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.

Stella had rested enough, she resumed her patrols. The three from Stella's household took turns, each standing

began to follow suit. Any kid that dared to object got a slap or was

refined, now in slippers and wielding brooms, chased

a little poodle. The whole family was wiped out by the security team during that

the police station but found nothing. So they asked Monkey, who had no leads

and found himself talking to Stella in the

empty villas in the community. Got any

now? Isn't one enough for you? You want a different one every day?" Ever since his heart

not rent

choked. She

to the state by law. But with everything

Griffith already overcrowded, no one in their right mind would report an empty house.

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? It's time we bring in some new blood. If they have a place here, they'll protect it as their own

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?

my place. You should know who I'm finding

act. "Those four

and one's an ex-champion fighter. Any of them could take down your bodyguards with their hands

their skills; his old man had them checked out. But it still didn't sit well with him. He'd laid everything on the

If anything happened, they'd be lucky if they didn't drag us down.

me up,

eyes. "Please, you think I'd