Dave turned around and stared at Ben’s target, his eyebrows raised in surprise. When he glanced over at Alpha Kilian, he noticed that the latter’s expression mirrored his own confusion. Both men then shifted their attention back to Ben.
The boy, sensing their gazes upon him, looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“What do you think?” Alpha Kilian shot back, his tone teasing yet curious.
Ben examined the target once more. “Isn’t it okay? Sure, I didn’t hit the dead center, but it’s my first time shooting a gun…”
Dave walked toward him, deep in thought. After a moment, he asked, “Ben, have you really never learned how to use a gun before?”
“Of course not! Why would I lie to you?” Ben replied, a hint of indignation in his voice.
Dave raised his gaze to Alpha Kilian, who nodded in affirmation. “It’s confirmed. He’s definitely your son!”
Alpha Kilian glanced at Dave, his voice low and slightly exasperated. “Do you really think I need you to confirm that?”
He then turned to Ben and said, “Here, I’ll continue to teach you the proper way to handle a firearm.”
Ben looked up at his father, curiosity shining in his eyes. “Daddy, what does Alpha Dave mean by that?”
“There’s no need to pay attention to him,” Alpha Kilian replied dismissively, though a smirk tugged at his lips.
Dave chimed in, “What I mean is that your dad is an extraordinary sharpshooter. The only mistake he ever made was when he used the gun you modified earlier. Other than that, he has never missed a shot.”
Ben’s eyes widened as he gazed up at Alpha Kilian. “Is that true, Daddy?”
“Yes,” Alpha Kilian replied, a hint of pride evident in his voice.
Ben beamed and exclaimed, “Daddy, you’re amazing!”
Alpha Kilian’s lips curved into an uncontrollable smile. He looked fondly at Ben and replied, “You’re amazing too.”
The father and son exchanged compliments, their bond strengthening in that moment. Dave observed them with a smile, feeling a sense of warmth at their interaction.
Suddenly, Dave’s phone rang, interrupting the moment. He stepped to the side to take the call, while Alpha Kilian resumed teaching Ben how to use the gun.
Elsewhere, Donna was engaged in a lively conversation with Nelly in her room. “Nelly, is it true that you’ve visited the Midnight Fang pack before?”
Nelly nodded, humming in acknowledgment. “Yes, that’s true.”
“Then, what’s it like there?” Donna asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Nelly, not sensing anything unusual in the question, replied, “There’s nothing particularly special. Just people, cars, and weapons.”
“Is it like a military camp, like the ones shown on TV?” Donna probed further.
“No, it’s much worse. The conditions are chaotic, and there’s no real discipline or order. It’s a wild place,” Nelly explained, her tone serious.
Donna pondered this for a moment, muttering to herself, “I wonder what it’s really like over there.”
Nelly turned to look at her. “Why are you so curious about it?”
“Well… I’m just curious because I’ve never seen it for myself,” Donna replied, trying to keep her voice casual.
Nelly regarded her closely and said, “Don’t you love romance dramas? A place like the Midnight Fang pack wouldn’t appeal to you.”
“I’m interested in the movie and television industry, not just romance dramas. I can’t limit myself to one genre. I need to see more, learn more, and broaden my horizons. That will help me in my future career,” Donna argued passionately.
“It seems like people do change,” Nelly remarked with a smile, looking away thoughtfully.
Donna pursed her lips, her big eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. After a moment, she asked, “Nelly, do you still draw?”
“Why do you ask?” Nelly replied, intrigued.
Without hesitation, Donna handed her a sketchbook. “I haven’t seen you draw in ages, Nelly! Please, just draw something.” She settled down next to Nelly expectantly.
Nelly’s gaze flicked to the sketchbook before she looked away. “Well, what would you like me to draw?”
“Hmm… How about drawing the Midnight Fang pack?” Donna suggested eagerly.
Nelly twirled the pencil in her hand, preparing to start drawing when she suddenly turned to look at Donna.
She remained silent, her intense gaze seeming to pierce through Donna’s facade.
Feeling a bit sheepish under Nelly’s scrutiny, Donna asked, “What’s wrong, Nelly? Is there something on my face?”
“There’s nothing on your face, but there’s something in your eyes!” Nelly replied pointedly.
