Chapter 135

Leonard immediately veered the drone away.

Instead of heading back home, he steered it in the opposite direction.

Bringing it straight back now would be no different from exposing their exact location.

"Uncle, fly it farther," Suzy said.

"Got it." Leonard kept his eyes on the controls as he guided the drone deeper into the distance. "No idea how long those people will stick around..."

If they didn’t leave anytime soon, the drone might never make it back.

They would have to wait.

Still, neither of them believed that group would stand out in the torrential rain forever, just waiting for the drone to reappear.

Suzy’s gaze swept across the screen. "Uncle, why don’t you just find a place to land it?"

Leonard paused. "What do you mean?"

"It’s fine if we leave the drone outside for now," she said calmly. "I have more than one in storage."

The moment she said it, Leonard understood.

If it got lost or damaged, it didn’t matter. She had plenty.

One drone wasn’t worth the risk of exposing themselves.

He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at her resources. "You really prepared thoroughly."

"Of course." Suzy smiled faintly. "That money wasn’t spent for nothing."

Even so, Leonard felt a twinge of reluctance at the thought of wasting it. After searching carefully, he found a sheltered spot outside—somewhere shielded from the wind and rain—and set the drone down beneath it.

By now, the drone was far from their safehouse.

The moment they’d been spotted, Leonard had redirected it away, and for the time being, that group hadn’t discovered their location.

They hadn’t even suspected them.

Instead, it was Suzy and Leonard who had stumbled upon something unexpected—uninvited guests in the complex.

Leonard powered down the drone, and the two returned to the living room, exchanging glances.

"Uncle, what are you thinking?" Suzy asked, noticing his hesitation.

Leonard stroked his chin, deep in thought. "Who do you think those people are?"

"No idea. But judging by how they moved, they’re organized and deliberate. They don’t look like military," Suzy said.

"Yeah... maybe some kind of underground group," Leonard muttered with a sigh.

From their faces and builds alone, none of them looked like good people. There was a harsh, dangerous aura about them—as if the word "trouble" was written all over their faces.

One person would’ve been bad enough.

But this was a group.

Armed, coordinated... and clearly targeting Starlight Towers.

It was only a matter of time before this place drew attention. After all, in the entire city, few residential areas had escaped severe flooding like this one.

Still... this was too fast.

Leonard had no desire to clash with others, yet he knew it was inevitable. And every time that thought surfaced, it made his head ache.

They sat in the living room for a long time.

There wasn’t enough information yet to determine the group’s intentions.

But at least now, they knew they existed.

That alone was valuable.

Being prepared ahead of time was never a bad thing.

"Don’t overthink it," Suzy said at last. "Get some rest tonight."

At this point, all they could do was respond when the time came.

With everything she had prepared, Suzy refused to believe she’d be helpless if things really escalated.

They returned to their respective rooms.

Lying in bed, Suzy initially planned to send Thomas a message. Then she decided it was too much trouble and simply called him instead.

The network was still functioning—for now—but it was noticeably slower than before the disaster. That, more than anything, annoyed her.

The call barely went through and was immediately rejected.

Suzy blinked.

He hung up?

Could it be that Thomas was about to sleep, which was why he’d declined the call so quickly?

Suzy thought about it, then decided to just send a message instead—ask how he was doing.

Even if she didn’t get a detailed reply, at least it would show she cared. And if that nudged his impression of her a little higher, all the better.

Just as she was about to start typing, a video call request popped up.

Suzy jumped in surprise, lifting her phone. Her reflection appeared on the screen—hair slightly messy.

She hurriedly pulled a mirror and comb from her storage, quickly smoothing her hair.

Then she noticed how pale her lips looked. She took out a lipstick and applied a light touch.

Rule number one of her personal playbook—newly invented:

Always leave a good impression.

After making sure everything looked presentable, she put the lipstick away and answered the call.

Thomas’s face appeared on the screen.

And Suzy froze.

He had just finished showering. His hair was still damp, droplets trailing down from the tips.

More importantly—he wasn’t wearing anything on his upper body.

His phone was propped up somewhere in front of him, the camera angled just below his collarbones.

The dim lighting cast soft shadows along the lines of his muscles, making them stand out all the more.

Suzy swallowed quietly.

She had to admit—his collarbones were... striking.

Since it was only a video call and not face to face, she didn’t bother looking away.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat. "Why... aren’t you wearing a shirt?"

Still recovering, his voice carried a faint rasp. "Just got out of the shower. Took the medicine. The ones you sent worked well—I feel much better."

He smiled at her.

It was a little stiff, as if he wasn’t used to smiling, but it softened the sharpness of his features.

Maybe it was her imagination, but he even seemed a little fairer than before.

Perhaps he hadn’t been outside much lately.

There was still a faint flush on his cheeks, and though his smile was subtle, it was clear he was in a good mood.

Suzy instinctively tightened her grip on the phone.

"That’s good," she said. "When you hung up earlier, I thought you were going to sleep."

"I was in the shower," he replied, then paused before adding, "I saw your call and came out before I even dried off."

Suzy covered her lips with her fingers, trying to suppress the curve of her smile. She had to admit—that sounded unexpectedly nice.

She also noticed the lingering moisture on him, the faint sheen of dampness.

"You..." she cleared her throat again, "did you need something from me?"

"Aren’t you the one who called me?" he let out a low chuckle, his hoarse voice carrying a soft, scratchy warmth that lingered in the air. "I just called back."

Suzy stiffened.

That... was true.

"I wanted to ask how you were feeling. And whether you’d taken your medicine," she said.

"I’m doing well. I’ve taken it already. Thank you," he answered, earnest and straightforward.

"Why are you thanking me?" Suzy laughed lightly.

Thomas paused. "Should I not?"

"Of course not. You’re my uncle’s lifesaver," she said, then added, "and my friend."

And more than that—her bound partner.

Of course, she didn’t dare say that out loud.

On the screen, he lowered his gaze slightly, his voice turning quieter.

"...Is that all?"