Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63 Drew

Finest

station was bustling with travelers oblivious to the coming end. Julian parked near the back, stepping out with the commanding grace of a man who owned the asphalt beneath his boots. Joanna began pumping gas, her senses on high alert while Julian went inside., when an obnoxious blare of a custom horn echoed from the premium pump lane.

A cherry-red luxury sedan had pulled in, cutting off a family minivan. The driver’s side door swung open, and out stepped a man wearing a crisp, tailored tactical-chic jacket that looked absurdly clean.

Drew.

Joanna’s breath caught for a fraction of a second. He looked exactly as he had in her five-year nightmare smooth, calculated, and carrying the arrogant posture of a man who believed he was destined to rule the new world. But in this reality, as he walked around to open the passenger side door, Joanna realized something critical. They hadn’t actually met yet in this timeline. To him, she was still just a name Alice used to complain about.

“I told you, Drew, if your ‘logistics project’ doesn’t secure the north-tier sector by next week, my mother is going to start asking questions about the asset transfers!”

The voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Alice stepped out of the sedan, tossing her designer sunglasses onto the dashboard. She was practically vibrating with rage, her face twisted into a nasty, petulant scowl and she had bags under her eyes. Alice was clearly still throwing a weeks-long tantrum over her ruined birthday gala, her missing heirloom emeralds, and the sudden, mysterious freezing of her forged share certificates.

“Alice, keep your voice down,” Drew hissed, his tone smooth but laced with a manipulative edge. “The infrastructure is moving. Once you transfer the first twenty five million from your sister’s grandfathered accounts, we can finally announce our engagement.”

“Well, my stupid sister has vanished into thin air, blocked my number, and left our mansion’s pantry completely empty!” Alice snarled, slamming the car door. “She is probably hiding in some pathetic motel like the submissive little rat she is.”

Alice turned on her heel, storming toward the entrance-and froze dead in her tracks.

Her eyes locked straight onto Joanna.

For a moment, the gas station parking lot went utterly silent. Alice’s mouth opened and closed like a landed fish, her shock rapidly morphing into pure, unadulterated venom. She marched forward, her designer heels clicking violently against the concrete.

“You!” Alice shrieked, her voice drawing looks from nearby patrons. “Joanna! Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea the chaotic mess you’ve caused? The lawyers are calling, the bank accounts are locked up, and you just sneak away like a thief in the night? You are a selfish, ungrateful little brat! I demand you go home this instant and clean up this mess.”

Drew followed close behind, ready to offer a polished, corporate apology for his fiance’s outburst. But the moment his eyes landed on Joanna, he stopped.

He stared at her, completely captivated. Stripped of her old, submissive posture, Joanna stood with an icy, dangerous confidence. Her skin glowed with vitality from the rejuvenation water, and her sharp, fiercely intelligent eyes held a lethal allure that made Alice look incredibly shallow and childish by comparison. An

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Chapter 63 Drew

intense, undeniable wave of attraction hit Drew, and his gaze lingered on Joanna with an explicit appreciation that didn’t escape Alice’s notice.

Finished

“Age,” Drew said, his voice dropping into a smooth, thoroughly intrigued register as he stepped right past his fiancé to get closer to Joanna. “Introduce us. You never told me your sister was so… striking.”

A violent wave of toxic jealousy crashed over Alice’s features, turning her face a mottled, ugly red. She had spent her entire life ensuring Joanna got the scraps while she took the prizes. She had literally swindled Joanna’s inheritance to secure Drew, and now Drew was looking at Joanna like she was the only woman in the world.

“Drew, stop looking at her!” Alice hissed, lunging forward to try and block his view, stepping aggressively into Joanna’s personal space. “She is nothing! She’s a plain, invisible servant, and the moment we get the legal authority, we are stripping her of every single-”

Alice’s voice died in her throat.

The heavy glass door of the station slid open, and Julian Hawthorne stepped out into the fluorescent light He held a tray of black coffees in one hand, while holding the high-end snacks in the other. His towering, impossibly broad frame cast a long shadow over them all. Even in casual travelling clothes, his aura was suffocating-the unmistakable, dominant presence of a ruthless multi-billionaire CEO.

Julian didn’t look at Alice. He walked directly to Joanna’s side. His heavy, dark gaze settled on her, devoid of any obvious emotion, yet the sheer intensity of his focus made Joanna’s heart give an annoying, familiar thump. The silence between them tightened, thick with an unspoken, dangerous tension.

“The espresso took a minute,” Julian said. His voice was a flat, gravelly baritone that commanded absolute obedience. “Let’s move.”

Alice’s eyes went completely wide. Her jaw dropped so low it looked unhinged. She looked from Julian- whose face was plastered across every global financial magazine-to the sleek, military-grade armored truck parked behind them, and then back to Joanna.

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