“Eyes? What do you mean?” Donna pulled out a small mirror from her bag and inspected her reflection closely. “There’s nothing there!” she insisted, but as her gaze met Nelly’s again, she felt increasingly self-conscious. “Tell me what you see,” Nelly insisted.
“About what?” Donna’s voice grew softer, almost a whisper.
Nelly scrutinized her closely. “You’ve been asking me about the Midnight Fang pack today and even wanted a map of it. Do you think I’m oblivious?”
“I’m just curious…” Donna stammered.
“Tony and Ben might be curious about such things, but you shouldn’t be,” Nelly stated firmly.
Donna fell silent, realizing she couldn’t hide anything from Nelly. “So, are you going to keep pretending?” Nelly pressed.
Donna shot Tony a meaningful glance behind Nelly’s back, hoping he would understand her plight.
Tony caught on quickly, looking at Nelly with an innocent expression plastered across his face.
Nelly glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Move!”
Instinctively, Tony sidestepped, making way for Nelly as she walked over to the computer. Miguel observed the scene with confusion, wondering what was unfolding.
What’s going on?
Nelly placed her hand on the computer and suddenly started typing furiously. After an intense online skirmish, the opponent had been communicating with Tony. However, after a few keystrokes from Nelly, the opponent went offline.
Nelly continued typing, her fingers flying over the keyboard in a blur.
Minutes later, she typed a string of words that flashed across the screen: **Boss is a son of a b*tch!**
She stood up abruptly, leaving everyone in shock.
Nelly glanced at Tony and said, “Come out with me.” Tony didn’t hesitate; he obediently followed her. Miguel was left astounded by the turn of events.
“What just happened?” he asked his friends, bewildered.
“N-No idea,” came the hesitant reply.
“Even though I don’t understand what she just did, why does it seem so impressive?” one of Miguel’s friends asked.
“Is she a hacker?” another chimed in.
“How would I know?” Miguel retorted, still in disbelief.
At that moment, someone suddenly shouted, “Look!”
He showed his phone screen to his friends, revealing a news report: every television channel and billboard in Dellmoor displayed the words: **Boss is a son of a b*tch.**
They exchanged incredulous looks.
“She did it! I saw her typing those words earlier!” one exclaimed.
“But that was just moments ago! How did she manage to do that so quickly?” another questioned, his voice filled with disbelief.
Many people were astounded.
“If I tried to do that, it would take me forever…” Miguel mused aloud, realizing that Nelly’s skills far surpassed his own.
More specifically, her skills appeared to be better than his Master’s.
Miguel became increasingly puzzled as he stared at the door through which she had exited earlier. A strange sense of familiarity washed over him. Where have I seen her before?
As he pondered this, a light bulb went off in his mind. “Doesn’t she look like that lady from the video the other day?” he asked his friends.
“Now that you mention it… she does look like that lady,” one of them acknowledged.
“She is the lady from that video!”
Everyone turned to look at the door, their faces a mixture of awe and shock. What kind of family is this?
Outside the door, Nelly had walked to a relatively quieter spot. Tony and Donna trailed close behind her, their expressions serious.
Nelly found a clean spot and sat down, then looked up to see the two children standing side by side, guilt etched on their faces.
“Why are you two looking down? Raise your heads,” Nelly commanded gently.
“Nelly, it’s my fault! Don’t blame Donna!” Tony blurted out.
“It’s my fault too! It’s not entirely Tony’s fault!” Donna interjected, both siblings attempting to defend one another earnestly.
Nelly asked, “Why do you think you’re at fault?”
“W-We shouldn’t have kept things from you, and we shouldn’t have investigated the Midnight Fang pack,” Donna admitted, her voice shaky.
Tony added, “We should have told you everything. Whatever it is, we are at fault.”
Nelly inhaled deeply, her expression softening. “You did all this for me. Why do you think you’re at fault?”
The two children exchanged confused glances, unsure if they had misheard.
Nelly looked at them, a hint of guilt flashing across her face. “It’s my fault. I’m sorry. I’ve caused all of you to worry about me.”
The siblings were taken aback, having expected a reprimand from Nelly. “Are you serious, Nelly?” Tony asked, disbelief evident in his tone.
“What do you think?” Nelly blinked, her sincerity shining through.
Tony and Donna could tell she was being genuine by the look in her eyes.
Donna let out a relieved sigh and walked over to Nelly. “You scared me, Nelly. I thought I was going to be scolded today…”