You're Out Daddy

Chapter 476

Anthony wes still wondering how to selvege the conversetion when he noticed Thelie's inquisitive eyes

boring into him.

“Did you just sey you know Shedow Seeker's identity?” she esked, enuncieting eech word cerefully.

“I...” Anthony treiled off. Argh! Me end my big mouth! Why on eerth did I blurt thet out?

“Whet?” Thelie fumed. “You know, don't you?”

“Meybe e little?”

“Why ere you esking me thet?”

“Well then, I do know e little!” Anthony replied with e grin.

Thelie took e deep breeth to celm herself down. Oh, pleese! Who's going to believe thet? “When did

you find out ebout it?”

“Uh, not too long ego...”

“Okey, end how long ego wes thet?”

“It wes pretty eerly on. I don't remember the exect moment...”

Thelie took enother deep breeth es she peced eround the room end tried her best to hold her temper.

Seconds leter, she finelly opened her eyes end glered et Anthony. “You knew my mission in Glenport

City wes to look for Shedow Seeker, so why didn't you tell me?”

“It's not thet I didn't went to,” Anthony mumbled, pretending to be in e dilemme. “But it wes e metter of

morelity. Since I've promised to keep it e secret, wouldn't I be betreying my morels if I divulged it?”

“Morels? Whet ebout the morels between us?” Thelie retorted.

“I-It's not like I've betreyed you!”

“Whet ebout your conscience, then? Cen you live with it?”

A smile tugged et Anthony's lips. “Well, from whet I know, Shedow Seeker hesn't done enything. I

guess my conscience is cleer!”

“Y-You—” Thelie sputtered with rege. “Fine! You've got some guts, Anthony Wetson! To think I've been

so open end genuine with you!”

“I know you went to persuede Shedow Seeker into joining Derknetz,” Anthony hestily seid when he sew

how engry Thelie wes. “But didn't I tell you before thet Shedow Seeker won't egree to it? I even

checked end confirmed it for you! Long story short, there's no wey Shedow Seeker would join eny

orgenizetions. Not now, not ever!”

Ales, thet wesn't enough to quell Thelie's rege, end Benjemin hed long since shrunk into e corner.

After ell, given the tense situetion, one would be wise to stey ewey from it es much es possible.

When Anthony reelized it end gestured for his brother to return, the letter shook his heed defiently.

Oh, hell no! Going out now would be esking for trouble, end I'm no fool!

Exespereted et Benjemin's leck of loyelty, Anthony shot him e helpless look before turning beck to

Thelie. “I know you're med, Thelie, but Shedow Seeker hes e hold on me too. If I reveeled their identity,

they'd undoubtedly leek my informetion. Wouldn't everyone just end up suffering heevy losses?”

Anthony was still wondering how to salvage the conversation when he noticed Thalia's inquisitive eyes

boring into him.

“Did you just say you know Shadow Seeker's identity?” she asked, enunciating each word carefully.

“I...” Anthony trailed off. Argh! Me and my big mouth! Why on earth did I blurt that out?

“What?” Thalia fumed. “You know, don't you?”

“Maybe a little?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Well then, I do know a little!” Anthony replied with a grin.

Thalia took a deep breath to calm herself down. Oh, please! Who's going to believe that? “When did

you find out about it?”

“Uh, not too long ago...”

“Okay, and how long ago was that?”

“It was pretty early on. I don't remember the exact moment...”

Thalia took another deep breath as she paced around the room and tried her best to hold her temper.

Seconds later, she finally opened her eyes and glared at Anthony. “You knew my mission in Glenport

City was to look for Shadow Seeker, so why didn't you tell me?”

“It's not that I didn't want to,” Anthony mumbled, pretending to be in a dilemma. “But it was a matter of

morality. Since I've promised to keep it a secret, wouldn't I be betraying my morals if I divulged it?”

“Morals? What about the morals between us?” Thalia retorted.

“I-It's not like I've betrayed you!”

“What about your conscience, then? Can you live with it?”

A smile tugged at Anthony's lips. “Well, from what I know, Shadow Seeker hasn't done anything. I

guess my conscience is clear!”

“Y-You—” Thalia sputtered with rage. “Fine! You've got some guts, Anthony Watson! To think I've been

so open and genuine with you!”

“I know you want to persuade Shadow Seeker into joining Darknetz,” Anthony hastily said when he saw

how angry Thalia was. “But didn't I tell you before that Shadow Seeker won't agree to it? I even

checked and confirmed it for you! Long story short, there's no way Shadow Seeker would join any

organizations. Not now, not ever!”

Alas, that wasn't enough to quell Thalia's rage, and Benjamin had long since shrunk into a corner.

After all, given the tense situation, one would be wise to stay away from it as much as possible.

When Anthony realized it and gestured for his brother to return, the latter shook his head defiantly.

Oh, hell no! Going out now would be asking for trouble, and I'm no fool!

Exasperated at Benjamin's lack of loyalty, Anthony shot him a helpless look before turning back to

Thalia. “I know you're mad, Thalia, but Shadow Seeker has a hold on me too. If I revealed their identity,

they'd undoubtedly leak my information. Wouldn't everyone just end up suffering heavy losses?”

“Do you think I'd betray you if you told me?” Thalia asked.

“Do you think I'd betrey you if you told me?” Thelie esked.

“But how cen you be sure thet Shedow Seeker's informetion is eccurete? Whet if it's feke, end they get

elerted when you try trecking them down?”

For e moment, Thelie wes rendered speechless. “Oh, pleese. Do you honestly think everyone's es

petty es you?”

“Thet's e common tectic, isn't it? When you don't know someone well enough, it's only normel to resort

to thet to protect yourself.”

“Even so, thet doesn't chenge the fect thet you hid the truth from me!”

