Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 68

Chapter 68 Meeting Uncle Nathan

Finished

Rep talking like a dictator and I’ll make your breakfast vanish back into the void,” Joanna shot back, though a fant, reluctant smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

“You can try,” Julian countered, his tone matching hers with a rare, dry edge of amusement that didn’t break his cold exterior. “But a good commander knows better than to starve his primary enforcement.”

The grumpy back-and-forth lightened the heavy pressure in the cabin, the lingering tension from the hight before entirely dissolving into a seamless, high-functioning alignment. They were a team now, dangerous and perfectly synchronized.

Julian finally put the truck in drive, his large hands gripping the wheel with practiced authority. They rolled slowly down the main road into the heart of Brimstone town, the atmosphere eerie, heavy, and completely deserted.

As they passed a well-maintained, rustic house on the edge of the tree line, Julian suddenly slammed on the brakes. The heavy armored truck jolted to a halt. Julian stared out the window, his entire posture locking up into a rigid, lethal stance.

An older man was standing on the porch, splitting firewood. He looked to be in his late 50s, but he was exceptionally fit, sharp-featured, and undeniably good-looking. There was an unmistakable, haunting familiarity in the slope of his jaw and the depth of his eyes. He looked exactly like a younger version of Julian’s grandmother.

The older man stopped mid-swing, his eyes widening in profound shock as he stared at Julian through the windshield. Dropping his axe, the man made his way toward the truck.

Julian and Joanna stepped out of the vehicle as the man reached the driver’s side. Julian swallowed hard, his gravelly voice carrying a rare tremor. “Excuse me. Did you happen to know a woman named Dawn Hawthorne?”

The man stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes scanning Julian’s face, tracing the sharp cheekbones and dominant brow. A breathless, emotional laugh escaped him. “You… you look just like her,” the man breathed, his voice thick with sudden emotion. “I’m Nathan. I am Dawn’s youngest brother.”

The revelation hung heavy in the mountain air. Nathan eagerly ushered them back to his house, introducing himself fully. He explained that he had been widowed a few years ago and had no children of his own. He lived entirely off the grid, keeping to himself. “I knew Dawn had built a life and a family out in the city,” Nathan said, pouring them fresh water in his rustic kitchen. “But we completely lost touch after she left this town with your grandfather. I never thought I’d live to see her bloodline walk through my front door. What brings you all the way up here, Julian?”

Julian’s expression turned solemn. “She passed away this past year, Uncle Nathan.”

Nathan’s shoulders slumped, a deep, quiet sadness settling over his handsome features. He stared down at the wooden table. “I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m not surprised she wanted her final rest here. When she was young, Dawn used to run around these mountains for days on end. She loved the peaks.”

“We brought her ashes,” Julian said, his gravelly voice tight as he grew visibly emotional, the reality of his grief mixing with the staggering gravity of finding lost family right before the world ended. “We came to scatter them at the highest peak.”

MON

5

1/2

27

|||

O

<

Chapter 68 Meeting Uncle Nathan

Finished

Joanna looked at Julian, seeing the raw emotion breaking through his billionaire facade, and gently stepped in to give him a moment to collect himself. She turned to Nathan with a respectful, steady nod. “We need to

ad up to the peak right now before the storm gets any worse. But we will come back down in a bit, Nathan. We’ll return to the house as soon as it’s done.”

Nathan nodded understandingly, reaching out to place a comforting, strong hand on Julian’s shoulder. Go on, then. Take her home. I’ll have a hot meal waiting for you both when you get back.”

The windshield wipers slapped violently against the glass, barely keeping up with the torrential downpour. Thunder rattled the frame of the heavy truck as Julian steered it up the final, muddy incline of the mountain peak. The wind howled like something alive, forcing aggressive sheets of rain against the passenger window. Outside, the world was ending; inside, the atmospheric pressure felt dense, heavy with the electric charge of the storm brewing directly above Brimstone.

Julian killed the engine, the sudden absence of the motor leaving only the deafening roar of the tempest He reached into the back seat and retrieved the heavy, solemn urn containing his grandmother Dawn’s ashes. He didn’t offer a cutting remark or a sarcastic smile. Instead, his broad shoulders slumped slightly as he stared down at the polished wood of the urn. The tech billionaire facade had vanished entirely, replaced by a quiet, raw grief that made his sharp jawline look tense and fragile in the dim dashboard light. He looked at Joanna, his dark eyes hollow and seeking a silent anchor in the middle of the chaos.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify