18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 547

Daniel felt like his head was spinning, the world tilting on its axis, but the moment he heard her voice, his mind snapped into clarity. Was this some fever dream, or...?

He couldn't quite believe it, yet the person holding him was quivering in his arms. He wrapped her in his broad embrace, murmuring, "Daddy's here."

When Stella came to, she was actually quite embarrassed. She had thought that having lived two lifetimes, she had seen through the mirage of emotions, those elusive tendrils that seemed so useless in a world ravaged by catastrophe. She had sealed herself off, faced the broken world with indifference, believing she would be immune to pain. But when her hard exterior shell was cracked, she found that at the end of the day, she was still a creature of emotion, unable to control herself after all.

She let go and stepped back, turning away to wipe her damp face haphazardly. Daniel snapped back to reality, scanning their surroundings. Shocked, but somehow not completely surprised.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Stella's head buzzed, at a loss for words for a moment. She took a deep breath, and after a while, she managed to say, "You can step through that door."

Daniel pondered, "Are you sure?"

Arcadia had a connection to him, but the beneficiary was her alone. Daniel, ever so sharp, mused, "Perhaps, but it could all be just a dream within a dream."

Stella understood what he meant, but since he had already figured it out, there seemed little point in keeping secrets. "The view outside is not bad."

Daniel pushed the door open, and a vista of lush farmland and herb gardens greeted him. He saw helicopters, cruise ships, submarines, fishing boats, an array of military trucks, various types of shipping containers, and even a Kindle Chest. Countless supplies were stacked with precision, dazzling to behold. Even as a leader accustomed to extraordinary situations, he was still profoundly moved. Daniel looked at her, his eyes betraying a hint of tenderness. "Was gathering all this tiring and dangerous?"

his first reaction to Arcadia. Even Jasper had never said such a thing. Her

her composure, she asked, "Do you know

Daniel did not.

of days before the

trace it back to its origins, Arcadia is technically yours, but it became bound to me through a twist of

it ended up creating Arcadia in your hands. That's the bond between you and it. Since it chose you, it belongs to you. I have

what's mine is yours. Having missed your upbringing, I've failed as a father. If it keeps you safe in this apocalyptic world, I

spoke again, "You've spent your

for a long moment before responding, "Of course I do, but haven't you already been doing

refrain from asking, but now things had settled.

nothing new. Taking without working becomes an entitlement, and when desires can no longer be met, resentment follows. Daniel wouldn't risk his daughter's life

am relieved that despite everything, you've maintained such

you think is right without any reservations," Daniel patted her on the shoulder. "As

her head back, struggling to stay composed. Did he know something? It made sense. She had traded

deep sleep. Unlike his usual stern demeanor, his lips were upturned in a relaxed smile. Stella cracked open

wasn't surprised; from

no longer as it once was, its culture and people would persist, passed down through generations. Having devoted

some seeds had already begun to sprout. The love of a parent for their child entails far-reaching plans. And Stella, after this event, had truly accepted Daniel in her heart. Jasper was genuinely happy for her; this was something she had lacked in both her lives, and now she finally had

returned at noon to find Daniel awake, her tears uncontrollable. Stella didn't intrude but went into the kitchen to cook with care.