ANMELDENErica immediately stepped forward. “We’re waiting.”Sierra let out a humorless laugh and looked directly at her. “It’s my boyfriend. He’s the father.”The entire room fell silent. Briar stared at her in disbelief. “Your boyfriend?”“Yes, my boyfriend.” Sierra’s voice was steadier now. “He’s the man I’ve been dating for two years. He’s the man I love.”Erica's face was red with anger. "You lied to us.""I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you the truth.""That's the same thing!"Sierra laughed again. "Is it? Because from where I'm standing, you lied to yourselves. You wanted a surrogate. You wanted an heir. You wanted someone to carry your precious Welson baby. And you didn't care who it was or what she wanted.""We paid you!" Erica's voice rose. "We paid you to carry our grandchild!""You paid me to be a vessel. A womb. Nothing more." Sierra's voice was sharp. "You didn't care about me. You didn't care about my life. You just wanted a baby.""That's what surrogacy is!""No. Surrogacy is
Sierra’s face went pale. She stared at the pregnancy test as if she could somehow make the result disappear. “There is no father because I…” Her voice shook as she looked at the technician. “I’m not pregnant. The test must be wrong. Maybe something happened with the machine. The result could be fake.”The technician immediately shook her head. “It’s not fake. We ran the test properly, and we checked the result twice. You are three months pregnant.”“No.” Sierra shook her head quickly. “That’s impossible. I’m not—”“It is possible,” the technician interrupted firmly. “The result is clear. You are three months pregnant.”Briar stared at Sierra in disbelief. The excitement that had been on his face only moments earlier was completely gone. “You lied to me.”Sierra’s lips trembled. “Briar, I can explain.”“Explain what?” Briar’s voice suddenly rose. “You were already pregnant before you came here!”Sierra flinched and took a small step back.Briar ran a hand through his hair, his face tur
He looked down at his clipboard. “Maria Sanchez. Positive.”A maid stepped forward. Her face was pale, and she was shaking. Erica immediately took several steps away from her, her expression filled with disgust. “Stay there,” she warned, holding up a hand. “Don’t come near me.” The maid looked hurt, but the health officers quickly led her to a separate area.“William Theo. Positive.”Another staff member stepped forward. He was already showing symptoms sweating, shaking, and struggling to breathe. Erica practically jumped behind Briar. “Oh my God. Keep him away from us!”The three of them were led to a separate area where they would be quarantined. The officer continued reading from the clipboard, and the room became even quieter. “Cassie Welson. Negative.”Cassie let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Relief washed over her, but before she could fully relax, Sierra turned toward her with a cold smile. “Negative,” Sierra said. “How disappointing. I was hoping you’d be
Hank slowly pulled his hand away, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Your hair was covering your eyes," he said quietly.Cassie quickly looked away, embarrassed by how disappointed she suddenly felt. Her cheeks burned."Right," she murmured.Hank started the car again, but the small smile remained on his lips. "Stay close to me, Cassie. I won't let anything happen to you."Cassie looked at him quietly. Her heart was still racing. "Why are you helping me this much?"Hank glanced at her with a faint smile. "Do I need a reason?"Cassie didn't answer. She didn't know how to. They drove in silence for a while. The noise outside slowly faded as they moved away from the crowded streets, but the strange red sky remained above them.The System flickered to life. [OBSERVATION: HANK CALLOWAY IS FLIRTING. SUBTLY. BUT FLIRTING.]Cassie's eyes widened. What?[I SAID WHAT I SAID. HE IS INTERESTED. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.]Cassie shook her head slightly. He's just being nice.[NICE PEOPLE DO NOT DRIVE
“The one I built under the mansion. The one I told you about.”Fiona took a moment to process his words. “You’re taking me there?”“Yes. I want you there with us.”Her voice softened slightly. “What about Cassie?”Briar’s face became cold again. “She doesn’t know about it.”“She doesn’t know about the bunker?”“She doesn’t know about any of this,” Briar replied. “And she’s not going to.”Fiona was quiet for a few seconds before asking, “You’re leaving her behind?”“I’m not leaving her behind,” Briar said firmly. “I’m simply not prioritizing her right now. I have to think about the people who matter and the people who can actually help us survive whatever is coming.”Fiona let out a bitter laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”“Fiona—”“No, it’s fine. I understand.” Her voice turned sharp. “You’re a coward, Briar. You always have been. You only care about people when they’re useful to you.”Briar’s jaw tightened. “Fiona, this isn’t the time for this.”“I know. And that’s why I’ll do what you a
Briar removed his hand from the phone and brought it back to his ear. “I understand.”He listened for a few more seconds, his face becoming even more serious. “Fine. Keep me updated on everything. If anything changes, I want to know immediately.”He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket.Erica immediately grabbed his arm. Her fingers tightened around his sleeve. “Briar, tell me the truth,” she demanded. “How bad is it?”Briar looked at her for a long moment. His mother could be cold, calculating, and ruthless, but she was also the only person he completely trusted when things went wrong. “Bad enough that we need to start preparing immediately,” he said.Erica frowned. “Preparing for what?”“Everything.” Briar rubbed his forehead. “Food. Water. Medicine. Security. Fuel. Anything we might need if things get worse.”Erica stared at him. “We already have money.”“I know.”“Then what’s the problem?”“Money won’t be enough if the supply chains collapse.” His voice became tens







