Alle Kapitel von Reborn before the apocalypse: from betrayed wife to survivor: Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

ChapterThe farmhouse felt different with Amara there.She was quiet, skittish, flinching at every sound. But there was something else underneath the fear—a spark of hope. She looked at the other Hell Maidens like they were miracles."All of you," she whispered. "There are so many of you.""Not enough," Nia said. "But we're growing."I sat on the porch, watching the sun rise over the fields. Marcus joined me with two cups of coffee."How are you feeling?" he asked."Tired. But good." I took the coffee. "Amara is settling in. She's still scared, but she's not alone anymore.""That's more than she had yesterday."I nodded."We're building something real," Marcus said. "A family."I looked at him. "Is that what this is?""Don't you think so?" He met my eyes. "All of you, together, fighting for each other. That's family."I thought about Daniel. About how I'd spent three years believing I was building a family with him. How empty that had been.This was different. This was real."Thank yo

Chapter 23The envelope arrived on a Tuesday morning.Sana found it tucked under the farmhouse door, sealed with wax and addressed to me in elegant calligraphy. No return address. No postmark.I opened it with shaking hands.Inside was a cream-colored card, embossed with gold lettering.You are cordially invited to the wedding of Daniel Chen and Sophia Reeves.Saturday, 4 PM. The Grand Ballroom, 7th Avenue.I stared at the words until they blurred."They're getting married," I said. "Daniel and Sophia. They're getting married."Lily grabbed the invitation from my hands. "He's marrying her? Already? The divorce isn't even final yet.""In the eyes of the law, it doesn't matter if he was still married. He's showing me exactly how little I mean to him."Marcus appeared beside me. His face was hard when he read the invitation."It's a trap," he said. "They want you to come. They want to humiliate you in front of everyone.""They want to prove they've won," I said quietly."Then don't go."

Chapter 25: The BetrayalThe farmhouse was on fire.I saw the smoke before we even reached the road.My heart dropped.Marcus pushed the car harder.“Hold on.”I gripped the seat as we flew down the narrow road.The farmhouse appeared between the trees.One window was shattered.The front door was hanging open.And there were people outside.Three men.No.Four.Collectors.“They’re already here,” I whispered.Marcus stopped the car before we reached the property.“We go in through the back.”“I can help.”“I know.”He looked at me.“But don’t rush into anything you see. Your visions aren’t always showing the present.”I nodded.We ran.The moment we reached the trees behind the farmhouse, I heard a scream.“Lily!”I moved forward.Marcus grabbed my arm.“Wait.”Another scream came from inside.Then silence.My entire body went cold.“She’s in there.”“I know.”“Then let me go.”He released me.We reached the back entrance.It was locked.Marcus pulled a small device from his pocket a

Chapter 27: The Woman Behind the DoorThe door slammed shut behind us.I spun around.Marcus immediately tried the handle.Locked.“Move.”He stepped back and kicked it.Nothing.Daniel walked toward the door and tried the handle himself.“It won’t open.”Marcus glared at him.“I noticed.”A faint clicking sound came from the ceiling.I looked up.A small red light had appeared above us.Then another.Then another.“They’re watching us,” I whispered.Daniel looked around.“They always watch.”I turned toward him.“You’ve been here before. You knew this place existed. How much aren’t you telling us?”His jaw tightened.“I told you what I know.”“No. You told us what you wanted us to know.”Marcus stepped toward him.“Emma is right.”Daniel looked at him.“You think I don’t know that?”“Then start talking.”Daniel looked at the dark corridor ahead.“They don’t call it Level Seven because it’s the seventh floor.”“Then why?”“Because there are six levels above it.”I frowned.“And this i

The words echoed inside my head long after the man had stopped speaking.I had caused it.The apocalypse.For several seconds, I could not breathe properly. I stood frozen in the middle of Level Seven while the alarms continued screaming around us, while sparks fell from the damaged ceiling, while Priya shouted something behind me that I could not understand. Even Marcus seemed distant, as though I were standing at the bottom of a deep ocean and everyone else was somewhere above the surface.I looked at the man standing in front of me, trying to find something in his face that would tell me he was lying.There was nothing.His black eyes remained fixed on mine, completely calm despite the chaos around us. Blood covered one side of his shirt, but he did not seem bothered by it. He looked at me as though he had been waiting years for this exact moment, and somehow that frightened me more than the Collectors ever had.“What do you mean?” I finally asked.My voice sounded unfamiliar even