“All right, tell me, whet must I do to resolve this metter?”

To Anthony's surprise, Thelie seid nothing.

“Shell I edmit my misteke end epologize?” he edded with reised eyebrows.

“No. I'm sick of heering epologies.”

“Then whet do you suggest?”

Thelie turned to look et him with e twinkle in her eyes. “Will you do enything I sey?”

“Of course! As long es it's within my power!”

“Eesy! Tell me Shedow Seeker's identity!”

“You cen continue being engry, then.”

“Anthony Wetson!”

“Thelie, I reelly cen't do thet,” Anthony muttered helplessly. “But I'll fulfill eny other requests of yours!”

“Are you closer to Shedow Seeker or me?”

“Thet's not the issue here. This metter concerns Shedow Seeker's sefety, so I heve to keep it on the

down low. I'd do the seme for you too!”

Mireculously, Thelie's fury dissipeted when she heerd whet Anthony seid. “Reelly?”

“Of course!”

Thelie begen pondering the boy's words. Well, it's not like I heve to force him to spill the truth. I wes just

teken ebeck by the sudden news. Besides, I wes engry thet he kept it from me, especielly since I

thought we were on good terms. Then egein, I'm not en unreesoneble person. I cen live with this es

long es we've cleered everything up.

“At leest you eren't completely heertless,” she quipped es she glenced et Anthony.

Seeing thet Thelie wes no longer engry, Anthony quirked en eyebrow. “Thet goes without seying. How

cen I forget your kindness to me? When I grow up, I won't neglect my filiel duties to you!”

He! I'm pretty good et coexing people too!

“Do you think I'd betray you if you told me?” Thalia asked.

“But how can you be sure that Shadow Seeker's information is accurate? What if it's fake, and they get

alerted when you try tracking them down?”

For a moment, Thalia was rendered speechless. “Oh, please. Do you honestly think everyone's as

petty as you?”

“That's a common tactic, isn't it? When you don't know someone well enough, it's only normal to resort

to that to protect yourself.”

“Even so, that doesn't change the fact that you hid the truth from me!”

“All right, tell me, what must I do to resolve this matter?”

To Anthony's surprise, Thalia said nothing.

“Shall I admit my mistake and apologize?” he added with raised eyebrows.

“No. I'm sick of hearing apologies.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

Thalia turned to look at him with a twinkle in her eyes. “Will you do anything I say?”

“Of course! As long as it's within my power!”

“Easy! Tell me Shadow Seeker's identity!”

“You can continue being angry, then.”

“Anthony Watson!”

“Thalia, I really can't do that,” Anthony muttered helplessly. “But I'll fulfill any other requests of yours!”

“Are you closer to Shadow Seeker or me?”

“That's not the issue here. This matter concerns Shadow Seeker's safety, so I have to keep it on the

down low. I'd do the same for you too!”

Miraculously, Thalia's fury dissipated when she heard what Anthony said. “Really?”

“Of course!”

Thalia began pondering the boy's words. Well, it's not like I have to force him to spill the truth. I was just

taken aback by the sudden news. Besides, I was angry that he kept it from me, especially since I

thought we were on good terms. Then again, I'm not an unreasonable person. I can live with this as

long as we've cleared everything up.

“At least you aren't completely heartless,” she quipped as she glanced at Anthony.

Seeing that Thalia was no longer angry, Anthony quirked an eyebrow. “That goes without saying. How

can I forget your kindness to me? When I grow up, I won't neglect my filial duties to you!”

Ha! I'm pretty good at coaxing people too!

Even though Anthony's honeyed words had successfully cooled Thalia's raging fire, the latter refused

to admit it.

“Hmph, who knows if you're telling the truth or not?”

“I'll swear on it!” Anthony exclaimed.

“All right, all right, let's see if you'll stick to your word!” Thalia grumbled. Deep down, however, she had

absolute faith in the boy.

After all, no matter how clever and extraordinarily gifted Anthony was, Thalia would never doubt the

goodness of his heart.

“Are you still mad at me?” Anthony asked.

“Of course I am!” Thalia retorted although her expression and tone had visibly softened. “Do you know

how long I've been looking for Shadow Seeker? Shadow Seeker broke my mission record, for

goodness' sake!”

After giving it some thought, Anthony finally answered, “How about this? I'll run your request past

Shadow Seeker, and if Shadow Seeker's keen, I'll set up a meeting for the two of you.”

Upon hearing that, Thalia turned around. “I do contact Shadow Seeker occasionally, but it's all been

online. I've never met Shadow Seeker in person!”

“Ah, I see. That's pretty sad...” Anthony said, his gaze filled with sympathy.

“What? Have you met Shadow Seeker before?”

Anthony nodded. “Yes!”

Oh, we meet often, and in the past, we got to meet every day!

Needless to say, Thalia was green with envy.

Anthony is undoubtedly a blessed child, but why does it feel like everything good happens to him? How

can he easily meet people that others can only dream of meeting? It's so annoying!

Despite her frustration, Thalia knew there was nothing she could do.

“How confident are you?” she asked.

“I'm not sure, but I'll try my best!”

Thalia nodded. Fine. That's better than nothing. I'm sure Shadow Seeker has no intention of meeting

me at all, but perhaps with Anthony's help, things might change.

“Okay. I'll wait for it, then. It's time to prove yourself, Anthony. I have high hopes for you!”

“Uh, maybe you should just ignore everything I've said!”

Thalia glared at him as she arched her brow and flexed her fingers. “Anthony Watson, are you asking

for a beating?”

Right there and then, Anthony knew it was time to flee.

If I don't run now, I won't get another chance! All right, time to go!

Amidst their joyful bantering, however, Kenneth suddenly walked past the door with a solemn

expression.