Chapter 3

"Don't be scared. He looks fierce, but he's actually very gentle. Just a little stubborn."

Adam guided Clara a few steps closer and took the leash from the soldier beside him. The Doberman didn't react at all. He just sat there quietly.

"His name is Shadow. He's only six months old."

Clara couldn't hide her surprise. "Six months? He's already this big at six months?"

Adam nodded and gave Shadow's huge head a fond pat. "His mom only had one pup, and he was it. He was bigger than the others from the moment he was born. You could say he was destined for greatness."

There was a hint of humor in his voice.

"Shadow, down."

Shadow obeyed immediately. As he lowered himself, a scar more than a foot long appeared along his back. The fur hadn't grown back yet. The pink skin was covered in a jagged scab that looked painful and a little frightening.

"He's smart and perfect for military work. He started missions when he was barely five months old. A couple of days in, he got badly injured in a fight with a criminal, so he had to be retired."

Because of this injury, Shadow had to retire and needed to be placed in a suitable home. As a decorated retired service dog, he deserved a good family to care for him and let him enjoy the rest of his life. He would not be part of any auction.

Adam stroked Shadow's head with a sigh. "This guy saved our whole team."

After talking for a while longer, Clara made up her mind. She was going to adopt Shadow. He was only six months old, so he'd grow even bigger. He was smart, obedient, and honestly perfect for Clara.

Yes, he was injured. Adam hinted that it might affect his right front leg in the future, especially on rainy days. He would need careful long-term care, maybe even lifelong medication and expensive treatments.

But considering Shadow's future mutations, this injury was nothing. With his extraordinary healing ability, even this old wound would fully recover.

It was clear that Adam really liked dogs. After Clara decided to adopt Shadow, he took her to a nearby lounge, and they spent the next hour chatting.

They went over Shadow's diet, the special care he needed because of his injury, and even set up follow-up visits.

He even asked about Clara's family situation. When he found out she was a student, he didn't look pleased.

"I'm a senior. I don't have classes anymore, and I'm already interning. I can take care of Shadow."

After a few more questions, Adam said they still needed to see what Shadow thought.

He brought Clara over to Shadow's kennel.

Shadow was lying quietly inside. When Clara approached, he only lifted his eyelids, barely reacting.

"He's more sensitive than most dogs. Sometimes we joke that he acts more like a person."

Adam opened the kennel door.

The moment Shadow heard it, he stood up, and his dark eyes locked onto Clara.

She held his favorite treat in her hand, a little donut wrapped in rawhide, and walked toward him slowly.

Clara loved dogs, but standing in front of a creature this large still made her nervous.

Shadow didn't make it easy for her. He just stared at her, then glanced at Adam, refusing to take the treat from her hand.

Just when Clara thought Shadow didn't like her, he finally lowered his head and gently took the donut from her hand.

For a second, she nearly jumped with excitement.

Adam let out a long breath. "If he refused your treat today, I really wouldn't dare let you take him. This dog has a temper, and he only shows respect to the people he chooses."

With Shadow's approval, Adam didn't question her any further. It counted as his agreement. He told her Shadow had already rejected four other adopters. Now that he'd accepted Clara, the whole team felt relieved.

Clara looked at the big dog in front of her and almost laughed. She never imagined a puppy could be this picky and dramatic.

Once all the paperwork was done, she brought Shadow home. She also left with a whole box of toys, another box full of treats, two huge bags of dog food, and a pile of supplies the soldiers insisted on giving her. It was their way of showing gratitude for the lives Shadow had saved.

Clara stopped by a pet store to buy him a dog bed. She walked in with Shadow on the leash, then pointed at a few beds on display and asked him to choose.

She honestly didn't think he understood her.

But Shadow glanced at her, walked straight to a deep blue dog bed, placed one paw on it, and then looked back at her as if giving his answer.

The look in Shadow's eyes was almost like he was saying, "This one."

In that moment, Clara honestly thought this dog was unbelievable.

She had three months to bond with him. She had no idea if she would succeed, but she understood one thing.

Dogs were simple creatures, far simpler than people.

If you treated them well, they would treat you well right back!

What she didn't expect was to return home and find an uninvited guest waiting at her door.

He wore tight jeans that showed off his long legs, and his white designer shirt was casually unbuttoned at the top, hinting at a toned chest. His boyish, attractive face looked anxious.

"Clara, why did you block my number?"

It was Derek.

If Clara remembered correctly, they were supposed to be discussing their engagement around this time. The union between the Lewis family and her family had been arranged by her grandfather before he passed, and both families had even exchanged tokens of commitment.

The Lewis family returned an antique ring that her grandfather had given them, claiming it was something Clara's grandmother had loved and that they felt unworthy to keep it, so they were sending it back as the engagement token.

Yeah, right.

The truth was, they had taken that supposedly “imperial-green emerald” ring to be appraised, only to discover it was nothing more than a dyed trinket with no real value.

No one could have guessed that the ring hid an entire pocket dimension inside it, and was a priceless treasure that would later become essential for surviving the apocalypse.

And after a drop of her blood touched it, that so‑called "dyed trinket" transformed into a piece of genuine, top-grade icy red jadeite.

Meanwhile, the engagement token her family had given the Lewis family was real money—actual shares and funds.

And it was something the Lewis family had specifically requested.

Clara had been foolish in her past life. She had believed them and handed over half of the shares and funds her parents had left her. She even trusted their sweet talk.

"When you and Derek get married, we'll all be one family. Everything will still belong to the Summers'. You're in school right now, so let us manage it for you."

Clara was ridiculously naive back then!

And after everything fell apart in the apocalypse, she learned the truth. Derek had been sneaking around with her childhood friend Ruth Horton long before any of it.

Now, seeing Derek standing in front of her, all her old resentment surged back at once. Clara had the sudden urge to let Shadow tear into him.

But she held herself back.

It wasn't time yet. The apocalypse hadn't begun.

When it did... They would find out what real suffering was!