Oliver’s lips trembled twice, but no words came out.
Lina, who had been with him, stepped forward. Her gaze flicked between Ace, who was standing behind me, and me. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “Zayla, he’s the one who saved you? But I heard that after the first rescue team left Zone A, the zombies went into a frenzy. By the time the second team arrived, no one who had been left behind in Zone A had survived. How did you make it
out?h
I wasn’t entirely sure what she was getting at. Shrugging, I said, “Does it matter? I’m alive. That’s enough.”
“Of course it matters. The virus wasn’t even in Zone A before, and then suddenly, right after you announced your engagement,
the outbreak started? A little too convenient, don’t you think?”
She let the implication hang in the air before adding, “The apocalypse is beyond our control, but we can’t rule out the possibility
that there could be people who can still use the virus to do terrible things. For instance… killing a fiancé to inherit a hefty sum.”
The meaning behind her words sank in. Lina was insinuating that I had orchestrated the outbreak in Zone A.
Ridiculous.
I was a victim of the whole situation myself, yet she was spinning me into some villain with a grand, sinister scheme.
Guilt lingered in me over her death in our past life, but that didn’t give her the right to falsely accuse me now.
Besides, I had given up my spot for survival. She should be grateful. Instead, she was standing here, pointing fingers at me. If I
had known this was how she’d react, I wouldn’t have bothered ensuring she got on that damn rescue transport.
“I won’t stand for this slander.” I turned to Ace and asked, “Is there any law here? Or at least a code of conduct people are
expected to follow?”
Ace rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Of course. Even in the apocalypse, morality shouldn’t be discarded. We don’t
welcome those with rotten character in this base.”
At his command, a mediator arrived shortly after. We were taken to a small room for questioning.
The entire time, Lina glared at me with seething hatred.
“Zayla hasn’t denied my accusations at all!” she snapped. “If you’re innocent, why don’t you prove it? Or are you just too guilty to speak?”
I rolled my eyes. “Who do you think you are? I don’t owe you an explanation. Officer, shouldn’t the burden of proof be on the
accuser?”
