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.

past. Back then, a teary-eyed tug on his

that to

the confrontation, Lillian flinched.

what happened at the mall today? That was a

"Stella is your daughter too. Why treat her

I had with the Riley

opened his briefcase and tossed

with shaky hands, Lillian's blood ran cold as she read the contents. They were paternity test reports. The other report was recent, taken the night Stella arrived, using a strand of

probability that Stella was Daniel's daughter, while

make submarines; of

have you never confronted me about this all these years?" she asked, locking

marriage with Lillian, he found out she was marrying another man. A lot had happened in Lillian's family during his absence, and his career hadn't

she had cried, saying he wasn't there when her family went bankrupt, when she was pregnant, when she miscarried, and now, as she was marrying another

learned about the child they had

after seeing hospital documents and witnessing Lillian's fiancé at a prenatal appointment, he realized that her choice was right. He couldn't offer her the happiness she deserved. So he

say the child was alive-that she had secretly given

for lack of suitable partners, but because his career didn't leave much

only he hadn't taken that mission, maybe