18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 397

Julia's body was wracked with pain, and tears streamed down her face. "She's got antisocial tendencies, a temper like a lit fuse, and she even dared to go after the mayor's kin. If we don't lock her up and give her a proper grilling, she's bound to be a threat to the

community. Who knows how many will suffer because of her?"

A crowd of onlookers began to chime in with agreement. "Yeah, she's the one who started throwing punches for no reason."

Some of them had witnessed Stella's violent assault on Julia. It was brutal-grabbing hair and smashing heads into glass with lethal intent. Such a pretty girl, now her face covered in blood.

There was another group, too. When they heard Lillian and Julia were related to the mayor, they quickly chose sides.

Sergeant Hayes looked thoughtful as he pocketed his recording device. "The voice doesn't sound right, but rest assured, Miss Chen, the military has audio analysis equipment. Even if the voice is different, the pattern can't lie. The department will verify the truth." Audio analysis equipment? Julia's heart skipped a beat. This was bad!

Sergeant Hayes spoke with resolute authority, "Since there's a conflict of stories, I must ask you to come with us to the Dispute Resolution Office. This is a public space, and we can't have it disrupting business."

Julia was naïve, but Lillian was adept at reading the room. When she heard what Sergeant Hayes said, she knew something was off. Clearly, he was protecting Stella. They were strangers, and Hayes wouldn't help Stella without reason, unless it was an order from Daniel. He was always by the book, even reluctant to intervene in Julia's professional matters, but now he was cutting Stella some slack. Lillian felt a chill. How much did he know? Or had he known the truth from the start? If Daniel was serious, there wasn't anything his men couldn't replace out. Julia was in danger!

She quickly thought of a plan, clutched her dislocated arm, and approached. "Sergeant Hayes, this is just a misunderstanding. Surely there's no need to go to the Dispute Resolution Office?"

Hayes wished it were a misunderstanding, but with orders from the mayor, he had to ensure not a hair on Stella's head was harmed. With such a public incident involving the mayor's family affairs, it wasn't his place to decide the outcome; he had to wait for further instructions.

He softened his tone seeing the mother and daughter both injured, especially Julia, who likely had her beauty marred. "Take Mrs. Gu and Miss Chen to the hospital to have their wounds treated first," he ordered his soldiers.

As for Stella and Jasper, they needed to gather the witnesses. Hayes followed them to the parking lot in front of the base's main gate. When he saw the trunk full of battered suspects, he couldn't help but twitch his lips. Tsk tsk, she was a tough one. The suspect was beaten to a pulp, miraculously still alive despite losing so much blood.

He waved his hand, directing the suspects to be taken to the Dispute Resolution Office. Without the need for an interview, the witnesses, scared senseless by Stella's ferocity, confessed everything clearly. They pleaded for the Kindle Society to punish them, not Stella, the devil incarnate!

Next was the audio analysis. With Lillian and Julia still at the hospital, they'd have to wait for their return. Unexpectedly, Rosie pulled out her phone. "Uncle, I have her original recording right here."

The phone had been a gift from Stella, which Rosie used to pass the time with offline games. Although Rosie hadn't stepped in to help during Stella's altercation with Julia and her daughter, she had secretly recorded the incident.

What kind of family had the means to provide a phone after nine years of catastrophe? Rosie played the video, pointing out the segment where Julia and her mother tried to snatch a weapon from the soldiers. "Uncle, look. This lady here verbally tries to stop her daughter's reckless actions but actually hampers your law enforcement, creating a conflict and trying to get us shot as thugs."

Stella was surprised; she hadn't expected Rosie to handle the situation so well. Sergeant Hayes watched the video repeatedly, his expression grave and serious. He wasn't blind; one look and he knew the score. But with Lillian being the mayor's wife, he couldn't afford to take any chances. The scandal of the mayor's household was delicate, and as he sought evidence to refute the claims, the chilling truth emerged. Even more shocking, Julia's voice from the video matched the one on the recorder.

The leadership, not daring to be careless, convened a meeting to decide how to report the situation when Mark's call came through. "Got any results?"

The three people and one dog waited in the holding room. Rosie was worried. "Sis, will they punish Julia?"

Stella was indifferent; regardless of the outcome, she wasn't going to let that mother-daughter duo off the hook. Sergeant Hayes emerged. "We've recorded your statements, but the investigation will take time. You're free to return to your quarters for now, but don't leave the base. We'll need you available for further inquiries."

Stella had no objections and headed back to Sector B. Meanwhile, Private Thompson drove to the hospital to take Julia and her mother home. Julia had lost three teeth, and her face was stitched up. Given the limited medical conditions, she was likely to be scarred. In a world ravaged by disaster, survival was paramount. While Julia grieved over her wounds, her greater fear was the revelation of the truth. Conspiracy to commit murder was punishable by death. So, when she saw Private Thompson, Julia turned pale as a ghost. Lillian felt the same, her entire body cold and rigid.

Thompson said little, only mentioning that the mayor had sent him to take them home. Arriving at the residential area, Thompson reminded them, "Ma'am, the mayor is still busy. He'll be home later." With that, he drove off. Back at home, Julia crumbled. "Mom, he..." Lillian made a hushing gesture, scaring her even more. What did that mean? Were there surveillance devices at home? Lillian didn't speak but began to search every corner of the house. Finding no devices, both Sergeant Hayes' actions and Thompson's behavior left her deeply unsettled.

She had made a mistake. From the beginning, she had underestimated Daniel's emotional intelligence, subconsciously treating him like the man from thirty years ago who had given her unconditional trust and tolerance. Now Daniel was distant and inscrutable, like a deep lake whose depths were impossible to fathom. Lillian had no idea what would happen when Daniel returned. For thirty years, Lillian thought she had known her husband, but now she was afraid to even speak. The chilling possibility that their conversations could be under military surveillance was something that never would have made itself apparent.

The recent heart-to-heart she had shared with her daughter sent shivers down her spine just to think about it. In that moment, she seemed to age a decade, slumped in defeat on the living room couch, a far cry from her usual poise and grace. Mother and daughter exchanged worried glances, the tension of impending doom hanging between them. The anxiety of not being in control of their own fates was akin to being fish on a chopping block, awaiting the inevitable cut. To say they were being drawn and quartered would not have been an exaggeration.

After all, if Daniel had wanted to protect her, he would have downplayed the whole situation, not caused this massive uproar. What, she wondered, did she truly mean to him? Julia was just as anxious, now genuinely scared. Every minute was torture, waiting from noon until the dead of night, teetering on the brink of a mental breakdown. And then, at the edge of her endurance, the doorbell rang...