18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 402

Daniel had never been one to spill the beans, which is probably why he'd climbed so high up the ladder.

"I'm the head nurse," Vanessa reiterated, her tone as firm as her position demanded.

Stella, however, was less than polite in her response. "I think you've got it wrong. You're not the head nurse; you're more like the neighborhood busybody-always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

The harshness of Stella's words took Vanessa by surprise, visibly shaking her composure.

Everything that needed to be said had been laid out clear as day. If Daniel was really sick and in the hospital, people would probably be queuing up to take care of him. Why should Stella trust this elusive woman standing before her? Her features were plain, but her forehead might as well have had 'schemer' written across it.

As Vanessa turned to leave, she urgently said, "Stella, I'm not lying. Mr. Daniel is in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer because he's overworked himself."

"And how is that my problem?" Stella retorted, unfazed. "It's not like I'm the one who worked him to the point of a bleeding ulcer."

"But you're his daughter-the only person he truly worries about and can't let go of."

Stella remained unmoved, her sarcasm biting. "What are you, the neighborhood busybody?"

Vanessa was taken aback by Stella's aggressive stance, but remembering her purpose, she gritted her teeth and confessed, "If it weren't for the sudden catastrophe, he and I might already be married."

The news hit Stella like a thunderbolt, pausing her in her tracks.

Vanessa's demeanor was awkward, yet she managed to speak with a semblance of calm, "I came without his knowledge. He's had a hard life, burdened with too much responsibility, and he's lost himself in it all. The only time he smiles freely is when he speaks of you. I hope you'll go to see him, to encourage him to take better care of himself."

After a meaningful look at Stella, Vanessa briskly walked away.

Stella stood by the door for a moment before closing it and heading upstairs.

her routine: eating, exercising, checking all her escape gear, then staring blankly at

up to a gloomy, sunless morning, she muttered to the ceiling,

overheard their conversation the day

that not every emotion could be shared or decided

was to respect

she brought it up, he asked, "Do you

him, I wouldn't have had the chance to get this

breakfast and get dressed. I'll go

lacking in provisions. Yet Stella went to the hospital with nothing to

commander, she

was the secretary's job to cater to the commander's needs. If she knew where to find Mark, would she be asking at the reception desk? Just as Stella was about to leave, a nurse

It was Vanessa.

Daniel is undergoing tests, but I can

let Stella change her mind, Vanessa quickly delegated her responsibilities to other nurses. Stella followed her to the

his room was a crowd

dozen people, all

Mark hurried over to greet

Stella's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Are

but life-or-death decisions

indeed dire, so Mark had

later, Stella entered the

mountain, and the stress of his work had finally taken its toll. His pale face was testament to his fatigue, and having just taken his medication,

when Stella walked in, what she saw was a weary old man worn down by

moved quietly, careful not

gaze inadvertently fell upon the half-open drawer of the bedside table, revealing

crammed with medicines; enough to substitute for a

records and lab results. Daniel's condition wasn't immediately fatal, but his vital signs were poor, and years of overwork and stress had