18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 398

Daniel was back, his face as unreadable as a stone. The more emotionless he looked, the more anxious Lillian felt, but she forced a smile and stood up to greet him. "Welcome home, Dan." He glanced around the house with a nonchalant "Hmm."

Lillian stepped closer, reaching for his briefcase. "You barely come home. What would you like for dinner? I'll make something special."

Ignoring her question, Daniel shifted his gaze to Julia, whose face was bruised and swollen. "Julia, can you give us a moment? I need to talk to your mom."

Julia, nursing her wounds and mulling over a response, found herself tongue-tied under Daniel's stern gaze. His silent authority left her feeling utterly powerless, fear creeping into her very bones. She retreated to her room, closing the door with a sense of dread.

Daniel sat down and motioned for Lillian to do the same. "Sit."

Lillian took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. "What's wrong with you? Why the long face after work?"

He remained silent, just staring at her.

It felt as if he was looking through her, seeing someone else a woman who was once lively and passionate, who defied societal norms and promised to marry him no matter what. Thirty years had drastically changed that image.

Lillian hated his scrutinizing gaze; it made her feel like the worst kind of villain.

do? She had always been the one to make amends during their heated arguments in the past. Back then, a teary-eyed tug on his sleeve would do the trick. Now, he was as unyielding as a

did you do that to her?" Daniel

the confrontation, Lillian

you talking about what happened at the mall today? That was

your daughter too. Why treat her like

The child I had with the Riley family was killed during a home invasion years ago. I've explained this

tossed two documents in front of

with shaky hands, Lillian's blood ran cold as she read the contents. They were paternity test reports. The other report

Daniel's daughter, while Julia had

she realized the truth. The Kindle Society could make submarines; of course,

never confronted me about this all these years?" she

it but ultimately chose to accept it. He had been away on a secret mission for over a year, barely surviving. When he returned to Griffith, eager to talk about marriage with Lillian, he found out

was pregnant, when she miscarried, and now, as she

about the child

but after seeing hospital documents and witnessing Lillian's fiancé at a prenatal appointment, he realized that her choice was

have imagined that, decades later, Lillian would call to say the child was alive-that she had

suitable partners, but because his career didn't leave much room for family life. He didn't want to hold anyone

he'd think of the one he never got to meet. If only he hadn't taken that mission, maybe their child would have been born safely, and he