Chapter 156

As Suzy watched the scene unfold, Thomas stepped up beside her.

Without a word, he pulled her into his arms. The embrace was tight—far tighter than usual.

She paused for a moment but didn’t struggle, letting him hold her.

She knew what he had just seen must have shaken him, too.

His eyes were still frighteningly red.

"I’m fine," she said softly, trying to reassure him.

Slowly, he loosened his grip, then leaned in to examine the thin cut on her neck.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not anymore."

There had been a brief sting when the blade first touched her skin, but it had been tolerable.

After she knocked Victor down, even that faint pain had disappeared—replaced by a rush of fierce satisfaction.

Thomas studied her bright, steady eyes and couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.

"I was worried about you," he said in a low voice.

When he had turned around and seen her pinned, a blade pressed against her throat...

For the first time, he truly understood what fear felt like.

He had been afraid.

Afraid that with a single motion, she would be taken from him.

He had only just found her.

Fortunately... she was still here.

Thomas pulled her into another tight embrace, as if he wanted to press her into himself, to make sure she could never slip away.

They held each other as though no one else existed.

But after a while, Suzy began to feel the weight of the glances gathering around them.

"...Alright," she said, poking lightly at his side. "Everyone’s staring."

Only then did Thomas loosen his hold slightly, though his arm still lingered around her waist, reluctant to let go completely.

By then, Gloria had already come over.

Suzy had barely stepped free when Gloria rushed forward and threw her arms around her.

"Miss..." Her voice broke.

Suzy gently patted her back, waiting until her breathing steadied.

"I’m fine, see?" she said softly.

"It’s all because of me... Victor only..." Gloria sniffed.

"It’s over," Suzy cut her off gently.

If Gloria kept dwelling on it, she might spiral. The girl was sensitive—she could easily trap herself in guilt.

Still... Suzy hadn’t expected her to be willing to hand over the key for her.

It meant she held a significant place in Gloria’s heart.

That realization warmed her more than she expected.

Before she knew it, Curtis had also walked over.

"What are you going to do next?" Suzy asked.

He glanced at Roy and the others lying unconscious on the ground, his voice steady. "Don’t worry. We’ll handle them."

Suzy didn’t press further. She had no intention of getting involved in what came next anyway.

It was time for her to leave.

When she mentioned it, Gloria reacted immediately.

"You’re leaving now?" she asked, clearly shaken. "Won’t you stay?"

Suzy shook her head. "Someone’s waiting for me."

Earlier, she had asked him to contact Leonard. By now, Leonard should already be on his way.

Although she had already warned Leonard that there might be danger here, it only made him hurry even more. He was probably already close.

"You helped us a lot. Really—thank you. If you hadn’t been here, things wouldn’t have gone this smoothly," Curtis said sincerely.

Without Suzy and him, they might have already been wiped out.

Their ability to turn the situation around had come entirely from that unexpected variable.

"You don’t have to be so polite," Suzy replied. "You let us stay here out of the rain first."

Maybe everything had simply fallen into place the way it was meant to.

Leonard was already waiting downstairs.

As they prepared to leave, Curtis handed over a heavy, bulging backpack to him. "I didn’t know how else to thank you. Take this."

Suzy didn’t refuse, gesturing for Thomas to accept it.

The bag was heavy, though no one asked what exactly was inside.

"It’s just a small token," Curtis added.

Thomas, Gloria, and two others walked them all the way to the mall’s exit.

Before leaving, Suzy turned to Gloria and said quietly, "The things I gave you—keep them safe. Don’t tell anyone. Just keep them for yourself."

Gloria hadn’t even had time to check the contents yet, everything had happened too quickly earlier.

Hearing that, she nodded eagerly. "Don’t worry, Miss. I understand."

"Then we’ll go," Suzy said.

Gloria held onto her hand, reluctant to let go. "Miss... I don’t want you to leave. Will we see each other again?"

"We will," Suzy said with certainty.

Gloria pressed her lips together, then nodded and let go.

Under their watchful gazes, Suzy and Thomas boarded Leonard’s boat, the three of them drifting farther and farther away.

On the boat, the moment Leonard saw her, he immediately handed the oar over to Thomas.

He looked Suzy up and down anxiously. "I heard there was an attack. And it’s already over? Are you okay?"

He had rushed over thinking he might arrive just in time to help.

Turns out—he was late.

Suzy smiled and nodded. "It’s all taken care of."

Then Leonard noticed the cut on her neck.

His expression changed instantly.

Her skin was so pale that even the slightest mark stood out—let alone a fresh wound.

"Suzy, what happened?" His earlier ease vanished completely.

He reached out instinctively, then hesitated, afraid of hurting her. His hand hovered midair, fingers trembling slightly. "Your neck..."

She raised a hand to cover it, her tone light. "It’s nothing. Just a small cut."

A mark like that, in such a vulnerable place—how could it be nothing?

Leonard’s mind instantly filled in a far more dangerous scenario, his face turning pale.

"You were there too," he said, turning to Thomas. "How did she still get hurt?"

He trusted Thomas’ strength completely—that was why he had felt at ease letting them go together.

Thomas remained silent, lips pressed into a tight line.

"It’s not his fault," Suzy said quickly. "No one expected there to be a traitor among us."

"A traitor?" Leonard was stunned.

She briefly explained what had happened, glossing over the part where she had been held at knifepoint.

She didn’t want Leonard blaming Thomas.

"Alright, let’s not talk about that anymore. Let’s see what Curtis gave us," she said, smoothly changing the subject.

She unzipped the black backpack.

Packets of bread and dried food immediately spilled into view.

"Food?" she said, surprised.

It was clear how grateful Curtis was—these were precious supplies.

Leonard, sharper-eyed, noticed something else.

"Looks like that’s not all."