Semua Bab The Apocalypse Survival Manual: Bab 771 - Bab 780

Back then, Irene was indeed getting married. Just not to Arthur.Her family went through hell that year, and his work kept him away when she needed him.Arthur felt terrible about letting her down. He wanted to make it up to her and hoped they could still work things out.Through her tears, Irene reminded him that he wasn't there when her family fell apart, when she found out she was pregnant, or when she lost the baby.Now, she was marrying someone else, and she wanted him to stay away.That was the first he heard about the baby or the miscarriage. He didn't know what to say.Then she handed him the ultrasound and the records from the procedure.Still struggling to believe her, Arthur went to the hospital to check her story. There, he saw Ben with her at a prenatal appointment. They looked happy together, and with their similar backgrounds, they seemed like a good match.He told himself she was better off with someone else. He couldn't give her the life she wanted.So he le

Arthur still wasn't sure whether to tell Nicole he was her father, or what to do about Irene. He never imagined Irene would go this far."They're both your daughters. How could you treat them so differently?" He was done listening to her excuses. "Irene, do I need to show you the proof that you wanted Nicole dead?"Irene didn't know Poppy recorded the confrontation. "You bugged the house?"Arthur hadn't, but he let her believe it.Irene's face went ashen. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.She wasn't the only one who changed. Arthur was nothing like the man she remembered. Nothing she said would convince him now.After a long silence, she let out a bitter laugh. "Yes, I was a terrible mother. I can't even look Nicole in the eye. But what was I supposed to do? I wanted to save my family. I wanted to marry you and be happy. No one ever gave me a way to have both."Tears rolled down Irene's cheeks. She wanted someone to blame for how her life turned out, but she didn't kno

"Of course I do." Zeph kissed Nicole's forehead. "I just don't want you to regret anything later."Nicole rolled her eyes. "You're starting to lecture. Are you getting old on me?""You weren't complaining last night."Typical men. He acted so serious until sex came up, and then he had no shame.Nicole gave him a shove. He barely budged. "Ready for round two?"She kicked him twice. "Keep dreaming." She was still recovering from last night.Nicole got up, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and took her time over breakfast. By the time she got dressed and went downstairs, Trevor had waited more than an hour.He showed no sign of impatience. "Ms. Floyd, we have the findings from yesterday's investigation. Commander Hunt would like to discuss them with you in person."Nicole expected the invitation. She opened the car door and got in.Zeph, Poppy, and Cola went with her.At the administration building, Arthur was meeting with several department heads. Nicole and the others wa

Nicole didn't intend to accept Arthur as her father, but she couldn't deny that without the storage space, she might have died years ago.It was bound to her now. She couldn't give it back even if she wanted to.Arthur knew nothing about the pendant's secret, but that didn't change how much his gift helped her.She looked at him and cleared her throat. "You don't always have to put everyone else first. You matter, too. It's okay to think about what you need once in a while. You can't take care of everyone else if you don't take care of yourself first."Her concern warmed him more than he expected. "Alright."Nicole took a deep breath, then turned to leave.On the drive back, she stared out the window, lost in thought.Back at the house in Zone B, she sat on the balcony, sipping homemade fruit wine. "The pendant was a Hunt family heirloom. Arthur had no idea what was inside it."Zeph looked at her. "What's on your mind?"Nicole couldn't exactly detach the storage space and ha

Nicole counted at least a dozen people waiting. From the rank insignia on their uniforms, they were all senior officers.Trevor spotted her and hurried over."He's in the hospital with stomach bleeding, and you're still piling work on him?" Nicole gave him a tight smile. "Are you trying to help him recover or work him to death?"Trevor tried to keep the work away, but there was only so much he could do. Lives depended on many of those decisions, and Arthur was the only one authorized to make the final call.Still, Arthur was in bad shape. Trevor went through the waiting requests and put off everything that could wait.Half an hour later, Nicole went into the room.Years of pushing himself past his limits finally caught up with Arthur. He was alarmingly pale. After dealing with several urgent matters, he closed his eyes to rest as his medication took effect, and exhaustion pulled him into sleep.Trevor wanted Nicole's visit to be a surprise, so Arthur didn't know she was coming.