18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 313

What Lindsay? There's not even a scrap left!

If the doctor hadn't diagnosed Bentley with delusional disorder, Bentley's mum would've throttled him with her own hands.

She was a self-made woman, who had come up during the Golden era and was toughened by a world where only the strong survived. She'd been a bit neglectful of family in her early days and focused on her business, but Bentley, with his knack for commerce, made her proud. She retired early, handed the reins of the business to her son, and went globe-trotting.

Bentley was also a chip off the old block, taking the company to new heights. But then, he fell for a woman. The woman had been dead for years, and still, he couldn't shake her off. He was duped by a bodyguard turned bandit, who lured him away using a forged letter. Bran tried to talk sense into him, but no dice. In a panic about his safety, Bran followed him out. Bran thought, with the Porras name holding weight in Griffith and cops patrolling their place, only a nutjob with a death wish would dare cross them. Looking back, Bran wondered where he got the nerve.

Bran was kidnapped in broad daylight, and the whole town knew. When Bentley's mum found out the mess started with Bran's cousin, she was livid. She slapped him silly and locked him up. "Try running again, and I'll break your legs!"

Stella was shocked. Who'd have thought Bentley would ever face such a day, and that it'd be his own mother who'd put him in line!

"He really has delusional disorder?"

"Who knows? Either way, they've got him on meds now."

Stuck with a cousin touched in the head, Bran felt cursed. Thankfully, Bentley's mum took control, promising to compensate Shane with a new helicopter, or Bran would've been brainless by now."

Stella would never give out what she took in. Out of respect, she offered a few comforting words, then had Buddy drag the mummy back home - out of sight, out of mind.

Annoyed as he was, Shane had her limits. He wasn't about to beat his son to death. After a week or so of care, Bran was bouncing around again.

This incident was embarrassing, and Bran was a lot more low-key after that.

resumed her patrols. The three from Stella's household took turns,

to object got a

bonds of kinship. The once polite and refined, now in slippers and wielding brooms, chased their errant offspring, who ran ahead with their hair a

She remembered No. 25 had a little poodle. The whole family was wiped out by the security team during that eternal night. The house still stood empty. It was a quality place, built with the best materials. Leaving it

nothing. So they asked Monkey, who had no leads

wore the hat of the homeowners' association president and found

got six empty villas in the community. Got

for you? You want

suggested, "They're empty anyway. Why not rent them out

choked. She had some

and if they died without heirs, they'd revert to the state by law. But with everything so chaotic, who had the time to bother

in their right mind would report an empty house. First come, first served was the rule of

supplies, sure, but their living space was cramped. They couldn't even take out their meat to eat. Considering they had given up the helicopter and fuel without harming her and Jasper, Stella was willing to lend a hand. "Don't be so quick to refuse. With security betraying us and bodyguards turning rogue, how many servants and guards have been let go? Once they're all out, who'll be left to defend the neighborhood?

one to take losses. She was usually so terse with him, and now she wouldn't shut up. Was the sun rising from the west, or was she getting something out of this? "You planning

should know

the act. "Those four

an ex-champion fighter. Any of them could take down your bodyguards with

checked out. But it still didn't sit well with him. He'd laid everything on the line for Stella,

them and the folks at No. 50, the rest were dead weight. If anything happened, they'd be lucky if they didn't drag us down. The never-ending night was

setting me up, are

you think I'd invite