novelzi Chapter 674 674: Homecoming (Part 3)
Chapter 674 674: Homecoming (Part 3)
Miss Claire walked toward the elevator without looking back.She didn't need to.
Her shoes clicked against the metal platform in a steady rhythm as she crossed the lab, carrying herself with the same composed grace she had maintained throughout the past four days.
The clothes she wore had lost some of their usual crispness. The fabric showed faint creases from repeated wear, and there were shadows beneath her eyes that hadn't been there before the outbreak.
Even so, she carried herself as though she had just stepped out of a board meeting rather than spent nearly a week hiding underground.
Don fell into step behind her.
Around them, everyone continued uninterrupted.
Samantha remained seated near the large monitor, watching footage of recovery efforts across Santos City.
Amanda lounged nearby with her attention on another monitor, apparently engrossed in a video involving oversized trucks dragging impossible amounts of weight across dirt tracks.
The excited commentary spilled from the speakers in short bursts.
At the far end of the platform, Summer and Sylvia stood beside the unfinished mech.
"...I'm telling you, the processors won't compensate fast enough."
"They will if the predictive model is improved."
"Then you're relying on software to fix a hardware problem."
"That's called engineering."
"No. That's called cheating."
Neither girl appeared aware that anyone was leaving.
Only Winter lifted her gaze.
For a brief moment, her eyes followed Don and Miss Claire toward the elevator. Then she returned her attention to the monitor without comment.
The elevator doors slid open and Miss Claire stepped inside.
Don followed a second later.
The doors closed behind them with a soft mechanical sigh.
He leaned back against the wall and folded his arms loosely across his chest while Miss Claire stood near the center of the small compartment.
Several seconds passed and the elevator didn't move.
Don glanced toward the control panel. No buttons had been pressed.
Miss Claire spoke before he could ask.
"I wanted to speak with you about the possibility of escorting myself and Sylvia out of this facility."
Straight to business.
That was more like her.
Don waited for her to finish.
"I managed to contact my people through your android," she continued. "They informed me that my residence has remained untouched by the incident."
Her voice remained calm, measured, professional.
Then her eyes lowered briefly.
Only for a moment. But Don noticed.
"A good number of my staff were killed."
The words came quietly.
"Unfortunately, some of the maids had been in town along with a security escort."
The composure never broke.
The expression on her face barely changed.
Yet Don could see the strain beneath it.
Those people hadn't simply been employees.
Many of them had likely worked for her family for years.
Some probably longer than he had been alive.
He met her gaze.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
The response felt inadequate the moment it left his mouth. But there wasn't anything better to offer.
Miss Claire seemed to understand.
She gave a single nod. "Thank you."
The moment passed.
Like a curtain being drawn shut, the vulnerability disappeared behind her usual control.
She straightened slightly.
"I was wondering if you and your family would like to join us at my residence."
Her tone shifted back toward practical matters.
"It would put me more at ease knowing you were present. Additional security will be brought, but nonetheless..."
The sentence faded before completion. She didn't need to finish it because Don understood.
She felt safer with him nearby.
A strange realization.
Not long ago, he would have considered himself the last person anyone should rely upon for protection.
Now one of the most influential women in Santos City was asking him to stay because his presence made her feel secure.
His thoughts drifted toward the system.
Toward the objective that had been hanging over his head for months.
The timer was still ticking.
Only a month and several weeks remained.
Staying at her residence would place him closer to completing it.
Closer to earning the reward that mattered more than anything else.
Flight.
Beyond that, it simply made sense.
The underground facility had served its purpose.
Even he was growing tired of the recycled air and endless artificial lighting.
His family needed something resembling normal life again.
A mansion was hardly normal.
But it was better than living beneath an abandoned laboratory.
He nodded."I can have transport ready in the evening."
His arms unfolded. "I don't think the others will mind staying at your residence."
Then, after a brief pause:
"If anything, I should be thanking you for it."
A small smile appeared.
Rare, subtle, but genuine.
It softened her features enough that she looked several years younger.
Miss Claire shook her head.
"I'm most certainly the one who owes you a great deal of thanks."
Neither of them spoke afterward.
The elevator remained still.
The hum of its machinery filled the confined space while their eyes remained fixed on one another.
One second passed.
Then another.
Neither seemed in a hurry to break the moment.
Eventually Miss Claire turned away first.
Or perhaps Don did.
He wasn't entirely certain.
She pressed a button beside the door.
"Well then," she said. "I shall inform the others and leave you to your work."
The elevator doors slid open.
Miss Claire stepped out.
Don remained inside for a moment longer.
Watching.
Her shoes clicked softly against the floor as she walked away.
The movement of her hips followed naturally with each step.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing remarkable.
At least, that's what he told himself.
Yet for some reason he found himself watching longer than necessary.
Then a thought occurred to him.
Had she added a little extra flair?
