Chapter 143

“Anthony, the rumors aren’t true, right
Kenneth pressed his lips together, pushed his wild hair back, and leaned over the table until his face was almost touching Anthony’s. He cleared his throat a couple of times and lowered his voice.
At that, Anthony’s hands stilled. His eyes, deep and dark as ink, landed on Kenneth. His tone was sharp, almost dangerous. “What rumors?”
Kenneth instantly got serious. He’d been around the entertainment industry long enough to see everything, including guys dating guys. He liked to think he was open-minded. But his best friend? Liking men? That was a different story. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it.
His gaze drifted to the black backpack tossed on the sofa. He could practically see Patricia chasing Anthony around with her cane, furious.
“Are you the… you know, the one on top or the one on the bottom?” Kenneth lowered his voice even more, sounding both curious and a little disappointed. “You look like you’d be the top.”
Anthony’s expression darkened. His brow pulled tight and his lips pressed together. The air around him seemed to turn icy.
“When did you find out?” Anthony asked, his voice even colder.
Kenneth, oblivious to the shift in mood, leaned in like he was sharing a secret. “How long have you been with this guy? Is this your first, or have there been others?”
He sighed. “I can’t believe you actually like men
Before Kenneth could finish, Anthony shoved his elbow hard. Kenneth lost his balance and crashed face-first onto the table.
“Ow!”
A few seconds later, Kenneth was sitting across from Anthony, using his phone as a mirror, sulking as he checked his face for damage. Nice. Anthony really didn’t hold back. One more inch and he’d need plastic surgery.
Anthony paid him no mind, peeling lychees for Charlotte with almost royal precision. When he heard Kenneth grumbling, he smirked and said, “You should be grateful. I didn’t want to get your germs on my girl’s snacks. It wasn’t worried about that, you’d be in the hospital right now.”
Kenneth blinked. Girl? The pet name sounded so strange coming from Anthony, who was normally all ice and stone.
“Is this the one you mentioned before?” Kenneth asked quietly.
Anthony nodded, his expression softening in a way Kenneth had never seen before.
They’d known each other for more than ten years and Anthony never let any woman near him. When he mentioned someone last time, Kenneth thought he was joking. But it was real.
“I have to see what kind of girl
で
managed to catch your eye,”
Kenneth said. He tossed his phone
aside, took a long drink, and got
serious. “A few days ago, I think I saw my sister on the street. Om telling you she’s prettier than any actress out there. Honestly, she’s probably a hundred times better looking than your girlfriend. Want me to introduce you two?”
Anthony finished the last lychee, wiped his fingers with a napkin, and looked at Kenneth with a chilly glare. His tone was flat, but there was a threat beneath it. “You made me come here in the middle of the night for this nonsense?”
He tossed the used napkin at Kenneth’s face. “If you’ve got nothing else, then leave.”
Anthony checked the time, his brows drawing together. Why wasn’t his Lottie home yet?
“I really do have something important!” Kenneth finally got serious, digging through his bag in a rush. “It’s life or death.”
He’d hired a private detective to find
his sister, but kept coming up empty. Now, he had no choice but to ask Anthony for help. After all, Anthony’s X Organization-the International defective agency he personally built-was famous for a reason.