18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 383

Lillian grabbed the supplies the Riley family had hidden away and hired a bounty hunter for protection. With her daughter Julia by her side, they made their way to the Kindle Society sanctuary. But things took a dark turn when they reached Swan Hill. The bounty hunter turned on them, and if it hadn't been for a patrolling soldier, Lillian and Julia wouldn't have made it. Clearly, getting to Kindle Society safely was no small feat.

When the soldiers questioned her, Lillian lied.

She told them they were relatives of Daniel and that Julia was his daughter.

It wasn't a huge stretch-Daniel had remained single for her sake, and she hadn't forgotten him all these years.

Hearing they were Daniel's kin, the military base helped make contact.

After over two decades, they finally reconnected through a satellite phone call.

Hearing his voice, Lillian was filled with regret.

If she had known this day would come, she never would have caved to her parents' wishes, never would have left Daniel to marry someone else to save the Riley family's business. She had fallen for Daniel at a friends' gathering and had pursued him persistently until they became a couple.

But their happy times were short-lived. Daniel received a classified mission and vanished. She had promised to wait a year for him, to marry him when he returned.

And now, she was pregnant.

The Rileys must never know. If they did, the alliance would crumble, and Lillian's family would be ruined.

So, she considered an abortion.

However, the doctor warned that her uterine walls were thin, and an abortion could leave her infertile.

With no other choice, she decided to have the baby.

Lillian's family kept it a secret, and after Julia was born, they quietly gave her away.

It was her own flesh and blood-how could she not grieve? But there was no better choice; Daniel's status couldn't help Lillian's family.

The idea that love could conquer all was just a fairy tale.

But she couldn't abandon her child. Lillian found out that Julia had been sent to an orphanage.

Then, as the Rileys were planning the wedding, Daniel returned from his mission.

Lillian was pregnant again, this time with a Riley child.

The wedding had to go on, and her past with Daniel had to stay buried.

Desperate, she hid the truth, and with tears streaming down her face, she told Daniel, "My family went bankrupt, you weren't there; I was pregnant, you weren't there; I miscarried, and you still weren't there; now I'm getting married, and I hope you still won't be there." Caught off guard, Daniel couldn't agree.

Lillian placed a hand on her belly, "I'm pregnant, and it's not yours."

She would never forget the look in Daniel's eyes-pain, guilt, and finally, respect.

Twenty years can change anyone, especially when faced with life-and-death choices.

Hearing his voice on the satellite phone, Lillian's tears fell freely, "I'm sorry, I lied to you back then. Our child didn't miscarry; she's alive and well. She has your blood, and I couldn't bear to lose her."

There was a long silence on the other end, then arrangements were made for a military escort to the base.

In truth, Lillian still loved him, but their love was no longer pure, tainted with complications.

Maybe he had moved on.

Why else would he never reciprocate her advances over the years, only ensuring her and Julia's welfare?

He became a stranger to her, inscrutable and distant.

And now, Stella had entered the picture.

The radio crackled, pulling the mother and daughter back to the present.

"I'm sorry, I've got a ton on my plate today; I won't make it back."

His voice was mature and steady, polite but cool.

Stunned, Lillian replied impulsively, "No matter how busy you are, you need to eat. If you can't come home, should I bring you some dinner?"

"There's a mess hall here, and it's a military zone. No outsiders allowed."

And that was it.

Lillian's expression darkened, her hands clenched tight.

In years past, even if he didn't return home, he'd send a thoughtful gift or at least a blessing through his men.

This year there was nothing, not even a word.

What had happened? If he didn't want to give her a chance, why had he allowed her to come to the Kindle Society in the first place?

Even recognizing her and Julia's assumed identities?

"Mom, he just doesn't love you," Julia said with a chill, "Stella's arrival must have tipped him off to something."

Lillian had always maintained a composed motherly facade, never lashing out at her daughter's willfulness. After all, Julia was her future support.

But now, stabbed repeatedly by her own child's words, Lillian's pride and dignity couldn't hold.

In that moment, Lillian was exhausted beyond words.

Julia, frightened by her mother's outburst, fell silent.

Realizing her lapse, Lillian quickly adjusted her mood and changed the subject, "Julia, how did your date go today?"

The man wasn't of high rank, but he was introduced by an officer's wife whom Lillian had befriended. He wasn't a bad catch.

The mention of the date brought back Julia's indignation, "It was going well until Stella butted in, forcing him to leave in a hurry."

He was handsome, but only a lieutenant-a marriage to him wouldn't grant her the comfortable life of a high-ranking officer's wife.

Yet, at 27, time was ticking, and without a match soon, she'd be considered past her prime.

If only she were younger, if only Daniel would play matchmaker, she could aim for a colonel or higher.

But Daniel was obstinate, preaching duty to country over personal happiness in such dire times.

To put it plainly, he wasn't going to replace her a husband.

Content with his own bachelorhood, he seemed intent on dooming his daughter to the same fate-a man like that was beyond help.

Every year, the base buzzes with the sound of wedding bells and the coos of newborns, particularly in the family housing area where military spouses and their little ones are as common as apple pie at a Fourth of July picnic. But deep down, there's this nagging feeling that she's never been cherished as one's own flesh and blood.

If it were Stella standing in her place, would he still be this cold-hearted and callous?