Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday

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Grace studied Davian’s face closely, her mind busy recalling the bittersweet memories that followed their first meeting and the fake marriage after that.

Back then, she wouldn’t have expected to actually end up falling in love with this man. Not like he wasn’t tempting enough back then, it’s just they both were too proud to accept that they had any sort of feelings for one another... obviously hatred wasn’t counted.

"You are looking lost again." Davian pointed out when he noticed how silent she had gone once again.

Grace inhaled deeply and looked up at him with a bright smile. Then, she surpised him by inching closer and placing a kiss against his jaw before pulling back.

"What was that for?" He asked, giving her a suspicious look that made her chuckle softly.

"Good night... my ex-husband." She whispered before turning to leave, but he was quick to grab her arm and pull her back to him.

His gaze turned darker after hearing her suddenly address him in a way she hadn’t in years. That title - ex-husband - brought a flood of memories that he cherished and regretted a lot at the same time.

"You don’t say things like that and expect me to let you walk away from me." His voice sounded deeper than usual, and when combined with his intense gaze - it sent a shiver running down Grace’s spine.

The two of them stood there staring at each other, the air thick with tension between them. All that was needed for one of them to close the gap between them and initiate a kiss... and they would have spent a passionate night in each other’s arms.

But nothing of that sort happened.

Eventually, after what felt like forever but were just a couple of minutes, Davian finally stepped away from her. "It’s getting late. You should go and get some sleep. Good night, Mrs. Parker."

While she used to call him ’ex-husband’ to remind him that they were no longer married, he never stopped calling her Mrs. Parker, it was almost as if he never accepted their divorce in the first place.

Now, looking at him, she felt that he was going on walk away just like that, but then he surpised her by stepping closer and pressing a kiss against her forehead.

And then, he was finally walking away from her.

The smile returned to her lips as she stared after him for a minute or two before finally heading toward her bedroom to get some sleep.

* * *

The morning just arrived when Grace stepped out of her bedroom. She was fully dressed to start the day which was about to mark the beginning of the next phase of her plan - the expansion of Greenstone.

As she stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass window of the living room, her emerald eyes swept across the vast, walled-off territory she had worked so hard to build and protect.

Greenstone now had food, water, shelter, security - everything that struggling survivors lacked. So, to keep it standing against any sort of threat, she needed to increase its strength.

But first, she had to convince the residents.

After breakfast, she headed to the community hall with Davian, Rune, Kevin, Aleena, and Rio. Discover hidden content at NovelBin.Côm

Inside the main hall, a group of key members of the residential area had gathered for the meeting she had called. Captain Harlow and some of his soldiers were also present there.

She settled down at the head seat of the table before beginning with the topic of discussion after a simple pleasantry. "Greenstone has lasted this long because we have been smart, careful, and selective with who we let in. But the world outside isn’t getting any easier. We need more hands, more fighters, more people who can contribute to making this place even stronger."

Captain Harlow leaned forward. "Are you talking about merging other survivor groups in the city into Greenstone?"

She nodded. "Yes. The ones we have scouted. Small groups, those who are barely surviving. But with the right resources and training, they could become assets."

One of the soldiers decided to put forward his thoughts. "That sounds like a big risk, Boss. More people mean more mouths to feed, more potential threats. Are you really sure about this?"

Grace exhaled. "I know the risks. But I also know what it’s like out there. Some of these people are barely holding on. If we don’t help them now, they won’t last much longer. And in return, Greenstone gains more capable survivors willing to fight for their own survival."

One of the community member, a woman in her late thirties, asked this time. "And if they try anything funny?"

Grace’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "Then they’ll learn very quickly that I’m not someone they want to cross."

Captain Harlow chuckled. "That’s what I like to hear." He nodded, his sharp gaze meeting hers. "Alright. We can start small. Bring in one group first and see how it goes."

Grace smiled. "I already have one in mind."

- - -

By midday, Grace and her team, some of the soldiers, and a few trained Greenstone members were standing a block away from the seven-story residential building where the first group of survivors had made their sanctuary.

While Captain Harlow and others needed binoculars to assess the situation, her enhanced eyesight allowed her to easily see the barricaded top two floors of the building.

But surrounding the building was the real problem - a massive horde of infected. They were drawn to the structure like moths to a flame.

"This is worse than I expected," Kevin muttered.

Seth exhaled sharply. "How the hell have they survived this long?"

"Doesn’t matter," Grace said. "We get them out. Fast and clean."

The plan was simple - set a diversion to lure the infected away. Secure the building’s lower floors to prevent an ambush. Escort the survivors out safely. The last one was the easiest because all it needed was for Davian to open a portal back to Greenstone.