Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 125: Serious or Playing

Mariella's chest tightened. She hadn't expected this to come so soon.

She'd known since her rebirth that things were moving differently this time. The disaster had accelerated everything, like an invisible hand had seized the dial of fate and was spinning it forward, impatient with a story it already knew the ending to.

In her previous life, Celestine Ridge had held out for nearly a year under relentless pressure from waves of desperate survivors before the residents finally abandoned it and relocated to an official shelter.

This time, the escaped convict gang had set off a chain of consequences nobody had anticipated, and the complex was already unraveling from the inside before the convicts had even arrived.

The dismissed guards and bodyguards had formed their own crew and seized No. 101, and that was a terrible opening move for what was coming. It signaled that when the convict gang did show up, breaking through might be far easier than anyone hoped.

And if those insiders decided to collaborate with the convicts, the result would be catastrophic.

These were people who knew every corner of the complex, every household's layout, every security blind spot, and every homeowner's vulnerabilities.

With traitors like that leading the way, the convict gang could walk straight through, and nothing would stop them.

Wallace had seen all of this clearly, which was why he'd stepped in personally. The insiders had to be dealt with before the convict gang arrived. Let that threat fester and there'd be nothing left to defend.

But he was sharp enough to plan for failure at the same time. He'd already sent Kieran ahead to begin preparing for a potential evacuation to the official shelter.

That said everything. Wallace didn't expect Celestine Ridge to last the two weeks until police reinforcements arrived. He was planning for an earlier collapse.

Mariella was quiet for a moment. "I didn't expect you to tell me all of this."

They were business partners, nothing more. He had no obligation to share any of it.

"Are you coming with me, Mariella?" Kieran pressed, his voice suddenly urgent.

Whatever small flicker of warmth she'd felt evaporated instantly. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I know you're caught up with someone new right now, but trust me on this, physical attraction fades. I've been through enough women to know there's nothing there after the novelty wears off. I want to take you with me. Come on, Mariella."

Mariella fell silent.

The apocalypse had barely started and this man had already lost his mind.

"I don't even mind what's happened on your end. I've had my share too, so we're even. Just come with me. You'd be my actual girlfriend, not a casual thing. We could even get engaged. My grandfather isn't fixated on family background anymore. He says ability is what matters now."

That finished it. "Well I mind. And for the record, I have zero interest in men like you or Harvey, the type who's convinced he's God's gift. I'd sooner be interested in my own bodyguard."

"You're comparing me to Harvey?" He sounded genuinely wounded.

"Kieran, we can talk business all you want, but feelings are off the table, now and always. I don't recall giving you a single sign that I was interested. Or did you make that up yourself? There's nothing between us and there never has been, and you're already out here talking about engagement. Do yourself a favor and see a therapist. Figure out which part of your thinking went wrong and fix it before it gets worse."

He hung up.

Mariella stared at the phone and rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt.

Romantic obsession was an affliction, and it didn't discriminate. Men and women both caught it, and left untreated it only got worse.

She looked up. Someone was standing quietly in the doorway.

She didn't startle this time. She could see who it was.

"Captain Zimmer, how long have you been standing there?"

He walked in, expression entirely unbothered. "You told me to come to the study."

Mariella leaned back in her chair and looked at him. "When did you get here? How much did you hear?"

"Not long after you came in." A pause. "Before you called Kieran."

Mariella said nothing. She suspected he'd deliberately kept quiet. There was no other explanation for how she hadn't noticed him at all.

Chandler dropped his gaze, lips pressed into a faint line, the picture of innocence.

Mariella steadied herself and kept her voice even. "Everything I said to Kieran was to annoy him. Don't take any of it seriously."

"Which part shouldn't I take seriously?"

He actually pushed back on that.

Mariella drew a breath. "None of it. Any of it."

He nodded. One word. "Okay."

Before she could say anything else, he spoke again.

"Kieran is a notorious playboy. Women fall for him because he's handsome, wealthy, and knows exactly how to make them feel special. He's been with plenty, but somehow each one walks away convinced she was different from the rest. Word is his go-to line is that he's serious about this one, and everyone else was just something to do."