18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 399

Thinking about the tough times Stella went through in the orphanage, Daniel couldn't shake the guilt.

The truth was out in the open. Lillian, with tears streaming down her face, finally broke down, "I'm sorry, I did lie to you. When I was on that operating table, realizing the child had your blood, I just couldn't go through with it. I kept hoping you'd come back and help me through it, but you never did. The Thompsons took me in and I couldn't bear to see the family fall apart. So, I had to agree to the arranged marriage. But the Rileys, the old guard, would never accept this child. I couldn't wait any longer, my parents kept pressuring me, so I had to secretly give birth and send her to the orphanage.

When you came back, I wanted to tell you the truth, but the Thompsons had already suspected something was up. If I told you, it would've blown everything. From the start, it was always you I loved, wanting to marry and have kids with you. But can you save the Thompson family?"

Her words were gut-wrenching, her tears showing her pain. But Daniel couldn't believe her anymore.

"You chose to hide it because you were scared I'd mess things up with the Rileys."

She knew he wasn't the type to cling, but she heartlessly left Stella to fend for herself in the orphanage to avoid any complications.

"I didn't, you've got it all wrong."

"Even if you feared the Rileys replaceing out, what about after the wedding?"

Her tears kept flowing, but they no longer moved him; instead, they fueled his anger. "You had thirty years to tell the truth. Why didn't you?"

Lillian was speechless, trying to speak but couldn't replace the words.

She had chances, but how could she say it? Admit to Daniel that even after getting married, she couldn't forget him? If he knew she abandoned their daughter in an orphanage, would he think she was selfish, cold-hearted?

She was truly scared. The more she feared, the less she dared to speak.

Daniel's gaze grew colder. "Even a tiger doesn't abandon its cubs, yet you threw Stella into an orphanage. Why did you let Julia try to kill her?"

"Is that really what you think of me?" Lillian's voice was full of pain, her eyes blurry with tears. "I may have ignored Stella, but she's my flesh and blood. Why would I want to kill her? You haven't lived with her; you don't know her temperament. Back in Griffith, because Julia's alpaca spat at her, she beat her publicly and forced her sister to eat filth. How malicious must one be to push someone to the brink of death, never showing any family love?

From that point, they became enemies, and Julia held a grudge. At the base, she thought to give Stella a taste of hardship, so she hired some outsiders. Who knew they'd misunderstand and try to kill Stella to gain favor? You saw what happened today. Not only did she try to kill Julia, but she also dared to hit me..."

Daniel, seeing Lillian's selfishness, was shocked by her loss of humanity. The last flicker of hope in his eyes went out. "As her mother, you must have known what Julia was thinking, right?"

If this were thirty years ago, he might have lost control. But time had tempered his rage; it couldn't be expressed in simple violence anymore.

Facing a woman he once loved who had turned into this, he had to accept some responsibility. Learning that Stella was his biological daughter, Daniel took the chance to meet her. She was independent and strong, surviving the apocalypse and replaceing a life partner. With disaster looming, he had his own duties and couldn't be the father Stella needed. Moreover, he knew Stella didn't need familial affection.

He hadn't decided whether to acknowledge Stella or how to handle Lillian when she showed such cruelty.

"Why treat them so differently?" Daniel asked, his disappointment clear, no longer giving her a chance to explain. "Lillian, should I bring out the evidence of your plot to kill Stella?"

Lillian, unaware Rosie had recorded a video, asked, "Did you install surveillance in the house?"

Daniel hadn't, but he let her believe he had. Lillian, as if choked, turned pale, unable to speak.

She had changed, but Daniel had become even more formidable. No matter what she said, he wouldn't believe her anymore.

After a long silence, she gave a bitter smile and sighed, "Right, I'm not a good mother, and I have no face to show Stella, but did I have a choice? I wanted the Thompsons to prosper, I wanted to marry and be happy with you, but who gave me a choice?" Lillian wept silently; who had driven her to this point, and who could she blame?

She cried and laughed, staring blankly at his face, "Daniel, do you still love me?"

A person who, for their own survival, could abandon their own flesh and blood, even cruelly seek to end their life-did they deserve love?

Daniel countered, "Does it matter to you?"

Lillian knew the answer but refused to believe it, now fully disheartened, "What do you plan to do with me?"

Daniel was silent, then finally spoke, "Pack your bags. Tom will take you to the official Goldbridge compound in half an hour."

"No, Dad, I won't go to the official compound," Julia burst in, unable to hold back any longer, pushing open the door excitedly: "Disaster could strike at any moment; going to the official compound is a death sentence."

Daniel corrected her calmly, "I'm not your dad. Stella is my daughter."

"But she's not even dead, and yet she almost killed me," Julia couldn't swallow her pride. "She not only beat me publicly, but also ruined my face. Can't we just call it even?"

Daniel's gaze was piercing. "Stella is alive, not because you were merciful, but because she is strong enough."

Words were pointless. Facing the venomous mother and daughter, he spoke with restraint and calm, "If you don't want to leave, you can stay and be dealt with according to the base's laws. Though your attempted murder of a military family member was unsuccessful, it meets the execution standards. Everyone must take responsibility for their choices. Stay or go-it's up to you."

With that, he stood and left. The drafty hallway breeze swept through as the door slammed shut, striking Lillian with a pang that seemed to echo in her soul.

Julia was on the verge of collapse, her voice tinged with panic. "Mom, what are we going to do now?"

What could Lillian do? Daniel had already shown them mercy. If it really came down to a showdown, they might not even have the chance to step outside the gates of the Kindle Society. She had heard rumors of those outside, forced to scrape by on the fringes, as desperate as stray dogs. "Mom, can't you go and beg Stella? You gave her life, maybe she'll spare us," Julia suggested with a thread of hope.

It was futile. If Stella had any shred of compassion left, Lillian wouldn't have ended up seeking refuge in the Kindle Society in the first place. When the backhand blow had come, Lillian sensed Stella's murderous intent. Begging her would likely cost them their lives. With a heavy sigh, Lillian resigned herself to their grim reality. "Julia, we're on our own now."

Tears streamed down Julia's cheeks. "Mom, how are we going to survive on our own?"

Lillian's heart felt as lifeless as ashes. "We'll live if we can, and if we can't, we'll die." "Mom, I don't want to die!"

Half an hour later, a military jeep roared out of the base, shrouded in the twilight, racing towards the distant beacon of Goldbridge...