The mediator nodded. “Lina, if you claim Zayla orchestrated the outbreak, you’ll need to provide evidence.”
Lina fell silent.
173
for 4
+15 Bonus
Because there was no evidence.
She was simply projecting the worst possible version of me in her head, convincing herself it was true.
Oliver suddenly stood up, slamming his palm against the table. His voice rose with fury. “You’re being way too rude to Lina! If
you really did this, then thousands of people in Zone A are victims. Lina is one of them. So am I. She’s asking a reasonable
question, and you refuse to give a straight answer. Why won’t you just tell the truth?!”
Ace, sitting beside me, looked up at Oliver with an icy stare.
“Sit down,” he said, voice low and dangerous. “Do you think yelling makes you right?”
The weight in his tone was suffocating. Oliver clenched his jaw but said nothing, breathing hard as he held his ground.
The air turned heavy with tension. Oliver still stood in front of Lina protectively, but his gaze kept flicking toward me–toward
Ace sitting so close beside me.
His frown deepened as if he had just realized how little space remained between us. He pointed at me and asked Ace, “What
exactly is your relationship with her?”
Ace let out a quiet laugh. Leaning in just a fraction closer, he turned to me. “Zayla, what do you think we are?”
I met his gaze.
His eyes–those deep amber eyes–glowed like molten gold under the dim light. A predator’s gaze, lazy yet sharp, like a panther
lying in wait.
His stare burned into me, igniting something deep inside.
There was no resisting a look like that.
Before I even realized it, our fingers had laced together, his grip firm.
Oliver’s face contorted with rage. He looked ready to snap, ready to unleash the same kind of violence he had used to punish me in
our past life.
But did it even matter?
Before he could explode, the mediator called him outside for questioning.
One by one, everyone was interrogated. By the end of it, my innocence was undeniable.
The apocalypse was a global catastrophe. Anyone trying to use the zombie virus as a tool would first have to ensure they weren’t infected themselves. That alone made it nearly impossible.
Lina clearly wasn’t satisfied, but I was done caring.
As we stepped out of the building, Ace said, “Come on. You can stay in the safehouse next to mine.”
He took my hand gently, and this time, I didn’t pull away.
2/3
ter 4
+15 Bonus
Looking around, I remarked, “This base is huge. There’s a lot here.”
Ace nodded. “Yeah. If you want, I can show you around. Help you get familiar with the important spots.‘
I was about to agree when Oliver’s cold voice cut through the moment.
“Zayla.”
Oliver’s expression was dark. “I already told your parents you almost got killed by zombies. They’re worried. They want to see
you.”
Worried?
If they were so damn worried, why hadn’t they reached out to me directly? Why was Oliver the one delivering the message?
The fact that I had to hear about my own parents through someone else—
How ridiculous.
