?”
Natasha pinned her eyes on him. “He's closely connected to Darknetz. If you were to show up, you'd definitely cause some unnecessary trouble. Worse comes to worst, both our identities might come to light. Therefore...” She trailed off, but Kenneth understood her unspoken meaning.
“Is he aware of your identity?” he asked.
“He only knows that I'm Shadow Seeker. Over the years, he provided me with some information and phones from time to time. In return, I helped him with some things occasionally. He's pretty decent, but he has a loose tongue. Thalia only came to look for me in Glenport City thanks to the information she got from him,” Natasha elaborated.
As Kenneth listened, he finally understood the entire matter.
His expression was complicated while he studied her.
Natasha eyed him dubiously. “What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like this?”
“Nothing. It's just that Dave asked me something when I came over to look for you earlier.”
“What did he ask you?”
“He asked me whether it was tormenting to be with a woman who's too capable,” Kenneth admitted.
At his reply, Natasha's gaze flickered. She then questioned with her eyes fixated on him, “What was your answer, then?”
“I said I found it blissful and reveled in it!”
Immediately, Natasha burst into giggles. “What about now? Do you think differently?”
“Well, now...” Heaving a sigh, Kenneth gazed at her and continued, “I think I can retire now, Nat. How about this? You support me while I sponge off you henceforth, okay?”
Chortling, Natasha bobbed her head smugly. “I can consider that...” Before she had finished speaking, she abruptly halted in her tracks, her exquisite features contorting in agony.
She was having yet another episode.
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