18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 401

Daniel looked at Stella Larson with a blend of hope and hesitation. "The best I can do is get you a spot in Project Phoenix," he said. "I hope you'll consider it."

Stella's response was polite but firm. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't need it."

She didn't even glance at the assessment report he offered; she knew Daniel wouldn't be wrong about something like this.

Family ties? They were absent when she needed them most. Now, they were just an unnecessary addition.

"There's no need for guilt or apologies," Stella said calmly. "You didn't raise me, but you didn't harm me either. So, I don't hold anything against you. In fact, as an outsider, I respect the contributions you've made to the base over the years."

"As for blood relations, they've lost their importance to me long ago. I won't carry that burden, and I don't want you to be shackled by it either. Let's just live our lives without interfering with each other."

Her words were cold and devoid of any resentment or self-pity.

Only when one is truly strong can they be independent of others.

Daniel felt a bittersweet pride. She had his blood in her veins, yet she was as good as a stranger.

But he didn't push the issue. As long as Stella was doing well, that was enough for him.

The conversation shifted to the matter of Lillian and her daughter. Daniel didn't consult Stella; instead, he made a unilateral decision.

Regardless of whether Stella acknowledged it, Lillian was her biological mother, the woman who gave her life.

Lillian's transgressions were unforgivable, but Daniel knew Stella's character well; she wouldn't let this mother-daughter pair off easily.

Simply exiling them from the base would only provoke Stella to seek a more permanent solution out of impulse.

It might seem like a release of anger, but in reality, it would be a lifelong chain to bear.

He didn't want Stella to bear the sin of matricide, so he had Lillian transferred to Goldbridge base overnight.

The official base would process the crimes committed by the women in Kindle Society following the standard procedure.

Their fate was in their own hands.

Stella frowned slightly at his decision but said nothing.

In a world ravaged by natural disasters, an instant death was a mercy.

Lillian and Julia were helpless without a man's protection; to live was the greatest punishment for them.

Stella had seen many women, vulnerable and desperate, trading their bodies for sustenance, only to be treated like animals, abused and beaten, until they were discarded like worn-out shoes. So, this outcome was somewhat fitting.

With an understanding of unspoken truths, Stella wouldn't acknowledge Daniel, and he accepted that.

He watched his daughter, unable to take his eyes off her, and after a long moment, he let out a deep sigh. "Take care of yourself. This disaster will pass. Never give up hope." Stella stood up to leave, pausing at the door. "Did you ever give Lillian a jade pendant?"

Daniel had indeed given one to her.

It was a family heirloom, and Lillian had clung to him, tears streaming, begging him not to leave on his mission. Military orders were not to be disobeyed.

In a moment of deep affection, they had discussed marriage in secret, and Daniel promised to return from his mission and make it official.

To show his sincerity, he had given her the ancestral jade pendant.

Stella seemed distant, silent for a long while before speaking. "That pendant was with me as I grew up, but I accidentally broke it. I'm sorry, I can't return it to you."

The loss of the pendant was unfortunate, but heaven had given him the best gift of all.

Daniel smiled gently. "It's okay. Your health and safety are all that matter."

Stella thought for a moment. "You really shouldn't feel guilty because you've already given me the best."

If not for the protection of Arcadia, she might have died long ago.

Arcadia was hers now; returning it was out of the question.

Daniel might not know the secret of the pendant, but the benefits Stella received were tangible.

She looked at Daniel and cleared her throat. "Don't always put duty before yourself. You're human too, and it's okay to think of yourself sometimes. Survive, live well, then you can take on greater responsibilities." Was she showing concern for him? A warm current flowed through Daniel's heart. "I will."

Stella took a deep breath and left.

On her way back, she gazed out of the car window, lost in thought.

Back in Area B, Stella sat on the balcony, sipping her homemade cider. "The pendant was a Larson family heirloom. Daniel doesn't know it contained Arcadia."

Jasper spoke up. "What's your plan?"

What plan could Stella have? She couldn't just extract Arcadia and give it back to Daniel. "I feel a bit uncomfortable, like I owe him something."

Jasper knew her well after sharing years of intimacy. She might not verbally acknowledge Daniel, but in her heart, she had accepted him.

Despite the harshness of the post-disaster world, where she often appeared cold and ruthless, who could truly be heartless?

There was still a yearning for family ties.

The reality was harsh, and Lillian was selfish, but Daniel was different. He hadn't known about his daughter before meeting Stella.

With the world in chaos, he had to prioritize the greater good and couldn't afford to care for his own. Yet, he did what he could from the shadows. Without love, he wouldn't have bothered.

But Stella's choice was also right. Even if she acknowledged Daniel, what then?

Would he abandon his responsibilities to cater only to her, to compensate for lost time?

Daniel couldn't do that, and Stella wouldn't ask that of him.

Now, with everything out in the open, they were free of burdens, striving for their own choices.

Life went on like that, all important resources stored in Arcadia.

The yard was filled with shabby furniture, ready to be discarded without regret in case of a catastrophic tectonic shift.

The anticipated disaster never came, but a stranger did a woman in her late thirties with a neat, short haircut, dressed in a simple, loose-fitting blouse and olive-green cargo pants.

She seemed mature and composed, yet a bit uneasy.

She hesitated a long while before finally knocking on the gate.

Stella watched from the second floor, making no move to go downstairs.

But the woman persisted, waiting by the door.

Jasper noted, "The way she's standing, she looks like support military personnel."

Support military personnel weren't strictly soldiers.

They were factory workers, military doctors, members of the entertainment corps, and the like.

Someone patient enough to wait this long definitely needed something.

Stella descended the staircase to answer the door. "You looking for us for something?"

The visitor looked up, and upon seeing Stella's features, appeared momentarily taken aback but quickly regained composure. "Are you Stella?"

Stella didn't respond.

The stranger, with a somewhat sheepish expression, began to explain. "Hello, I'm Vanessa, the head nurse of the inpatient department at the base hospital." Stella repeated her earlier question. "What do you want with me?"

"Your father... Mr. Daniel has fallen ill and been hospitalized. Did you know?"

Vanessa corrected herself swiftly, but Stella's hearing was sharp. She eyed her with suspicion. "And who exactly are you?"