18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 631

Monkey got why Mikey was hesitant. “He’s a research scientist with a steady job and special perks. Plus, his kid’s growing up; he doesn’t want to haul himself across the ocean.”

Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Dylan pushing for it, the boss might not have agreed either.

After over a decade of apocalyptic chaos, who wouldn’t want a stable life? But crossing the ocean was risky; there was no guarantee they’d make it safely.

This time, the gamble paid off. They found a sense of home in Griffith and hoped to finally settle down without having to wander anymore.

The middleman, always the social butterfly with endless chatter, said, “Sis, remember Samuel?”

Stella nodded, “Christian’s son, right? Did they reunite?”

Monkey nodded, “It’s a miracle, really. Samuel’s dad drifted all the way to the Arctic and, by some insane stroke of luck, ran into the Willowbrook evacuation fleet.”

Back then, their curiosity was piqued, and everyone was eager for details.

But the military kept tight-lipped about the evacuation, and even the survivors weren’t keen on sharing.

What was even more baffling was Bran’s disappearance.

It was the boss who had the connections to find out that the fleet had encountered a storm en route, malfunctioned, and eventually drifted to the Griffith base, where Bran chose to stay.

Bran was smart and calculating; there had to be more to the story.

It wasn’t until they arrived at Griffith and heard it from Bran himself that they learned the truth about the evacuation.

His sister had become a bona fide hero, standing tall and proud.

Monkey felt a surge of pride and knew he had to stick close to her.

In the middle of the conversation, Cooper suddenly bolted out.

“Cooper, what brings you here?” a man’s hoarse voice called out.

Monkey stood up, “Sis, the boss is back.”

He hurried to welcome him, beaming, “Boss, guess who’s here!”

After many years, Stella barely recognized him.

Austin wasn’t particularly tall, and his looks were average. Though in his forties, he looked nearly sixty with half his hair turned white.

She remembered Dylan in his youth and thought Austin had been faring well.

Given his slick ways, if he survived, he was bound to thrive.

If it weren’t for the half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips, Stella might have thought she was hallucinating.

Many survivors had it rough, looking decades older than their actual age, with lost hair and teeth, but she never imagined Austin would be...

Upon seeing Stella, Austin was equally astonished, the cigarette falling from his mouth, “Sis-in-law, oh my.”

Hot, hot, hot!

It was impossible to compare people; her appearance hadn’t changed much, but her aura had grown significantly more subdued.

Stella spoke up, “Austin.”

Monkey quickly ushered the boss inside, eager to please, “Boss, did the deal go through?”

Austin nodded, disdainfully tossing the keys to him, “Get the tea from my room.”

Monkey hurried off.

Austin’s smile was teasing, “Sis-in-law, it’s been years since we last met, and you’re still as beautiful as a fairy descended from heaven. Jasper is a lucky man.”

“Just stumbling along with good fortune,” Stella replied modestly, expressing concern, “What happened to your throat?”

“I got sick on the evacuation ship, a bacterial infection with a fever that ruined my vocal cords.”

Stella didn’t rush to answer, instead asking, “Austin, what’s your take?”

He spoke delicately, “Sis-in-law, Rosie is the moon in the sky, and Dylan is just a monkey reaching for its reflection in the water. They’re worlds apart.”

Austin had been young and impulsive once; he understood his son’s persistence. Yet, as a father, he didn’t want his son to stumble through love, collecting scars along the way.

The young couple was not only mismatched in capabilities but in status too.

He liked Rosie—what father wouldn’t want such a daughter-in-law? But for the sake of survival, Austin had bowed and scraped in the business world. He didn’t want his son to live a diminished life because of unequal love.

You can’t control an adult child, and Austin knew he couldn’t dissuade him.

Thus, he hoped Stella would step in.

He was willing to ride on coattails and copy homework, but he didn’t want his son to feel inadequate due to an unbalanced love affair.

Unequal love was doomed to unhappiness.

Old friends as they were, Stella could read between the lines.

“Rosie’s grown up now. She’ll have her own thoughts on who she likes or doesn’t. I trust she’ll make the right decision.”

Austin didn’t make his feelings clear, but he could sense a hint of understanding, and it took the edge off his anxiety.

Once they had finished catching up on personal matters, Austin steered the conversation towards business. “Hey, sis, ever thought about going into business together?”

He was thinking so fast, Stella felt a bit lost.

“The growth in Griffith is skyrocketing, what with the Six Cities Initiative kicking off. I bet before long, we’ll see a Twelve Cities, even a Twenty-Four Cities expansion. Your farm and ranch shouldn’t be confined to just Griffith. But I know you and Jasper have more pressing matters to attend to, and some ventures aren’t ripe for rapid expansion or direct involvement right now.

That’s where I come in differently. I’m all about business. I can set up a commercial enterprise, act as a middleman, and offer enough incentives to the cities to lower their guard against you.

Imagine, in a few years, our business spreading across the continent, with our grain and oil products everywhere. Are you interested in getting in on this?”