18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 398

Daniel was back, his face as unreadable as a stone. The more emotionless he looked, the more anxious Lillian felt, but she forced a smile and stood up to greet him. "Welcome home, Dan."

He glanced around the house with a nonchalant "Hmm."

Lillian stepped closer, reaching for his briefcase. "You barely come home. What would you like for dinner? I'll make something special."

Ignoring her question, Daniel shifted his gaze to Julia, whose face was bruised and swollen. "Julia, can you give us a moment? I need to talk to your mom."

Julia, nursing her wounds and mulling over a response, found herself tongue-tied under Daniel's stern gaze. His silent authority left her feeling utterly powerless, fear creeping into her very bones.

She retreated to her room, closing the door with a sense of dread.

Daniel sat down and motioned for Lillian to do the same. "Sit."

Lillian took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. "What's wrong with you? Why the long face after work?"

He remained silent, just staring at her.

It felt as if he was looking through her, seeing someone else—a woman who was once lively and passionate, who defied societal norms and promised to marry him no matter what.

Thirty years had drastically changed that image.

Lillian hated his scrutinizing gaze; it made her feel like the worst kind of villain.

But what could she do? She had always been the one to make amends during their heated arguments in the past. Back then, a teary-eyed tug on his sleeve would do the trick.

Now, he was as unyielding as a rock.

"Why did you do that to her?" Daniel finally asked.

Even though she expected the confrontation, Lillian flinched. "Who?"

She quickly realized what he meant. "Are you talking about what happened at the mall today? That was a misunderstanding. The person has held a grudge against Julia for a long time..."

Daniel cut her off. "Stella is your daughter too. Why treat her like this?"

Lillian's face turned pale. "What are you talking about, Dan? Julia is my only daughter. The child I had with the Riley family was killed during a home invasion years ago. I've explained this to you. You might be too busy to remember."

Daniel opened his briefcase and tossed two documents in front of her.

Picking them up with shaky hands, Lillian's blood ran cold as she read the contents. They were paternity test reports. The other report was recent, taken the night Stella arrived, using a strand of her hair.