18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 547

Daniel felt like his head was spinning, the world tilting on its axis, but the moment he heard her voice, his mind snapped into clarity. Was this some fever dream, or...?

He couldn't quite believe it, yet the person holding him was quivering in his arms. He wrapped her in his broad embrace, murmuring, "Daddy's here."

When Stella came to, she was actually quite embarrassed. She had thought that having lived two lifetimes, she had seen through the mirage of emotions, those elusive tendrils that seemed so useless in a world ravaged by catastrophe. She had sealed herself off, faced the broken world with indifference, believing she would be immune to pain. But when her hard exterior shell was cracked, she found that at the end of the day, she was still a creature of emotion, unable to control herself after all.

She let go and stepped back, turning away to wipe her damp face haphazardly. Daniel snapped back to reality, scanning their surroundings. Shocked, but somehow not completely surprised.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Stella's head buzzed, at a loss for words for a moment. She took a deep breath, and after a while, she managed to say, "You can step through that door."

Daniel pondered, "Are you sure?"

Arcadia had a connection to him, but the beneficiary was her alone. Daniel, ever so sharp, mused, "Perhaps, but it could all be just a dream within a dream."

Stella understood what he meant, but since he had already figured it out, there seemed little point in keeping secrets. "The view outside is not bad."

Daniel pushed the door open, and a vista of lush farmland and herb gardens greeted him. He saw helicopters, cruise ships, submarines, fishing boats, an array of military trucks, various types of shipping containers, and even a Kindle Chest. Countless supplies were stacked with precision, dazzling to behold. Even as a leader accustomed to extraordinary situations, he was still profoundly moved.

Daniel looked at her, his eyes betraying a hint of tenderness. "Was gathering all this tiring and dangerous?"

Stella was taken aback, not expecting this to be his first reaction to Arcadia. Even Jasper had never said such a thing. Her heart numbed, warmth rushed to her head, making her eyes sting. "It was...manageable."

Quick to regain her composure, she asked, "Do you know how Arcadia came to be?"

Daniel did not.

"When you gave the jade pendant to Lillian, and she left me at the orphanage, she left the pendant as well." Stella revealed the truth, "A couple of days before the typhoon hit, I accidentally activated it. It was only about an acre at first, but the size of Arcadia and its supplies grew gradually."

After a pause, she looked Daniel in the eyes. "If we trace it back to its origins, Arcadia is technically yours, but it became bound to me through a twist of fate. Maybe you can find a way to reclaim it."

Daniel's expression was serene. "The jade pendant is a family heirloom of the Gu family, passed down through generations. Yet, it ended up creating Arcadia in your hands. That's the bond between you and it. Since it chose you, it belongs to you. I have no desire to covet it."

Thinking of her experiences, guilt welled up in him. "Moreover, you are my daughter; what's mine is yours. Having missed your upbringing, I've failed as a father. If it keeps you safe in this apocalyptic world, I can feel slightly less remorseful."

His response surprised her. She wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. After calming down a bit, Stella spoke again, "You've spent your life serving the country and its people, don't you want to use the supplies from Arcadia to help humanity?"

Daniel was silent for a long moment before responding, "Of course I do, but haven't you already been doing just that?"