Chapter 145 A Night of Revtions


    “Hahahaha! Meeting you today was worth it-worth everything! I could close my eyes right now and have no regrets! Drink! You have to drink! You’re just like a little sister to me!”


    Lucas let out a long, helpless sigh.


    As any well-mannered junior would, he busied himself serving them, making sure both had what they needed and nothing was left unattended.


    Night crept in, and eventually, thest ss was emptied.


    In the end, Lucas couldn’t keep up. The old saying held true-youth had the upper hand. He’d underestimated Theresa and lost spectacrly at the table. Yet somehow, that only made him like her


    more.


    If only she were my granddaughter…


    Too drunk to stand on his own, he leaned heavily on Lucas, who helped him back to bed.


    Theresa remained at the table, leisurely shelling peanuts. She hadn’t touched a single drop of alcohol.


    Every ounce had slipped quietly into her spatial storage.


    Ever since the world fell apart, she had sworn off drinking. It didn’t matter where she was or who she was with-she would never risk letting her guard down again. Not with danger always waiting in the shadows.


    “Thanks.”


    Lucas’ voice came from behind her. Then, He walked over and poured himself another drink, silently offering herpany.


    Without looking up, she said, “Don’t thank me. This is business. Ten gleamstones per dose. Not a stone less.”


    “Still,” he said, raising his ss, “thank you.”


    He downed the drink in one smooth motion.


    With Theresa’s Evoloid, Larry was as good as finished. They had only tolerated him this long because of the value of his tech. But now, her form far outssed his. They were no longer bound by his influence. Kl no longer needed him in charge.


    She had done Lucas a tremendous favor.


    Theresa smiled faintly as she cracked open another peanut. “You’ll have a car ready to send me and my people back tomorrow?”


    “Of course.”


    “Oh, and one more thing,” she added, as the thought returned to her. “Why does your grandfather love cookies so much?”


    Lucas chuckled. “He used to be a heavy smoker. My grandma hated it. She tried everything to get him to quit-eventually started giving him candy and cookies instead. Over time, he got used to them. Now, whenever he’s angry, he reaches for cookies instead of cigarettes.”


    “You can really quit that way?”


    Lucas’ expression shifted, his tone quiet. “He did. But only after my grandmother passed.”


    Theresa’s fingers paused for just a beat. “Oh, that box you gave mest time…”


    He nodded. “I stole it from him.”


    She let out a lightugh and gave him an exaggerated thumbs-up. “You really are your grandpa’s favorite grandson.”


    Lucas looked away, clearly trying not to smile.


    “Come on,” she teased, pouring him another drink. “Tell me, what else have you stolen from him?”


    “Nothing.”


    “C’mon. I won’t tell him.”


    He nced up and met her eyes-bright, yful, and far too curious. “You really won’t tell anyone?”


    “I swear.” She held up four fingers like she was making the world’s most sacred vow.


    He dropped his gaze and began listing items in a mutter. “His rank insignia. A couple of his pens. His leather shoes. His uniform. The cane he used to discipline me…”


    Theresa blinked in surprise, then burst into a quietugh. So, the good, straightced Lucas hadn’t always been so well-behaved after all.


    No wonder the old man had suspected him right away when the cookie tin went missing.


    The night passed in quiet stillness.


    At dawn, Theresa was up and ready.


    Outside, Lucas had already gathered her people and loaded them into the vehicle. Xavier himself came


    out to see them off.


    “Come visit when you can!”


    “I will!” She waved from the steps before climbing aboard.


    Lucas handed her a bag of gleamstones-1,021 in total.


    “Here, take a hundred for me. Do you have that many on you?”


    “I do.”


    “Send them back with Graham.”


    “Alright.”


    Theresa took the bag and counted through the gleamstones, one by one. There are twenty-one extra,” she said eventually. “I still owe you those.” D


    “Okay,” Lucas said with a smile.


    She epted the payment without another word and left with her team, headed back to her own camp.


    As the vehicle rolled past the K1 gates, her eyes caught a familiar figure.


    A man in a gray shirt stood patiently in the quarantine line, waiting for his turn to enter.


    Theresa blinked. “Wait a sec… isn’t that the guy from yesterday?”


    He was still there-still quietly waiting.


    ‘Excuse me, could we go ahead? My child’s not feeling well.”


    ‘Of course. Go ahead.”


    The man stepped aside without hesitation and let them through. Then he returned to the back of the line, only to be pushed even farther back when more people arrived.


    “Sorry, could you let us in first?”


    “We’ve been waiting, too.”


    “You’ve already let so many people ahead. What’s one more?”


    “It’s fine. Go ahead.”


    yet said


    Theresa watched through the rearview mirror as the man kept getting shuffled farther behind, nothing. He never raised his voice, never argued. He just stood his ground and kept letting others pass.


    She couldn’t help but feel a strange blend of amusement and quiet respect.


    The car rumbled forward and rolled into zing Sun Camp.