Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 232

Chapter 232 A Race Into The Tech Valley

Finished

Seeing that the crew was offering absolutely no help or sympathy, Julian let out a quiet sigh. He carefully peeled Jessica off his chest and led her over to the elegant living room sofa. She sank into the plush cushions, continuing to cry hysterically as she ranted about the terrifying zombie hordes and ruthless looters that had ruined her life.

The rest of the team remained standing by the foyer, watching the theatrical display with various expressions of amusement and skepticism.

However, Julian’s expression softened. He quietly stepped forward into the living room, his deep voice cutting through her loud sobbing.

“I’m truly sorry to hear about your father, Jessica,” Julian said, his tone carrying genuine regret. He looked at her with sincere sympathy, adding, “He was a good man. He always treated me with real respect before the world went to hell.”

Briggs reached over, snagging another chip from the bag in Jake’s hand. He leaned in close to the younger man’s ear, his voice barely a breath.

“I bet Hawthorne softens towards her,” Briggs whispered, casting a sharp glance toward Julian, who was still looking desperately uncomfortable on the sofa.

Jake shrugged slightly, keeping his eyes on Jessica. The two hardened soldiers continued whispering and munching on their snacks, completely shameless as they watched the drama unfold in the center of the living room.

Julian’s eyes darted frantically toward Joanna as Jessica shifted closer on the cushions, her hand reaching out for his arm again. Panic flashed across the billionaire’s face.

“I… I have some food and water,” Julian stammered, twisting out of her reach as he scrambled to his feet. “You can have that. Let me go grab it.”

Without waiting for a response, he practically fled the living room, his leather boots squeaking in a frantic sprint toward the safety of the kitchen.

Left sitting alone on the elegant sofa, Jessica’s dramatic sniffling faltered. She looked up, only to find the entire crew standing in a tight semi-circle at the edge of the room. Every single one of them was staring directly at her, arms crossed, munching rhythmically on potato chips in absolute, judgmental silence.

Jessica cleared her throat, instantly shifting her posture. She straightened her spine, allowing her heavy coat to slip off her shoulders just enough to reveal her pristine form beneath. Her tear-filled eyes dried up with remarkable speed. She began casting slow, alluring glances around the room, her gaze lingering heavily on Jake and Briggs’s rugged frames as she addressed the group.

“Julian has always been so incredibly protective of me,” Jessica sighed, a soft, delicate smile replacing her dramatic tears. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, looking directly at Joanna with a glint of subtle triumph. “Our families were immensely close, you know. Before the collapse, our fathers had already discussed our future. We were essentially promised to each other.”

She leaned back against the plush velvet cushions, gesturing vaguely toward the immaculate mansion around them.

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10:44 am

Chapter 232A-Race Into The Tech Valley

Finished

“The fact that he kept this place so perfectly preserved… it just proves how deeply he cares about me,” she added, her voice dropping to a theatrical, intimate purr. “He always told me he would build a fortress to keep me safe.”

Off to the side, Briggs let out a muffled snort, while Kailee, Jolie, and RJ loudly crunched another potato chip, matching Joanna’s unimpressed stake.

Jessica smoothed down her hair, her eyes scanning the powerful group with a calculated softness. She leaned forward, resting her chin daintily on her hand as she addressed them all.

“Since Julian has welcomed me in, I want to make sure I pull my weight, Jessica said, her voice dripping with sweet earnestness as she looked between Jake and Briggs. “This mansion is a paradise compared to the outside. We have everything we need right here. I was thinking we could all settle in, and I can handle the domestic side of things. I’ll cook, manage the household, and fo absolutely everything I can to keep you all safe and comfortable.”

She shifted her gaze to Joanna, offering a tight, patronizing smile. “We can leave the dangerous scavenging to the men from now on. There’s no reason for us to be out there risking our lives when we have a secure future right here in this estate. Together, we can build a real life.”

In the kitchen, the loud, distinct clatter of Julian dropping a water bottle echoed down the hall.

Julian marched back into the living room, holding two heavy plastic bags stuffed with canned goods, bottled water, and medical kits. He didn’t sit down. Instead, he placed the bags firmly on the coffee table right in front of her, his expression cold and businesslike.

“Here is enough food and clean water to get you through the next few weeks, Jessica,” Julian said, his voice flat as he pointedly ignored her previous comments. The perimeter gates are still clear. It’s best if you get back to your property before the midday temperature drops any further.”

Jessica’s delicate smile vanished. Her eyes widened, and a fresh wave of very real, panicked tears filled her eyes as she looked at the supplies, then back up at Julian,

“Julian, please! You can’t send me back out there!” she cried, her voice cracking as she stood up and gripped the back of the sofa. “My house has a shattered kitchen window from the last looter raid. The wind is freezing, and the smell of the rot is creeping into the upper floors! I can’t barricade it alone. If a roaming pack of those creatures comes down our street tonight, I am dead! I have no weapons, no power, and nowhere else to go. Please, just let me stay in one of your spare bedrooms. I won’t take up any space, I swear!”

Before Julian could answer, the floorboards creaked as Caleb hurried down the stairs, his eyes wide and sharp from his meditation.

“I have enough to get us into the city safely,” Caleb announced, his voice cutting cleanly through the living room drama. “But the window is narrow. We need to leave right now.”

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