Chapter 48

The moment Suzy stepped out of the airport, she spotted Adam Bennet’s car.

Not only that—Adam himself was standing beside it.

Tall and refined, dressed impeccably, he stood out in the crowd like a composed stroke of ink on clean paper. Even in the chaos of arriving passengers, he looked unhurried, self-contained—almost scenic.

He lifted a hand and waved lightly.

Suzy quickened her steps toward him.

"Was everything smooth over there?" Adam asked. He had been about to take her luggage—only to realize she was empty-handed.

Suzy smiled. "It went pretty well. Smooth enough."

"Get in," he said with a slight nod. Adam had driven himself today. No chauffeur. Suzy instinctively moved toward the back seat.

"Front," he said calmly.

"...Oh." She paused, then opened the passenger door and got in.

She had barely fastened her seatbelt when Adam reached over and lowered the passenger-side window for her.

The same gesture.

It had happened not long ago. For a fleeting second, Suzy felt dazed.

She glanced at him.

One hand rested casually on the steering wheel. He was looking at her, eyes cool and clear as ever.

"Not used to the food there?" he asked. "You’ve lost weight."

Suzy touched her cheek reflexively. "Have I?"

Adam looked forward again and started the car. "Your uncle would worry if he saw you."

"The food really wasn’t to my liking," she admitted.

Though she had secretly supplemented her meals from her space every night, she hadn’t exactly starved herself. Why would she lose weight?

She couldn’t quite figure it out.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She nodded firmly. "Very."

She suddenly remembered—she still owed him a meal to thank him for helping with the medicine.

Here it was––the perfect opportunity.

"What do you want to eat?" Adam asked.

"Something stir-fried and spicy. I really want proper stir-fried dishes."

He drove her to a restaurant.

They sat down and ordered a few simple dishes.

While waiting, Adam asked about her time in M Country.

Suzy chose her words carefully, sharing only broad details. There was no way she could casually mention that she had gone abroad to acquire firearms.

Before long, the topic shifted—as it inevitably did—to the approaching apocalypse.

"Adam," she asked quietly, "how are your preparations going?"

"Almost done," he replied.

A few days earlier, Adam had received more concrete intelligence. A disaster was indeed coming. His entire family was already mobilizing, reinforcing supply chains, consolidating assets, preparing contingencies.

They weren’t treating this lightly.

Suzy felt a little relieved hearing that.

Adam, for his part, didn’t question her situation. He had long since noticed Leonard’s recent large-scale asset liquidations and procurement activities.

With Leonard involved, Suzy wouldn’t be left unprepared.

After the meal, Suzy insisted on paying, and Adam didn’t argue.

While she was speaking with the server, he quietly took a small box from his pocket and placed it on the table.

When Suzy returned, receipt in hand, she saw him gently push the box toward her.

"For you."

Her gaze dropped to the red velvet case.

"What’s this?" she asked.

"Open it."

She picked it up carefully and lifted the lid. Inside lay an exquisitely crafted pendant—clear, luminous, finely cut.

And then... Her breath caught.

There it was. Flowing light.

Not faint.

Not subtle.

The glow swirling within it was strong—almost comparable to the sandalwood bracelet she had just absorbed.

Her eyes brightened instantly.

She looked up at him, unable to conceal her surprise. "This... is for me?"

"Mm." A faint curve touched Adam’s lips. "I heard from your uncle that you’ve been collecting pieces like this lately. What do you think—do you like it?"

"Of course I do!" Suzy nodded vigorously.

She lifted the pendant from the velvet box and held it carefully between her fingers, turning it slightly under the light.

The clarity was excellent. The craftsmanship delicate. And the flowing light within it—it pulsed gently, like a hidden current.

She almost wanted to send it straight into her space.

Unfortunately, the space was still in the middle of upgrading.

This time, perhaps because it had already evolved once before, the upgrade process didn’t completely lock her out. She could still retrieve items if needed, but she couldn’t store anything new inside.

It was inconvenient—but manageable.

Many of her most important supplies were stored within. If she had lost access entirely, that would have been disastrous.

She traced the surface of the pendant lightly before placing it back into the box.

When she looked at Adam again, her gaze carried unmistakable gratitude.

"Thank you. Really."

This was incredibly useful to her.

Adam inclined his head calmly. "Then you can treat me to another meal next time."

"Of course," she agreed immediately.

With a pendant of this quality, the price must have been considerable. And all he asked in return was dinner.

He was being far too polite.

Suzy suspected she was benefiting from Leonard’s connection.

Still, the gift put her in a genuinely good mood.

They stepped out of the restaurant together.

"I’ll drive you back," Adam said.

She nodded.

But just as they reached the car, a sudden commotion rippled through the street.

Suzy paused. Voices rose around them.

"What the hell is that?"

"A meteor? A falling star?"

"Quick, film it!"

People clustered together, staring upward.

Suzy followed their gaze—and her heart trembled.

Across the eastern sky, several red, spherical streaks were cutting through the atmosphere.

They weren’t fast. They moved with a heavy, deliberate descent. The burning glow illuminated the clouds, turning that portion of the sky a searing crimson.

Suzy froze where she stood.

Adam frowned slightly. "What is that?"

No one knew where the fiery masses would land. To most onlookers, it was simply a spectacle.

Phones were lifted. Cameras flashed.

Only Suzy broke out in a cold sweat. She knew exactly what it was.

Meteorites.

Fragments from outer space.

And these... These marked the beginning. The harbingers of the extreme heat catastrophe.

But... It was too early. Far too early.

The apocalypse wasn’t supposed to begin for another two months. She remembered clearly: one week after the meteorites fell, temperatures began to climb.

The extreme heat disaster didn’t strike overnight; it crept in slowly. Each day was slightly hotter than the last.

At first, no one paid attention. People just complained about the heat. Cases of heatstroke increased.

Then, the rivers began to dry. Reservoirs shrank. Cities started rationing water.

Only then did panic set in.

A bead of cold sweat slid down Suzy’s temple. It was happening ahead of schedule.

From this moment on... She had less than a month.

The red streaks eventually vanished beyond the horizon.

Even after she got into Adam’s car, her mind remained unfocused. She hadn’t expected the timeline to compress so drastically.

The feeling was like being told, the night before, that an exam had been moved up to tomorrow morning.

Unprepared.

Cornered.

"Are you alright?" Adam’s voice cut through her thoughts, steady but concerned.

She forced herself back to reality and nodded.

"I’m fine."

But her already pale face had lost even more color.

She pulled out her phone and immediately called Leonard, telling him to return as soon as possible.

Then she contacted the contractor responsible for the safe house.

Construction needed to accelerate.

There was no more time to waste.