Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 136: Leaving

Harvey had wanted the supplies from those two businesses for a long time. But when Kieran stepped in before, Harvey couldn't find a chance to take them for himself.

Still, he was never going to give up. He had already been planning for this day.

Chandler thought for a moment and said, "They have too many people. We're at a disadvantage because our strength is spread out. We're not united, so we've been stuck on the defensive."

There were over 100 villas in Celestine Ridge. Harvey and the raiders had only taken nine. Even counting the Grahams' No. 6, that made ten. Not even one-tenth of the whole area.

If the homeowners joined forces, they had a strong chance to seize control from the chaos.

Mariella stayed silent for a moment, then said, "The Hancocks understand that too. But they're not planning to fight."

The Hancocks were the richest family in Liraelith. They had power, influence, and respect.

If they stepped forward, the other homeowners would follow.

There were still over 90 households left in Celestine Ridge. Every one of them had weapons and bodyguards.

If they united, they would be strong.

But the Hancocks clearly didn't want to get involved.

Chandler frowned and said seriously, "If they let Harvey do whatever he wants, the Hancocks will fall sooner or later too. Unless they're already planning to abandon the area."

They might be getting ready to run.

Mariella paused. Then she remembered what Kieran had told her a few days ago. Chandler was probably right.

"I think what the Hancocks are really afraid of isn't Harvey," she said slowly. "It's that rumored group of escaped death row inmates."

Chandler immediately understood. "So they already know something?"

Mariella bit her lip and made a quick decision.

She took out her phone and called Kieran.

The phone rang for a long time. It almost hung up. Just when she thought he wouldn't answer, his lazy voice came through.

"You're calling this late? Must be scared and can't sleep, huh? Don't worry, I'll protect you..."

Mariella cut him off. "Your whole family is planning to run."

It wasn't a question.

Kieran went silent.

"Are you really that cowardly?" Mariella said, not hiding her scorn. She let out a cold laugh. "You can't even protect your own home, and you talk about protecting a woman? I'd rather rely on myself!"

Kieran sounded upset and frustrated. "Courage without strategy only brings disaster. And the Hancocks aren't run by just me!"

"Then tell me—are you running because of Harvey, or because of that so-called death row gang? Don't you have any confidence? If all the homeowners here unite, we might still win. And those two groups might not even get along! Giving up this fast doesn't sound like the Hancocks."

Even though it wasn't easy, Mariella still tried to persuade him.

Like he said, the Hancocks didn't act on his word alone. The one making the decision to leave was probably Wallace.

Mariella didn't want to move.

She had spent so much effort building this place into a strong fortress. She didn't want to abandon it after only a few months.

Celestine Ridge needed a leader. But Mariella didn't have enough influence to command everyone.

Only the Hancocks had that kind of power. The homeowners trusted them.

If the Hancocks ran, everyone else would follow.

Mariella hadn't expected that this time, the fall of Celestine Ridge would come a full year earlier than in her last life.

She wouldn't let that happen.

After a long silence, Kieran finally spoke again. "Those death row inmates are too dangerous. Even the police's armed units were wiped out. And now they have even more weapons. Harvey can't even compare to them. It's not the same level of threat."

Wallace was a careful man. He had already compared the strength of all the homeowners united against a trained police force.

And not just matching them—they would need to be several times stronger to win.

But every time he ran the numbers, the result was the same. Total defeat.

Facing a battle they couldn't win, Wallace didn't want to risk his family's lives.

So, leaving was the expected choice.

Of course, before leaving, he would inform the other homeowners. He would even try to use his influence to negotiate with the official base and help everyone move there together.

Mariella let out a cold laugh. "East or west, home is best. You think the official base is some perfect place? It's complicated there. Different factions are fighting openly and secretly. If you want to survive there, you'll have to pay your way with supplies for everything.

"In front of those powerful forces, rich people with supplies but no power won't last long. My advice? The later you go, the better. The earlier you go, the faster you'll get drained dry."