Chapter 373: The Gordon Family Dinner!
A Father's Home
Early on, Luke learned a universal truth: a girl's makeup time isn't determined by skill, but by the person she's about to see. If it's a female friend, five or six minutes; a male friend, fifteen to twenty minutes; but for a lover, the time dimension is infinitely stretched. God only knows how long they'll take!
Luke was already used to it—whether it was the nameless one-night stands or confidantes like Carol and Emily, they were all the same.
The night wind in Gotham carried a faint smell of the sea. An idle Luke leaned against his car door, surveying the surroundings.
A neighborhood of older houses, low-end cars, and relatively clean streets. It was clearly a community of unremarkable middle-class families. A Police Commissioner actually lives in a place like this...
Luke let out a long sigh.
"That guy is quite admirable."
Luke respected only one quality in life: principle.
The reality, however, was that people who strictly adhered to their principles rarely had good endings. Those who maintained principles and still rose above a sea of corrupt police, like Jim Gordon, were incredibly rare.
He's a remarkable man!
The wait was long. Fifteen minutes passed without incident.
The front door opened, but it wasn't Barbara who emerged. It was a white woman, about thirty-five, with a pleasing appearance. She sized up Luke and said,
"Come in. Don't stand outside."
Luke smiled. "You must be Miss Sarah? Barbara mentioned you. You're even more beautiful in person than in the pictures."
The woman chuckled, studying Luke again, growing more satisfied with every look.
"Hurry in. The wind is strong out here; you'll catch a cold."
Luke readily followed the woman into the house. He had barely reached the living room when he was hit by a gaze full of scrutiny, disgust, vigilance, and anger. Jim Gordon sat on the sofa, his face so dark it could drip ink.
Luke nodded slightly.
"We meet again, Commissioner Gordon."
"Who told you to come here?" Jim Gordon roared, glaring furiously at his wife. "Who told you to let him in!"
Sarah rolled her eyes, turning back to Luke with a smile.
"Don't mind him. Come, sit here." She led Luke to a sofa a little farther from Jim Gordon. "What would you like to drink? Tea, juice, or coffee?"
"Barbara told me Aunt Sarah's coffee is world-class. Since I'm here today, I absolutely must try it."
"This boy knows how to talk! I do have a secret recipe for coffee."
Sarah laughed happily, giving her husband a warning look before tying on an apron and heading to the kitchen.
As soon as she left, the spacious living room was left to the two men and the orange cat that was licking its paws. The cat seemed to sense the tense atmosphere, meowing unhappily before climbing the stairs to the second floor.
Jim Gordon's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He never imagined this bastard, who should be shot, would brazenly come to his house to steal his beloved daughter.
Luke's expression remained calm. Since the man's feelings were written all over his face, there was no need to go out of his way to placate him.
The rigid atmosphere lasted for a full half-minute, until a loud cry rang out.
"Jim, go see what's wrong with the baby."
Sarah's voice came from the kitchen. Jim Gordon, helpless, headed to the bedroom. His son was born last year and was not yet one year old. The crying was endless, threatening to tear the house apart. Jim fumbled to change the baby's diaper, but it wasn't a skill easily mastered. After struggling for a long time, the baby continued to wail.
Sarah rushed into the bedroom, brandishing a spoon, calling the Commissioner "useless," much to his embarrassment. He shamefacedly returned to the living room.
Luke's gaze shifted slightly, deep in thought.
Just then, Barbara, wearing a black and white striped dress with her orange-red hair tied back, looking pure and beautiful, came down the stairs. Seeing Luke, her face lit up with joy, but she quickly suppressed her smile when she caught her father's eye. Lifting her skirt, she slipped into the living room, intending to sit next to Luke, but was met with a thunderous roar.
"Who told you to sit there? Move away."
Barbara was furious. She shot her father an angry glare and sat down on the adjacent sofa.
Luke was utterly speechless. This man is guarding against me like I'm a thief!
With Jim Gordon acting as a chaperone, the couple couldn't exchange any intimate gestures, resorting only to eye contact.
The awkward situation persisted until dinner began. With Sarah's presence, the atmosphere returned to normal, and the three chatted and laughed, discussing various topics.
After dinner, and with a pleading look from Barbara, Luke pushed open the study door.
The room was dark. Under the dim orange light, Jim Gordon's face, which looked ready to devour someone, was barely visible.
Luke smiled.
"Commissioner Gordon seems to hold a deep prejudice against me."
"Luke Shaw!" Jim placed his hands on the desk and stood up, speaking clearly word by word. "I'm warning you, stay away from my daughter. If she is ever upset because of you, I will never let you go."
Luke replied seriously, "I have never intended to hurt Barbara."
"Don't play innocent with me. Others may not know the things you've done, but I do. How could a person like you be devoted to Barbara? You are using her, aren't you?"
Luke sighed. "Commissioner Gordon, I truly don't understand why you have such a strong prejudice against me. I won't deny that I've done some questionable things, but those matters have nothing to do with you, Gotham, or Barbara. As for 'using' her..." He smiled helplessly.
"Why would I use her? What could I possibly achieve by using her? To deal with you?" He laughed ironically. "Commissioner Gordon, since you've investigated me, you should know my capabilities. I don't need any other means to deal with you."
Luke raised an eyebrow, a powerful confidence radiating from his eyes. He paused, then continued, watching the other man's grim expression.
"You don't need to worry too much about Barbara. We are just dating normally; there's nothing else involved. By the way, there's something else: I'm going to take Barbara to Metropolis, and we might be staying for a while."
Bang!
Jim Gordon slammed his fist on the desk.
"Luke Shaw, don't push your luck!"
Luke slowly shook his head. "Since you are Barbara's father, I'll share some bad news with you. This afternoon, my company received electronic signals transmitted by the hijacked MAX military power armor."
Jim was startled, instantly grasping the implication.
"You've located them?"
"Yes." Luke nodded, then added, "However, this isn't good news. The electronic signal is closely linked to the core system. This means the Court of Owls has likely breached the power armor's defense system. Do you know what that implies?"
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