Became a Demon with Pregnancy System-Chapter 130: Apology
The rest of the criminals froze, seeing their leader undone. One by one, they surrendered, either dropping to the floor or slumping in place, pinned by petrified stone or battered by leftover poison.
Lenora let out a shaky breath, dismissing the swirling Cyclone Snare. The wind died away, leaving the battered men moaning in defeat.
"That...that takes care of that." She nearly sagged but caught herself.
Luke moved to steady her again, but she waved him off. "I’m fine," she insisted. Glancing at the subdued criminals, she tapped her earpiece.
"All squads, converge on my location. The suspects are neutralized," she reported.
A chorus of affirmations crackled in her earpiece.
Within moments, half a dozen men in black uniforms—her Judgment Society colleagues—stormed into the lounge, quickly slapping magical restraints on the criminals.
Luke observed from the sidelines, arms folded.
A faint smile played on his lips at how swiftly the tide had turned once they coordinated.
With the criminals secured and the corridors cleared, Lenora Quinn stepped away to speak with her subordinates.
Luke lingered near the battered sofa, watching quietly. He saw how the men in black saluted Lenora with respect—clearly, she was a high-ranking figure among them.
Eventually, she returned to Luke’s side, arms crossed over her chest. "Those men you incapacitated are being taken into custody. The Society will interrogate them thoroughly."
Luke nodded. "No problem."
Her gaze flicked to the unconscious body of Gordon Zhong, who was being dragged away by two robed enforcers.
"That scum has eluded us for months. Good riddance." She turned back to Luke, her posture stiffening with residual annoyance. "Though, next time, don’t jump in without warning. I had a plan."
Luke gave a casual shrug. "Could’ve fooled me. You looked fairly sedated when I got here."
She glowered at him. "I was waiting for the perfect moment to unleash my finishing blow.
You disrupted that moment. But," she sighed, glancing at the criminals, "I suppose it worked out. Might not have gone as smoothly otherwise."
He smirked. "So I guess that means you owe me a ’thank you’?"
Lenora pressed her lips into a thin line.
"I don’t recall owing anything. But if it satisfies your vanity: thank you." Her tone was begrudging, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Luke nodded. "Apology accepted."
"What apology?" she retorted, but the corner of her mouth quirked upward.
She considered him a moment, as though re-evaluating the boy she once knew. "You’ve changed," she finally said. "You’re stronger—and more reckless."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Been through a lot, Senior Sister."
Lenora’s mind flashed to the earlier fiasco where he physically carried her around, mocking her price of "600" in a farcical negotiation. Her cheeks heated at the memory. "I guess we’ll need to talk about your...bold behavior," she said, crossing her arms. "But not here."
Luke followed her gaze to the men milling around, finishing their arrests. "Sure. Where to?"
She opened her mouth to answer, then recalled how he’d teased her about paying him 600 earlier. The nerve of him.
"You—" She hesitated, wanting to say something biting, but her words faltered. Finally, she exhaled. "We’ll find a quieter place. I need answers about you. No jokes, no innuendos."
He gave a light laugh. "I’ll do my best. As for jokes, well—once I start, it’s hard to stop."
Lenora rolled her eyes. "You’re impossible." But a hint of amusement colored her features, faint acceptance that they’d evidently stepped into each other’s worlds once again. "Just come on, idiot."
"’Senior Sister’ to you, maybe," Luke shot back, a grin dancing on his lips.
She made an exasperated sound. "Hurry."
As they exited the club under the swirling neon signs, the city of Arcadia glimmered around them. Police sirens wailed somewhere in the distance, merging with the hush of the rainy night.
The Judgment Society’s clean-up squad had effectively quarantined the building, ensuring no criminals escaped without thorough questioning.
Lenora Quinn paused on the sidewalk, scanning for a suitable place to talk.
Finally, she noticed a small 24-hour café across the street, its warm lights a stark contrast to the rainy gloom. "That’ll do," she murmured.
Luke shrugged. "Lead the way."
Bright neon glowed against the drenched streets of Arcadia, where two figures confronted one another in a dimly lit corridor of the private club.
One was Luke, his right arm partially petrified in gray stone.
The other was Lenora Quinn—an operative of the Judgment Society—glaring at him with hardened eyes, fresh from unleashing her Stone Titan power on him.
Luke grimaced, flexing his immobilized hand. A bizarre sensation coursed through his arm, as though molten lead flowed in his veins.
Only a moment ago, Lenora had reflexively used her petrifying gaze to punish his careless teasing. Yet Luke found himself more amused than alarmed.
"Don’t, Senior Sister, I was wrong," he relented quickly. The numbness he felt in his fingers told him that resistance might lead to full petrification—and that would be troublesome. "I yield, okay?"
Lenora narrowed her eyes, but the stony aura receded from Luke’s arm, gradually restoring his flesh to normal.
Letting her own power subside, she asked coldly, "Senior Sister? Who on earth are you?
The Judgment Society doesn’t have a roguish buffoon like you in its ranks. I’ve never seen you in any of our ops."
A quick flicker of Luke’s gaze traveled over the unconscious criminals scattered on the carpet behind them—a group they’d just subdued.
He shrugged. "Call me an outside consultant. I’ve...worked with your colleague Tanya Reed and a certain ’Black Feather’ from time to time."
Lenora’s brow creased in thought. "You’re that guy.
The one who inquired about the Black Sect a while back." She recalled overhearing from Black Feather that a certain meddlesome, inquisitive young mage had pestered them for intel.
Luke gave a sheepish grin. "Guilty. I guess word travels. But I never intended to cause trouble—especially not for you."
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End of the Chapter!!!
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