You're Out, Daddy novel (Natasha and Kenneth)

Kenneth narrowed his eyes. "Why are you looking for him?"

"I have something to say to him," she said.

He hesitated for a moment but eventually went along with her. "All right. I'll call him."

"Kenneth, why don't you go look for Dave and discuss what comes next?" Natasha suddenly suggested.

Kenneth, who was in the middle of taking out his phone, paused in his tracks before shifting his gaze toward the woman, who looked back at him without a word.

Naturally, he could tell that Natasha was trying to send him away.

After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Okay. I'll go talk to Dave and get Anthony to come over while I'm at it."

A smile lit Natasha's face up. "Thank you!"

Kenneth didn't say anything and walked out of the room after shooting her a glance.

The smile on Natasha's face froze as soon as the door closed.

Her eyes reflected an extraordinary calmness as she gazed out the window. Even though she knew she was currently too fragile to deal with anything, she had nothing to complain about and felt content.

She had at least ascertained many things after the recent incident-the cause of her father's death, Kenneth's feelings for her, and not only that, she even gained an unexpected friend.

I'm grateful for what I have. I've taken my revenge and loved the people I love without hesitation. I guess my only regrets are not being able to look after my grandpa personally and not being able to watch my kids grow up...

Natasha took a deep breath as those thoughts swarmed her mind.

Kenneth stood in the hallway outside, casting a glance at the door.

Even though he didn't know what Natasha wanted to say to Anthony, he had a few guesses in mind.

His gaze was dim as he hesitated for a moment before finally approaching Anthony's room and knocking on his door.

The door was soon opened from the inside, and there stood Anthony.

Anthony tilted his head askew. "Daddy? Is something up?"

Lowering his gaze to look at his son, the man said, "Nat wants to talk to you."

Anthony nodded after a moment of silence. "Okay."

With that, he stood up and prepared to leave.

Looking at the boy, Kenneth called out, "Anthony..."

Anthony turned around to look at his father.

At that moment, the words got stuck in Kenneth's throat, and he found it hard to say what he wanted to say.

"Daddy?" Puzzled, Anthony gazed at Kenneth.

Kenneth snapped back to his senses. "Nothing. I'm going to discuss something with Dave. You should spend more time with Nat." "Understood." Anthony bobbed his head.

Kenneth wheeled around and left after that.

Anthony furrowed his brows in confusion and watched his father walk away before heading toward Natasha's room.

He knocked on the door. "Nat!"

"Come in!"

Having received permission, Anthony then pushed the door open and entered.

Natasha was sitting on the bed when Anthony entered. Seeing her son step in, she couldn't help smiling and teased, "So you've learned to knock now?" Anthony's heart wrenched when he saw how thin and sickly Natasha had become. He felt a lump in his throat, but he pretended to be fine to not let Natasha worry. Anthony strolled over and sat down by the bed. "You're now in love, so of course, we'll have to knock."

Natasha tousled the boy's hair lovingly.

"Nat, Daddy said you want to talk to me. Is something up?"

At the mention of that, Natasha's tender gaze was replaced with a serious expression.

"Anthony, what do you think of Thalia?" she asked.

Anthony hadn't fully grasped the meaning of Natasha's words. After thinking for a moment, he inclined his head slightly. "I think she's great. Why do you ask?"

"Is that it?"

Anthony began pondering seriously and said, "Thalia and I are colleagues. Although we've known each other for a long time, most of our interaction was online. It wasn't until she arrived in Glenport City that I truly came to know her. She may seem carefree, yet her loyalty knows no bounds. She's willing to lay down her life for her friends without hesitation or complaint. Whenever danger arises, she positions herself as our protector without a second thought. I can confidently state that she is the person closest to me, aside from my family!"

Natasha nodded after hearing Anthony's words. "Anthony, though Thalia spends most of her time working in the shadows, her personality is far brighter than many others!" Anthony nodded. "I know."

"You, of all people, must know how much Thalia has sacrificed for you guys."

"Nat, I understand, but what exactly are you trying to say?" Anthony asked, puzzled.

Natasha pursed her lips. "Anthony, no matter what happened between me and Thalia, you must not take out your anger on her, do you understand?"

Anthony fell into silence when that matter was brought up.

He roughly understood what was going on.

"Did Thalia tell you?"

Natasha replied, "She's had too much to drink and told me you ignored her when you saw her, and it really breaks her heart."

Anthony felt terrible when he heard that.

"Thalia has grown up on her own since she was a child. She yearns for companionship, for a sense of family, and that's why she holds these connections so dearly. Anthony, regardless of whether Thalia considers you a friend or sees you as a younger sibling, you shouldn't have behaved like that," Natasha remarked.

Tears welled up in Anthony's eyes despite his best efforts to hold them back. Lowering his voice, he said, "Nat, I'm not angry with her... I just..."

Natasha could tell Anthony was upset and stroked his head gently to comfort him. "I know you didn't mean to hurt her. You must be feeling torn. But listen, Anthony. Never lose your temper with the people closest to you. They should be the ones you cherish and respect, not the ones who have to bear your unfounded accusations..."

Anthony failed to hold back his tears, but he quickly wiped them away. After a moment, he nodded. "I understand."

That was the first time in forever that Anthony shed tears in front of Natasha.

Naturally, Natasha understood why he was crying, but still, she couldn't ignore the discomfort in her heart.

Caressing her son's hair, she said tenderly, "Anthony, I know that you know everything and that you're already a big boy. You understand some things even if I don't tell you. But please remember that though it's okay to shed tears, life must still go on. No matter what happens, you must stay strong. Do you understand?"

Anthony lifted his gaze to look at Natasha, his eyes reddening.

Natasha's eyes welled up with tears as well when they locked gazes.

No matter how capable and talented he is, he is ultimately just a child.

It was only natural that Natasha's heart would ache for him.

Upon seeing Natasha's tearful eyes, Anthony couldn't help bursting into tears. "I don't understand, Nat... I just don't understand!"

Burying his head in Natasha's shoulder, he began bawling.