Not Twins (Natasha and Kenneth)

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Anthony spotted Thalia's car outside the hospital. After a quick look around, he opened the door and went in.

• Thalia had a computer on her lap and a lollipop in her mouth. She handed a lollipop over at his arrival. "Would you like one?"

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Anthony accepted it eagerly. He unwrapped it and put it in his mouth.

•

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Thalia's gaze returned to her computer once more. "I'd had a look," she declared as she sucked on her lollipop. "Your mother was here during that period." She then turned the screen to Anthony. It was surveillance footage depicting a hallway in the hospital.

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Natasha was standing at the door of a ward looking at something when a man suddenly appeared behind her.

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The horror of a suspense drama was palpable even through the screen.

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Startled, Natasha spun around just in time for the doctor's appearance.

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The man slipped into the ward as Natasha spoke to the doctor at the door.

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The video lasted only several minutes.

• "I ran a background check on him, but I didn't find any direct involvement with your mother," Thalia said. "It should just be an ordinary mental disorder." Anthony looked at the screen and frowned slightly.

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"Is it possible that you're overthinking this out of anxiousness?" Thalia asked.

Anthony shook his head. "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this. Nat deliberately took me away today. She must be hiding something from me."

• Thalia pursed her lips as she stared at him. "I'm curious about how accurate children's intuition is."

• Anthony rolled his eyes at her. "By the way, could you assign one of the surveillance cameras at the door of Nat's ward to my phone? That way, I can tune in any time." • Thalia nodded. "No problem."

• Her slender fingers worked furiously on the computer before they stopped moving abruptly.

• Thalia's beautiful eyes narrowed into slits as she stared at the screen. Her flickering eyes seemed to be appreciating something.

·

Anthony leaned over when he noticed that she had frozen. "What's the matter? What are you looking at?"

·

Turning pale almost immediately, he wished he did not see it.

The footage depicted another instance in the hospital when Kenneth sent Thea to the emergency room and the entire incident of encountering Natasha in the corridor.

• From the camera's point of view, it looked especially like a messy love triangle.

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Thalia cleared her throat. "Anthony."

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•

•

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"What?"

"This Kenneth isn't in love with your mother, is he?" she asked.

Anthony frowned. "No," he instinctively retorted.

"Are you sure? Look at his eyes and your mother's. They're looking so tenderly at one another," Thalia remarked while they watched. "You know, with the looks of Kenneth and your mother, they would be perfect for the leading parts if they starred in a movie. It would definitely be a blockbuster. They look so good from every possible angle! I wonder what their unborn children will look like." Anthony was struck dumb with incredulity.

What else can I say?

Anthony took the computer from her lap and sent a link to one of the surveillance cameras to his phone with several keystrokes. He then shut the laptop with a smack after he was done.

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Thalia was not satisfied. "Hey, what are you doing? I'm not done."

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Anthony looked at her. "Would you still want your reward?"

• Thalia was taken aback. "Of course," she nodded solemnly.

• "Be serious, then."

"I am being serious!"

• However, Thalia studied Anthony again in the next second. She looked at each side of his face carefully.

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Anthony was deeply uncomfortable by her scrutiny and scowled with displeasure. "What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?"

• "Don't you think that you share a resemblance with Kenneth?" Thalia said enigmatically. "You look so much like him. If I didn't know better, I would have guessed that you and he have a shady relationship.' Anthony was rendered speechless.

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Well, she was not the first to be amazed by how much alike they looked.

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He did not expect the matter to remain concealed for much longer. However, he was determined to keep it a secret for as long as possible.

· He did not intend to admit it until there was conclusive evidence.

• "The more I stare at it, the more I see it." Thalia was still studying him intensely. "I think I can use you to blackmail Kenneth!"

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Anthony was dumbstruck again.

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"Being a playboy, he would believe me if I blackmailed him with you," Thalia said as her imagination ran wild, feeling very pleased with her idea.

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"Have you heard of something called DNA?" Anthony asked sarcastically.

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"It can be faked," Thalia said dismissively. "I have acquaintances in the industry."

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Anthony was taken aback for a moment. "Do you think Kenneth will believe you?"

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"Just stop daydreaming, and let's get down to business," Anthony barked, changing the subject in time.

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Thalia gave his words some serious thought before providing a fair answer. "That will be tough."

Thalia raised her eyebrows as she merely said those words out of jest. If she were to meet Kenneth, she would have to avoid a person like him unless there was a mission at hand.

·

Though he looked harmless enough, the way he conducted his business sent a shiver down her spine.

• "Has the news been leaked?" Anthony asked.

• "Of course. I guarantee that it'll be untraceable."

• Anthony pondered for a moment. "At this juncture," Anthony surmised, "the killer should act within the next couple of days if he's intent on claiming my mother's life."

• "Be confident and get rid of the 'if'," Thalia suggested. "The brake hose was damaged with the purpose of killing her, wasn't it? I'm just worried that..."

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"Worried about what?"

"That the clue is too cryptic. I'm afraid the killer won't be as smart as we'd expected him to be. He might not figure it out."

Anthony hesitated. "How did you drop the lead?"

• "The number plate of the ambulance!" Thalia announced. "I deliberately chose several photos that were especially clear. A simple search should reveal which hospital she is in if one were to look carefully." Da*n, I am smart. She was so pleased with her work...

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Cryptic indeed! And subtle.

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Anthony kept the polite smile on his face.

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"If that doesn't work, I'll leak more information later," Thalia added for she found the probability of the killer discovering the clue rather low.

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Anthony comforted her. "To be able to think of sabotaging the brakes shows that our mystery man is not lacking in wit."

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Thalia's eyes lit up at his words. "I'd considered that too. We would have found him long ago if he was a simpleton."

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Anthony nodded in agreement.

Thalia gazed at him with a wry smile like they shared a secret.

Anthony buckled his seat belt before looking at her. "Let's go."

•

"Where?"

. "For a meal."

• "Aren't you returning to the hospital?"

·

Anthony leaned back lazily on the seat. "Later. I'm hungry now. Let's eat. Thanks in advance for lunch."

• Are you kidding? It was Thalia's turn to be rendered speechless.

• He wants a free lunch, yet he's being so bossy!

• However, Thalia thought it would be boring to dine alone. Besides, Anthony was the entire reason why she was able to stay. It was difficult to imagine such a legendary figure in the hacker world was actually a child. The tiny bit of curiosity she had toward him was only the tip of the iceberg. She wanted to know more as she felt that there were still many secrets in him worthy of her exploration. Of course, Anthony was well aware of her motives.