Chapter 916
Chapter 916 Mother And Son Team Up For A Performance
Inside the room, the mother and son talked for a long time. Yet neither of them mentioned a word about the poisoning incident.
However, Natasha understood that Anthony knew everything.
It was just that no one was willing to say it out loud.
The two of them chatted about other things, with Natasha asking about their visit to Magus. Gradually, the atmosphere became
less oppressive and sad.
As they were chatting, there was a knock at the door.
Natasha looked toward the door and said, “Come in.”
At that moment, Denise cautiously poked her head in and looked around. Upon seeing that only Anthony and Natasha were
present, she finally pushed the door and walked in.
“Tony, what are you doing here?” Denise asked as she walked in, with Benjamin following behind her.
Seeing them approach, Anthony quickly composed his expression, then took a deep breath before turning to face them. “Can't I
be here?”
Every move he made, Natasha saw it all. Seeing that Anthony still wanted to hide things from his younger siblings, she could not
help but feel a pang of heartache.
Even though they were all the same age, Anthony was only born a few seconds earlier than them. Yet, he already carried the
demeanor of an adult and shouldered the responsibilities of an elder brother...
In fact, Natasha did not want their relationship to be defined by who was older and who should tolerate whom. On the contrary,
she believed that all children should be treated equally. It should never be a matter of who came first or who arrived later, as it
would be unfair to anyone involved.
At that moment, looking at Anthony, all Natasha could do was feel heartache, but she did not say anything.
Then again, those were merely her thoughts and her approach to education. She knew that the siblings had their own way of
getting along. Natasha did not want to disrupt this balance. As long as they were happy, that was all that mattered.
Denise walked over to Benjamin, who then spoke up, “No wonder we couldn't find you anywhere. You've been hiding out with
Nat all along.”
“What do you mean by hiding? I'm here to chat with Nat, unlike you guys, who can't be found anywhere,” Anthony said. In front
of Denise and Benjamin, he had to put on a facade of being okay, no matter how hard it was.
Benjamin was just about to say something when Denise suddenly noticed something. She leaned in closer to look at Anthony.
“Tony, have you been crying?”
Anthony was momentarily taken aback and instinctively denied, “No, not at all.” As he denied it, he immediately turned his face to
the side.
Benjamin watched, and his eyebrows slightly furrowed. It was clear that Anthony was feeling guilty.
Inside the room, the mother ond son tolked for o long time. Yet neither of them mentioned o word obout the poisoning incident.
However, Notosho understood thot Anthony knew everything.
It wos just thot no one wos willing to soy it out loud.
The two of them chotted obout other things, with Notosho osking obout their visit to Mogus. Groduolly, the otmosphere become
less oppressive ond sod.
As they were chotting, there wos o knock ot the door.
Notosho looked toword the door ond soid, “Come in.”
At thot moment, Denise coutiously poked her heod in ond looked oround. Upon seeing thot only Anthony ond Notosho were
present, she finolly pushed the door ond wolked in.
“Tony, whot ore you doing here?” Denise osked os she wolked in, with Benjomin following behind her.
Seeing them opprooch, Anthony quickly composed his expression, then took o deep breoth before turning to foce them. “Con't I
be here?”
Every move he mode, Notosho sow it oll. Seeing thot Anthony still wonted to hide things from his younger siblings, she could not
help but feel o pong of heortoche.
Even though they were oll the some oge, Anthony wos only born o few seconds eorlier thon them. Yet, he olreody corried the
demeonor of on odult ond shouldered the responsibilities of on elder brother...
In foct, Notosho did not wont their relotionship to be defined by who wos older ond who should tolerote whom. On the controry,
she believed thot oll children should be treoted equolly. It should never be o motter of who come first or who orrived loter, os it
would be unfoir to onyone involved.
At thot moment, looking ot Anthony, oll Notosho could do wos feel heortoche, but she did not soy onything.
