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In the spooky manor, Tony returned to his room but instead of going to bed, he sat down at his laptop. He looked really worried and serious, like he had never been before.
He stared at the screen for a while, but then stopped what he was doing when he heard a knock on his door. Tony got all cautious and turned off the screen before asking, “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” came Ben’s voice from behind the door. Tony felt relieved and opened the door. “Still not asleep?” Tony asked, looking at his brother.
“Do you think I can sleep peacefully?” Ben replied. He noticed the laptop and knew what Tony had been up to.
“Did you find anything?” Ben asked.Content © provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
Tony looked away and stayed quiet. He walked back to the room and opened the door for Ben to come in. Ben went inside and watched as Tony sat down in front of the laptop. “What’s wrong?” Ben asked.
Tony knew he couldn’t hide anything from Ben, plus he didn’t want to waste his energy lying. He looked at the screen and said sadly, “I searched the internet, but I couldn’t find Nelly’s address in the Moonwalk pack.”
Ben looked at the location and furrowed his brow, saying, “It seems Nelly must have planned this before leaving!”
“She didn’t have to do this. We all knew where she was going anyway!” Tony said, raising his voice.
“Yeah, you’re right. But do we really know the exact location?” Ben asked. “Nelly must have known that we would eventually find out she wasn’t on a business trip. She also knew that you would investigate her whereabouts. She didn’t want us to search for her!”
Tony’s eyes turned red. “How could she do this to us? She knows we’ll worry about her!”
“Everything about Granddad has been bothering Nelly, and she still can’t come to terms with it. That’s why she can’t live a happy life. Don’t you think we’re in the same position? She wanted to know the truth about her parents because she cared about them. And we’re worried because we care about her!” Ben said with a sad smile. “I don’t think we can ask Nelly to forget about everything. We wouldn’t be able to do that if we were in her shoes. Don’t you agree?”
They might not understand a parent’s love for their children, but they understood the sacrifices children make for their parents. That’s why Ben could relate to Nelly.
Tony understood the logic, but right now, he couldn’t put himself in anyone’s shoes. He just didn’t want anything bad to happen to Nelly.
“Yes. We can’t convince Nelly to change her mind, but I want to be there for her. I want to find Nelly,” Tony said suddenly.
“How? Do you have her address?” Ben asked.
“If I have to, I’ll search every place in Zaewora. And if things get really bad, I’ll wait for Nelly at the Midnight fang pack. I’ll stay there until she leaves!” Tony declared.
Ben squinted his eyes. “I guess that’s the last option we have. We’ll have to make it work.”
Tony was surprised by Ben’s response. He looked up and asked, “Aren’t you going to stop me?”
“Do you think I can stop you?” Ben asked. “Plus, I’m just as worried as you. What you’re thinking is exactly what I was thinking.”
“Ben!” Tony turned to him.
“Since I’m not stopping you, I hope you won’t stop me either!” Ben said seriously. “Nelly isn’t just your sister, she’s our sister too. She’s the closest person we have. So you should know that we feel the same way as you do.”
“But-”
“You have two choices. Choice number one, you keep quiet and we do our own plans. Choice number two, we do this together!” Ben emphasized the last few words. “Whatever you decide, I’ll respect it!”
Tony couldn’t find any words to say. He believed that Ben was true to his word.
Among the three siblings, Ben was the most headstrong.
After thinking for a moment, Tony said, “Let’s figure out how to tell Grandpa and Great-grandpa. And let’s not forget about Donna. I’m sure she’ll be really mad when she finds out what we’re planning behind her back.”
“I think we can keep this from Donna because she’ll be joining the film crew tomorrow. We’ll deal with her anger when it happens. As for Grandpa and Great-grandpa, let’s just tell them that we’re going on a trip with Thalia!” Ben suggested.
Tony was shocked. “So you already thought this through?” Ben stayed silent.
“But what if Grandpa and Great-grandpa don’t let us go?” Tony said.
“They might not agree at first, but eventually they’ll give in. And if they don’t, then we’ll go without telling them!” Ben said confidently.
Tony was amazed by his rebellious brother. Ben was someone who couldn’t be forced to follow the rules!
At that moment, Tony had to admit that this was the only solution.
Tony nodded. “We can’t rush into this. I need some time to make the necessary preparations.”
“Okay. When do you plan on leaving?” Ben asked.
“Dad’s flight is tomorrow night, and it’s the latest one available. If we miss it, we’ll have to wait three more days for the next flight!” Tony said.
Ben thought for a moment and said, “I think Dad must know something important. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed this trip, right?”
Tony looked at his twin brother as if he could read his thoughts. “Yes!” Tony nodded.
“I’ll book the flight,” Ben said with a smile. Tony nodded back. “Alright.”
“What about Thalia?” Ben suddenly asked.
Hearing that name, Tony furrowed his brow. “I need to check with her. Let’s see if she has any plans after delivering the goods.”
Ben nodded. “Okay. Keep me updated.” “Will do!” Tony replied with another nod.
“It’s getting late. I’ll go back to my room now.” “Get some rest,” Ben said as he left quietly. He wasn’t afraid that Tony might leave without him.
Even if Tony planned to go alone, Ben was confident that they would still meet on the plane. Nothing could stop him!
After Ben left, Tony turned his attention back to the screen.