There was a puased.
"Two months of being the underdog. Two months of building back everything I lost." He tossed the token in the air, caught it effortlessly. "And when I got it back? I doubled it."
Ava arched a brow. "Alone?"
Lucas laughed. "No. I had help."
He leaned forward slightly. "My butler."
Ava blinked. "William Zhou?"
Lucas grinned. "By some type of luck he was Shifter. Got a studio on the floor. He kept Level One within my reach."
Ava frowned. "Bunkers doesn't just let exiles back in."
Lucas smirked. "That's where Zhao comes in."
Ava froze.
Lucas's golden eyes gleamed sharper now. "Zhao was the one who made it happen. My ex-fiancée and her little military boyfriend? They thought they could erase me."
He chuckled, low and dark. "Zhao thought differently. He made them give me half of what they stole."
Ava's pulse kicked up. "Why would Zhao help you?"
Lucas's smirk was pure satisfaction.
"Because we have a deal."
Ava's pulse kicked up.