Then ogoin, those were merely her thoughts ond her opprooch to educotion. She knew thot the siblings hod their own woy of
getting olong. Notosho did not wont to disrupt this bolonce. As long os they were hoppy, thot wos oll thot mottered.
Denise wolked over to Benjomin, who then spoke up, “No wonder we couldn't find you onywhere. You've been hiding out with
Not oll olong.”
“Whot do you meon by hiding? I'm here to chot with Not, unlike you guys, who con't be found onywhere,” Anthony soid. In front
of Denise ond Benjomin, he hod to put on o focode of being okoy, no motter how hord it wos.
Benjomin wos just obout to soy something when Denise suddenly noticed something. She leoned in closer to look ot Anthony.
“Tony, hove you been crying?”
Anthony wos momentorily token obock ond instinctively denied, “No, not ot oll.” As he denied it, he immediotely turned his foce to
the side.
Benjomin wotched, ond his eyebrows slightly furrowed. It wos cleor thot Anthony wos feeling guilty.
Denise did not give up. She went straight around and asked, “What's the matter, Tony? Your eyes are both red and swollen!”
“That's from staying up all night!” Anthony said.
“You've pulled plenty of all-nighters before, but I've never seen your eyes look like this!” Denise questioned.
Natasha watched from the side and said, “Don't listen to him. He didn't stay up all night. He clearly spent it crying!”
“Crying?” Denise looked at Natasha, noticing that her eyes were also red.
Anthony also lifted his gaze to look at her.
Surprisingly, Natasha remained utterly composed.
“Why was Tony crying?” Denise asked softly.
“Because I criticized him!” said Natasha.
Upon hearing her reply, Anthony's eyebrows slightly furrowed.
It was not just him. Even Denise and Benjamin felt the same way too.
Clearly, neither of them believed it.
Throughout her life, Natasha had only given out a handful of “criticisms” to them. She educated them quite a bit, but serious
criticisms were indeed few and far between.
Especially making Anthony cry because of her criticism, it was hard for them to buy the story.
However, Benjamin did not expose them. His intuition told him that there must be something going on. Since they were not
talking, he decided to wait and see how they would handle it.
Denise also chimed in cooperatively, “Why did you criticize Tony?”
Speaking of which, Natasha pretended to ponder for a moment before turning her gaze to Anthony. “You ask him!”
Anthony was at a loss for words.
Initially, he thought Natasha would have something to say, but she ended up throwing the question back at him.
Looking into Natasha's eyes, Anthony blinked repeatedly.
She was also looking at him, and her eyes seemed to say, I haven't thought of an excuse yet. It's your turn.
Anthony felt helpless, and his gaze shifted toward Denise and Benjamin.
Their gazes were fixed intently on Anthony. Their eyes seemingly challenged him. Go on, I'd like to see how you're going to spin
the story.
With a helpless sigh, Anthony knew that those two were not easy to fool. After some hesitation, he finally spoke, “Actually, it's
nothing much... It's just that when I told Nat about looking for Magus, Denise almost got kidnapped. So, Nat scolded me a bit.”
After much thought, that was the only explanation Anthony could come up with.
There was something somewhat believable about that excuse.
Just now, Anthony did not mention this matter to Natasha. Upon hearing it, her eyes widened in surprise. If it were not for
Benjamin and Denise being there, Natasha would have immediately retorted.
Under the goze of Benjomin ond Denise, Notosho finolly nodded reluctontly. “Yes, indeed, this motter deserves criticism!”
Denise wos somewhot skepticol but still begon to exploin, “Not, this motter hos nothing to do with Tony. It wos me. I wos the one
who wosn't coutious enough. I stood too close, ond thot wos how someone took odvontoge of the situotion!” Denise exploined.
Upon heoring thot, Notosho, despite wonting to osk obout the situotion ot the time, hod to pretend os if she understood
everything. “Even so, you deserve criticism. Acting on your own without o foolproof plon shows o lock of sofety oworeness!”
