18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 401

Daniel looked at Stella Larson with a blend of hope and hesitation. "The best I can do is get you a spot in Project Phoenix," he said. "I hope you'll consider it."

Stella's response was polite but firm. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't need it."

She didn't even glance at the assessment report he offered; she knew Daniel wouldn't be wrong about something like this.

Family ties? They were absent when she needed them most. Now, they were just an unnecessary addition.

"There's no need for guilt or apologies," Stella said calmly. "You didn't raise me, but you didn't harm me either. So, I don't hold anything against you. In fact, as an outsider, I respect the contributions you've made to the base over the years."

"As for blood relations, they've lost their importance to me long ago. I won't carry that burden, and I don't want you to be shackled by it either. Let's just live our lives without interfering with each other."

Her words were cold and devoid of any resentment or self-pity.

Only when one is truly strong can they be independent of others.

Daniel felt a bittersweet pride. She had his blood in her veins, yet she was as good as a stranger.

But he didn't push the issue. As long as Stella was doing well, that was enough for him.

The conversation shifted to the matter of Lillian and her daughter. Daniel didn't consult Stella; instead, he made a unilateral decision.

Regardless of whether Stella acknowledged it, Lillian was her biological mother, the woman who gave her life.

Lillian's transgressions were unforgivable, but Daniel knew Stella's character well; she wouldn't let this mother-daughter pair off easily.

Simply exiling them from the base would only provoke Stella to seek a more permanent solution out of impulse.

It might seem like a release of anger, but in reality, it would be a lifelong chain to bear.

He didn't want Stella to bear the sin of matricide, so he had Lillian transferred to Goldbridge base overnight.

The official base would process the crimes committed by the women in Kindle Society following the standard procedure.

was in their

his decision but said

ravaged by natural disasters,

protection; to live was the

desperate, trading their bodies for sustenance, only to be treated like animals, abused and beaten, until they were discarded like worn-out shoes.

understanding of unspoken truths, Stella

to take his eyes off her, and after a long moment, he let out a deep sigh. "Take care of yourself. This disaster will pass. Never give up hope." Stella stood up to leave, pausing

had indeed given one to

had clung to him, tears streaming, begging him not to leave on his mission. Military orders were not

a moment of deep affection, they had discussed marriage in secret, and Daniel promised to return from his mission

sincerity, he had given her the

"That pendant was with me as

heaven had given

Your health and safety are

moment. "You really shouldn't feel guilty because you've already

the protection of Arcadia, she might have

returning it was out of

might not know the secret of the pendant, but the

put duty before yourself. You're human too, and it's okay to think of yourself sometimes. Survive, live well, then you can take on greater responsibilities." Was she showing concern for him? A warm current flowed through

deep breath and

back, she gazed out of the

on the balcony, sipping her homemade cider. "The pendant was a Larson family heirloom. Daniel doesn't know it

up.

She couldn't just extract Arcadia and give it back to Daniel. "I feel

not verbally acknowledge Daniel, but in her heart, she had accepted

she often appeared cold and ruthless, who could truly

was still a yearning for family

reality was harsh, and Lillian was selfish, but Daniel was different. He hadn't known about his

for his own. Yet, he did what

also right. Even if

to cater only

do that, and Stella wouldn't ask