He wasn't sure.
——
Several hours later, the Monclaire helicopter carried them across the evening sky.
The cabin felt familiar now.
Comfortable seats, polished interior panels and the steady vibration of the rotors above.
Don sat between Samantha and Summer.
Neither paid much attention to him.
Their attention remained fixed on the windows.
Everyone's did.
Only Winter sat perfectly still, hands folded neatly in her lap, seemingly unaffected by the view outside.
The city stretched beneath them.
Seeing it from the air was different.
News broadcasts had shown the destruction. Drone footage had shown it too. But neither captured the scale.
Entire districts bore scars from the outbreak.
Collapsed buildings sat beside structures that appeared untouched. Sections of road had caved inward.
Military vehicles moved through intersections in organized patrol routes while recovery crews worked beneath portable floodlights.
No fires remained, no columns of smoke and no screams.
Only the aftermath.
The city looked exhausted.
The setting sun cast long bands of orange light across rooftops and broken streets.
From a distance it almost appeared peaceful.
Don stared through the glass.
Peaceful wasn't the right word.
The city was surviving.
That was different.
The radio crackled from the cockpit.
"Santos Control, this is Monclaire Flight Seven-Niner requesting clearance for transit through sector four. Over."
Static.
Then a reply.
"Monclaire Seven-Niner, this is Santos Control. Provide clearance code."
The pilot recited a sequence of letters and numbers.
Don ignored it. Charles handled those details.
Another pause followed.
Longer this time.
Finally:
"Clearance confirmed, Seven-Niner. You are clear to proceed. Maintain current altitude and heading."
"Copy, Santos Control. Seven-Niner out."
The helicopter adjusted course.
Below, the city gradually gave way to the outskirts.
Buildings became less frequent.
Trees appeared.
Roads stretched farther apart.
The farther they traveled, the less evidence remained of the catastrophe that had nearly consumed Santos City.
Eventually they reached a valley dotted with private estates.
Massive properties separated by forests, gardens, and winding roads.
Wealth had always preferred distance.
Miss Claire's estate appeared ahead.
Don had visited before.
But never from above.
The scale became obvious as they descended.
The mansion dominated the grounds.
Stone walls. Arched windows. Extensive gardens arranged in precise patterns.
Two helipads were visible from the air.
One sat atop the mansion itself.
The other rested near the gardens closer to the tree line.
The pilots chose the latter.
The helicopter descended smoothly.
Rotor wash flattened grass and scattered leaves across the grounds.
Figures waited below.
Security personnel dressed in immaculate black suits.
Two maids standing behind them.
The skids touched the landing pad.
THOOM~
The cabin shuddered once before settling.
The side door slid open.
Fresh air rushed inside.
Cut grass.
Flowers.
Clean earth.
Scents Don hadn't realized he missed.
The security staff moved immediately.
One assisted Samantha from the cabin.
Another offered a hand to Summer, Sylvia then Amanda.
A third helped Miss Claire descend.
Winter stepped down without assistance.
Don remained seated until everyone else had exited.
Then he rose.
Before stepping out, he glanced toward the cockpit.
"Thanks for the ride."
The co-pilot nodded.
"Just following orders, sir."
Don jumped from the cabin.
His boots landed on the grass.
The helicopter lifted off moments later and climbed back into the evening sky.
The estate staff stepped aside.
Miss Claire turned toward the maids.
"Please help them to the guest rooms of their choosing and—"
"Oh, can Summer sleep in my room?"
Sylvia's voice cut through the conversation immediately.
Miss Claire didn't even blink.
"I do not see why not."
A faint note of long-suffering amusement entered her voice.
"She always does so anyway."
Summer's face turned red almost instantly.
She said nothing.
Which was answer enough.
Don's attention drifted elsewhere.
The grounds stretched outward around the mansion.
Gardens. Flower beds. Stone pathways.
Perfectly maintained at first glance.
Then Keen Eye activated.
His vision sharpened.
Details emerged.
A hedge near the tree line had grown uneven.
Several flower beds contained weeds.
Grass in one corner stood noticeably taller than the surrounding lawn.
Small things.
Easy to miss.
But he remembered how immaculate the estate had looked before.
The gardener was probably among the staff who never came home.
Don looked away.
The thought lingered only briefly.
Ahead, Samantha followed one of the maids toward the mansion, already asking questions about the rooms.
Summer and Sylvia walked together, whispering about something that only seemed to make Summer more embarrassed.
Miss Claire remained behind near the landing area, speaking quietly with security personnel.
Winter stepped beside him.
Nothing more needed to be said.
Together they followed the others.
The mansion loomed overhead as they approached.
Its stone walls reflected the final traces of sunlight.
Warm light glowed behind tall windows.
For the first time in days, it looked like they were going somewhere that resembled a home.
Don stepped through the entrance after the others.
The doors closed behind them.