All Chapters of Rewrite the Apocalypse Dream : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

"I'll get started on those phone records," Jolie said, sitting up and going to her luggage. She pulled her laptop from her pack, already heading back toward the door. "I'm going downstairs to work at the hotel bar since I'm a little hungry anyway. Let's see if I can trace this David Foster before we try dialing the number.""Perfect," Joanna replied, her voice tight with a strange, thrumming energy. "After you find out information on David and Megan, see if there's an obituary on her as well. Stay away from the room for a while. Give me at least a few hours and don’t disturb me under any circumstances. I am going to consume the jade."Jolie nodded, recognizing the intesity in her friend's eyes, and slipped out of the room, closing the door firmly behind her.Left alone, Joanna needed to prepare. Her hands were shaking with anticipation. She quickly changed into comfortable clothes, washed her face with cold water to anchor herself, and returned to sit cross-legged on the bed. Reaching

Exiting the space, Joanna returned to the hotel room just as the door clicked open. Jolie walked in, carrying a heavy takeout bag."Put the food on the table, I'll be right out," Joanna said, rushing into the bathroom to wash the lingering sweat and tension away in a quick, hot shower. Feeling thoroughly refreshed, she threw on a clean outfit and sat down at the small dining table.Jolie had gone all out: a massive, juicy cheeseburger, a mountain of golden fries, and a large strawberry milkshake. Joanna began eating ravenously, her body burning through calories to offset the massive energy consumption of the jade absorption.As she ate, she observed Jolie. Her friend was already tapping furiously on her laptop, a handwritten notebook open beside her."Alright, I've got a

The saleswoman from earlier stepped out, looking nervously over both shoulders. She was wearing a thick trench coat over her uniform, clutching a velvet-lined lockbox tightly against her chest.Joanna stepped out of the van, keeping her posture relaxed but entirely alert. "Good evening."The clerk let out a shaky breath, her heels clicking rapidly against the concrete as she hurried over to the van. "You really came. Mr. Foster called the store manager's emergency line screaming. He said he wanted the piece gone and the funds wired to his account immediately. Management approved the release, but technically, I'm supposed to process this at the register tomorrow morning.""We prefer to do business quietly," Joanna said smoothly. She held out an envelope containing the remaining store fees, plus an extra two thousand

They hurried over to the van, escaping the torrential downpour. Joanna climbed into the driver's seat while Jake helped Raven into the back, wrapping her in one of the spare blankets before sliding into the passenger seat beside Joanna. “My name is Joanna Harington by the way, buckle up.” She threw the van into gear, navigating out of the dark, shadowed alleyway and onto the neon-blurred streets of Felton.As the heater began to blast warm air into the cabin, Jake ran a hand through his wet hair, letting out a ragged sigh."They nearly got her last week, too," Jake explained, staring fixedly out the side window as the city lights flashed across his sharp face. "A group of professional kidnappers cornered her near a park. Luckily, I was close enough to intervene and rescue her. I thought I handled it, but clearly, they didn't give up."

"I'm someone who can keep your sister safe," Joanna said firmly. "But you have to trust me, Jake. Felton is a dead end for you. In Aurora, I can get you an apartment right near my property. It’s a quiet, secure neighborhood where you and Raven can go completely off the grid while the syndicate searches the city for you. They won't think to look for a multi-million mob inheritance in a town like Aurora."Jake looked toward the bathroom door, where the sound of the running shower had just clicked off. The thought of Raven being hunted had kept him awake for weeks, but looking at Joanna, he felt a strange, sudden surge of hope. Her confidence was infectious.He let out a long breath, the tension finally leaving his massive shoulders as he nodded. "Alright. We'll go to Aurora.""Good," Joanna said, mapping out the next steps with sharp precision. "Tomorrow morning, I want you to go to your bank and pull out as much liquidity as you can. Liquidate what you need to, convert it to cash or se