18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 384

By the end of the day, Julia still couldn't shake the feeling that Daniel resented her mother for remarrying and raising her with another man. It left a bad taste in her mouth.

She doubted he genuinely accepted her and her mother. With his high-ranking position, he didn’t need their company. Bringing them in was probably just his way of settling an old score, payback for being abandoned.

As a prominent official, Daniel had no shortage of women. With a mere flick of his finger, a line of young, beautiful ladies would be at his beck and call. Her mother wasn’t exactly a spring chicken, just a widow who sought him out after her husband's death.

If she were Daniel, she’d be disgusted too.

What really got under Julia’s skin was that ever since they joined the Kindle Society, her mother had been completely wrapped up in Daniel, not giving a second thought to her daughter’s future.

Daniel wanted her to enlist, and despite knowing Julia couldn’t handle the rigor, her mother still took his side.

Julia asked for a cushy job, but Daniel wouldn’t pull any strings, and her mother defended him, saying a man of his stature had to lead by example.

In the end, it seemed a daughter could never compete with a man.

The irony was, her mother was still hopelessly in love, while Daniel couldn’t care less.

Unaware of her daughter’s thoughts, Lillian massaged her temples in frustration. “Stella again, causing endless trouble?”

Stella had always been her bane. If Lillian had known it would come to this, she would have risked an abortion rather than giving birth to this contrarian curse.

Julia wanted to grab hold of her chances, but her would-be suitor had walked away mid-conversation. Was she supposed to cling to him like some desperate siren?

“Soldiers may be simple and brainwashed into thinking they must sacrifice themselves for their country, but what’s wrong with being a little forward in love?” Lillian advised, speaking from experience. “It’s just a thin veil between a woman chasing a man. If he agreed to the match, he’s either interested in you or in leveraging your connection to the old man. You need to seize this opportunity.”

Julia feigned hesitation. “But he didn’t even leave his contact info.”

“That’s an easy fix. I’ll have Claire set up another meeting, just the two of you this time.”

Lillian patted her daughter’s hand gently. “Julia, you’re 27 now. Don’t be shy when you need to take charge. Soldiers may be a bit dense, but they’re reliable. If he dares to shirk responsibility, the base will have your back. What’s there to fear? He won’t have a choice but to marry you.”

Julia understood her mother’s insinuations and plotted accordingly. “Maybe we should arrange it at Claire’s place? That way, we have witnesses?”

Pleased her daughter was catching on, Lillian smiled contentedly. “Yes, be smart about it, and I’ll be there to help you.”

Staring at the flickering candles and a slice of cake, Lillian was lost in a reverie of the days when she first fell for Daniel, a time of innocence and bliss long gone—now just a memory, marred by the catastrophic times that had disfigured them both, leaving only their scarred shells.

Julia retreated to her room, tossing and turning in her bed, unable to sleep as Stella’s face haunted her thoughts.

She hated her!

Stella had humiliated her in that upscale neighborhood, forcing her to eat filth and stripping away her dignity. And now she had the nerve to show up at the base, shaming her in public and threatening to usurp her identity.

No, without the status of Daniel’s daughter, Julia had no chance of survival, let alone securing a prosperous marriage for a carefree life.