Not Twins (Natasha and Kenneth)

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They ate away to fill their tummy a little before continuing with their previous discussion.

• Between bites, Anthony turned his attention to Thalia and asked, "Earlier, you said you have a plan to capture the culprit. What is that plan?"

• Thalia paused for a moment before she parted her lips. "I'm not sure if it'll work, but we can try this."

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Anthony had his eyes on Thalia.

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Thalia inched closer to him and pointed out, "That guy wants your mommy dead, so what do you think he will do if he realizes that she survived?"

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Anthony narrowed his eyes a little. "Ah, I get what you're saying now."

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"We'll set a trap because it is likely we don't need to go to him at all. He might come to us," said Thalia as she arched her brows once.

Anthony smiled. "I take back what I said earlier about you."

• "Huh?"

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"You know? When I said you are stupid."

Thalia was momentarily speechless, but she eventually found her voice. "Hey, my reaction is normal, okay? Who would've thought that the hacker who has everyone on edge is just a kid? No one could've anticipated that!"

Anthony nodded in agreement after he heard what Thalia said. He replied, "Hmm, thank you for the compliment."

• Thalia couldn't speak for a moment there.

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Anthony wasn't humble at all, and that prompted her to scan him a little. "How could a tiny baby like you not know humility at all?”

• "Hasn't my skill earned me the right to act this way?" challenged Anthony in between bites.

• Thalia considered the situation. I guess he is right about that. He is just a kid, but he's so skilled and has already accomplished so much. Given those circumstances, it's a miracle that a child like him isn't infuriatingly arrogant. He must have an exceptional mother who teaches him manners and to lie low.

• Thalia stared as she ate. "A kid like you should get a better education and training."

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"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Kyle told me that there is a training facility where talented kids from all around the world gather. They are given the best education, taught the most advanced skills, and trained to be as ruthless as possible. It's a comprehensive training facility meant to train kids to be experts in every field. The entrance exam is brutal, but I'm certain that you can get in."

Anthony grinned when he heard that. "I'll pass."

"Seriously? You're not interested? You realize that many would die for an opportunity to go there, right?" said Thalia.

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"I just want to be with my mommy."

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Thalia was rendered speechless once more.

• He is probably the only person on Earth with such ridiculously little ambition.

. "You think your mommy won't let you go?"

• "I don't know how she'll decide, but I want to stay by her side and protect her."

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"Your daddy will be there to protect your mommy, so you should go. Don't be a third-wheel."

"She's single," replied Anthony.

"Oh..." muttered Thalia. She was taken aback and looked at Anthony. "You're from a single-parent household?" Anthony nodded.

• "Then, your mommy must be an incredible person," complimented Thalia. She just couldn't help it. I am so, so impressed. How does she teach her children so well despite being the only one there for them?

• Anthony grinned and nodded in agreement. As far as he was concerned, Natasha truly was at the best of the best. No one else could come close to her.

• Thalia didn't push any further after she saw the look on Anthony's face. "Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we reach it. Still, I should warn you that if Kyle knows about you being a kid, he will surely try to get you to go to that training facility."

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"He can try, but he can't force me to go if I don't want to."

• "You are wasting your talent..."

"I'm okay with that."

• At that point, Thalia felt as though there was no way to keep that conversation going anymore.

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The duo finished eating before Thalia turned to look at Anthony. "Okay, then. It's late, so how about I drop you off at the hospital?"

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Anthony nodded.

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When they reach the entrance of the hospital, however, Anthony showed no intention of leaving the car at all.

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Thalia stared and asked, "Why aren't you getting out of the car?"

• "I'll wait until morning. My mommy is definitely still sleeping, so I will go to her after she wakes up," replied Anthony.

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Thalia arched her brows. She was about to ask him when that would happen when she saw Anthony getting into a comfortable position. "I'm tired, so I'll take a nap now."

Thalia was so speechless that she stared in confusion, exasperation, and frustration.

When she finally found the right words to say, she saw that Anthony had already closed his eyes and was sleeping.

She stared. There was no way she could complain or kick him out of the car when he had such chubby, cute cheeks and was so tiny.

• Gah! This is so unfair! Shouldn't the globally notorious hacker be someone fierce and merciless? How can he be so freaking cute? The contrast is killing me.

• Even if she ignored everything else, those chubby cheeks were more than enough to make Thalia forget just how "merciless" Anthony could be.

• She thought about how he was still a kid and how his body was still growing, and that made her compromise. She kept her words to herself, got into a comfortable position, then fell asleep as well. • The next morning...

⚫ Terence had been staying guard over Natasha the entire night. He hadn't had a wink of sleep, so his eyes were bloodshot by then.

• He kept thinking about everything Natasha went through as she grew up. It's been years, but she never caused any trouble or ask for anything. She didn't even complain when she got divorced. In a way, she is heartbreakingly mature.

⚫ Terence never scolded her as well, but the angels in heaven seemed adamant about making her suffer. Why must she go through so many hardships?

⚫ Terence was heartbroken.

• He was still reeling in his pain when Natasha's eyelids fluttered. She finally woke up.

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"Grandpa?" said Natasha.

Natasha scanned her surroundings for a bit, then nodded. "I'm okay."

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Terence rushed to her as soon as he heard her voice. "Nat, are you up? How are you feeling now? Are you okay?"

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"Are you hurting in any way? Is there any discomfort? I'll go get the doctor."

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"Grandpa," said Natasha. She stopped Terence from leaving and insisted, "I'm honestly fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Terence as he looked at her.

• "All my injuries are external, so I am okay," replied Natasha. She noticed Terence's bloodshot eyes at that moment, so she asked, "Were you up all night?" • "How can I sleep when you're in a state like this?"

Natasha felt guilty about it. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Don't be sorry, you silly kid. I am okay with going through anything so long as you are fine," replied Terence.

Natasha grinned a little as she looked at him.

⚫ Terence considered the situation for a moment before he looked right at her and said, "Nat, there's something... I don't really know how to say this..."

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Natasha didn't reply. She simply stared at him.

• "Kenneth is right outside," informed Terence.

• Still, Natasha didn't say a word.

• "And Denise and Benjamin are in the room next door."

• Natasha couldn't speak.

• So it happened after all.

The timing was terrible, but it was unavoidable.

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Natasha recalled how Kenneth made that phone call right in front of her before she reached the hospital. She didn't want to face him, so she pretended to have fainted. After that, she actually fainted and didn't know what happened next.

Natasha had been keeping quiet for a while, and that worried Terence, so he asked, "Nat, how are you doing? Say something. Don't scare me like that."

• To his surprise, Natasha was strangely calm when she replied, "I'm fine, Grandpa. I knew he will find out about this sooner or later, anyway."

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"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Terence. He didn't quite buy what Natasha said.

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Natasha nodded in response.

• "So, does he know everything?" asked Terence. "I never revealed anything to him while you were unconscious."

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Natasha shook her head. "I don't know how much he is aware of, but if he met the kids, then it's likely the secret is already exposed."

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Natasha didn't know how he and Denise got in touch or how he knew she was in trouble. However, she would ignore all that for the moment. She knew Kenneth too well and, given his style, he would definitely investigate everything thoroughly after he met the kids.

Hence, there was no way to keep the kids a secret anymore.