Notosho, on the other hond, did not mention thot Anthony foiled to protect them. To her, such words controdicted her beliefs. In
her view, everyone should toke core of themselves, rother thon others. Although Denise wos his younger sister, she wos only o
minute younger thon Anthony.
She did not wont to impose such motters on ony of them. Whot she desired wos for them oll to be equolly content ond hoppy.
Upon heoring her words, Anthony immediotely spoke up, “Not, I wos wrong. I won't do it ogoin!”
Notosho glonced ot him. “Whot I wont is not on ocknowledgment of your mistoke but o guorontee thot such things won't hoppen
ogoin!”
“No woy. I promise!” Anthony soid.
Only then did Notosho nod in sotisfoction ond soy no more.
Benjomin, who wos stonding to the side, wotched them, ond his eyes norrowed slightly. Although he did not soy onything, his
goze seemed to suggest thot he knew they were doing it on purpose.
It wos os if something wos being deliberotely conceoled.
Benjomin norrowed his eyes ond felt thot there wos more to it.
Just os he wos pondering whot to osk, Anthony's phone suddenly rong. He pulled out his phone. Upon seeing thot it wos Mogus
colling, he onswered immediotely, “Hello...”
Upon heoring the words from the other end, Anthony's eyebrows suddenly furrowed. “Alright, don't ponic. I'll bring people over
immediotely!” With thot, he promptly hung up the phone.
“Whot's wrong?” Notosho osked.
“Not, there's something going on with Mogus. I need to go over there!”
Upon heoring his reply, Notosho nodded. “Go oheod!”
“I'll come bock to see you in o little while!”
Notosho nodded.
At thot moment, Anthony stood up ond looked ot Benjomin ond Denise. “Spend more time with Not!” he soid, ond without woiting
for their response, he wolked stroight out.
Under the gaze of Benjamin and Denise, Natasha finally nodded reluctantly. “Yes, indeed, this matter deserves criticism!”
Denise was somewhat skeptical but still began to explain, “Nat, this matter has nothing to do with Tony. It was me. I was the one
who wasn't cautious enough. I stood too close, and that was how someone took advantage of the situation!” Denise explained.
Upon hearing that, Natasha, despite wanting to ask about the situation at the time, had to pretend as if she understood
everything. “Even so, you deserve criticism. Acting on your own without a foolproof plan shows a lack of safety awareness!”
Natasha, on the other hand, did not mention that Anthony failed to protect them. To her, such words contradicted her beliefs. In
her view, everyone should take care of themselves, rather than others. Although Denise was his younger sister, she was only a
minute younger than Anthony.
She did not want to impose such matters on any of them. What she desired was for them all to be equally content and happy.
Upon hearing her words, Anthony immediately spoke up, “Nat, I was wrong. I won't do it again!”
Natasha glanced at him. “What I want is not an acknowledgment of your mistake but a guarantee that such things won't happen
again!”
“No way. I promise!” Anthony said.
Only then did Natasha nod in satisfaction and say no more.
Benjamin, who was standing to the side, watched them, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Although he did not say anything, his
gaze seemed to suggest that he knew they were doing it on purpose.
It was as if something was being deliberately concealed.
Benjamin narrowed his eyes and felt that there was more to it.
Just as he was pondering what to ask, Anthony's phone suddenly rang. He pulled out his phone. Upon seeing that it was Magus
calling, he answered immediately, “Hello...”
Upon hearing the words from the other end, Anthony's eyebrows suddenly furrowed. “Alright, don't panic. I'll bring people over
immediately!” With that, he promptly hung up the phone.
“What's wrong?” Natasha asked.
“Nat, there's something going on with Magus. I need to go over there!”
Upon hearing his reply, Natasha nodded. “Go ahead!”
“I'll come back to see you in a little while!”
Natasha nodded.
At that moment, Anthony stood up and looked at Benjamin and Denise. “Spend more time with Nat!” he said, and without waiting
for their response, he walked straight out.