Chapter 144: Daughter

Chapter 144: Daughter

He knew Christopher.

Aurora had dropped her ex-husband's name plenty of times, and he knew Christopher was a cop.

Vincent had been hiding out in the bedroom. Even though Aurora and Christopher had been divorced for over a year, this wasn't his place.

Aurora was a knockout. The word "divorce" didn't seem out of place with her. For guys, it just made her seem more available, adding a certain allure.

Vincent was divorced too. When a buddy introduced him to Aurora, he couldn't believe such a stunning woman was single. He felt lucky and didn't mind spending money on her. Before long, they were talking about getting hitched.

But then, just yesterday, right in the middle of their fun, the virus crisis hit. The house had good soundproofing, and with the windows shut, they didn't hear the chaos and screams outside. They were wrapped up in each other, Aurora moaning and Vincent breathing hard. It all felt so right, their passion taking them to cloud nine. It wasn't until after they finished that they realized there were monsters eating people outside. Too late to run.

Christopher didn't shake Vincent's hand.

He gave Vincent a cold look, reading the shifting emotions in him. Especially those eyes behind the glasses, showing a hint of joy.

Christopher knew Vincent had heard the conversation between him and Aurora from the bedroom.

The horror of the mutated zombies had spread through the city since the outbreak. The dead cops downstairs were proof. Facing these unknown monsters and unprecedented fear, few people could survive and escape.

Looking at Vincent standing there, a weird feeling hit Christopher.

This guy had moved into his old home and was sleeping in his bed.

That bed was bought when he and Aurora got married. It was big and soft. This guy was making love to his ex-wife on it...

Yeah, he was divorced. Aurora was just his ex-wife. Legally, they had no ties anymore. He only had visitation rights to his kid and had to send part of his paycheck to Aurora every month.

Damn, his daughter might have to call this guy "Dad" someday.

So what about him?

What did that make him?

Christopher suddenly felt exhausted.

He shouldn't have driven here; he should have gone straight to the station.

He came to pick up his daughter, not to catch them in the act, and definitely not to save them.

Fine! Bianca went to her grandma's house; he could go another time. Maybe after grabbing weapons from the station. James had mentioned there were immune serums at the hospital for Bianca. As for the others, he couldn't care less.

Christopher wanted to turn and leave. But his sense of duty as a cop made him stay.

After nearly half a minute of silence, he tightened his face and said coldly, "Hurry up, our people are downstairs, we need to go now."

Aurora grabbed a backpack from beside the sofa, and Vincent quickly put on his shoes. They stood there, faces tense, with a hint of anticipation and undisguised excitement.

Christopher kept telling himself: This is duty, for his daughter. No matter what Aurora had done or was doing, she was still the mother of his child. No other woman could replace that.

Sighing, Christopher gripped the machete in his hand and turned to open the door.

At that moment, Christopher heard a faint sound coming from the bathroom.

He frowned and asked, "What's that noise?"

Aurora and Vincent's faces turned pale. Aurora waved her hand nervously and stammered, "No noise, you, you must have heard wrong."

Vincent forced a smile and said, "Mr. Taylor, you must be very tired. It's just the two of us here, no one else. Let's go! Didn't you say people are waiting downstairs? Let's hurry!"

The sound came again.

This time, Christopher was sure he hadn't heard wrong.

He walked towards the bathroom.

Vincent quickly ran over to block his way, hurriedly saying, "Mr. Taylor, there's really no one else. You have to believe me. I, I wouldn't lie to you."

Aurora stood still, her face showing extreme fear. At this moment, her legs felt weak, and she didn't know what to do.

Christopher looked down at Vincent blocking his way, his cold voice filled with undeniable authority, "Move!"

Vincent's body trembled, but he didn't move.

Christopher grabbed Vincent by the collar and yanked him aside. The force sent Vincent sprawling to the floor, his side slamming into the corner of the sofa, his face contorting in pain.

The noise from the bathroom got louder. Something alive was in there, desperately banging against the door. The lock shook and rattled under the pressure.

Christopher's mind raced with a terrifying thought.

He felt his breath catch, the horrifying idea refusing to leave his head.

He heard his own voice, hoarse and strained, "Bianca... are you in there? It's... it's Daddy."

The banging continued, more violent than ever. The force was so strong, the thin bathroom door started to bulge, and the lock began to give way.

Sweat beaded on Christopher's forehead. His pupils contracted sharply, and the blood vessels in his eyes swelled. He felt paralyzed, wanting to open the door to see but terrified of what he'd find.

The relentless banging made the choice for him. A crack appeared in the bathroom door frame. Through the small gap, Christopher saw his daughter Bianca.

She was in a white nightgown, her expression strange. She looked filthy, her movements stiff, like her limbs were locked in place, only able to move in one direction, no longer agile.

Bianca's eyes had rolled back, staring blankly. Blood pooled at her feet, slowly spreading across the bathroom floor.

Behind him, Vincent didn't waste a second. He bolted, opening the door quickly, moving with the agility of a monkey.

Aurora stood there, trembling and lost. Vincent grabbed her, and she stumbled out.

A voice in Christopher's mind told him clearly that his daughter was gone. She had been infected by the virus and would never be the same.

His heart filled with infinite sorrow and fear.

Why did it have to be this way?

I came too late.

Christopher lowered his head, all the strength draining from his body. He didn't know what to do, just staring at the gray floor beneath his feet, tears streaming down his face.

There were no zombies in the stairwell, no obstacles.

Vincent dragged Aurora, the two of them stumbling down the stairs, running out the building's door, just in time to see James collecting red patches from a zombie's head.

Matthew and the others approached, and Vincent, seeing them as saviors, shouted, "Sir, save me, please save me."

James didn't know what had happened, quickly helping the panting Vincent to sit by the car. Emily supported the weak-legged Aurora, gently comforting her.

Christopher's tall figure appeared from the stairwell. Expressionless, he walked past the open building door, heading straight for Aurora.

Aurora wanted to run, but her weak legs wouldn't support her. Emily, not knowing what had happened, tried to intervene but was pulled back by James.

Christopher sheathed his machete, grabbed Aurora's shoulder with his left hand, and yanked her up from the ground, asking in a cold, emotionless tone, "Tell me, why did Bianca end up like that?"

Aurora looked at him in terror, trying to stay calm, "I... I don't know."

Her answer was met with a loud slap.

Christopher hit her hard, leaving Aurora gasping for breath. Her well-maintained face immediately showed clear finger marks, quickly swelling.

It was the first time he had hit this woman, the first time he had ever hit a woman.

Aurora looked at Christopher in disbelief, trembling, "I... it wasn't me, Bianca was bitten, it wasn't me."

Christopher slapped her again, this time with more force. Aurora felt her head spin, the numbness on her face giving way to intense pain, making her face feel hot, as if it were burning.

"Hold him, don't let him run," Christopher ordered Matthew, who was standing next to Vincent, then turned his gaze back to Aurora, "Tell me, what happened?"

Aurora knew she couldn't give in now. She felt the skin on her face break, blood flowing out. Christopher wasn't like this before; he was very considerate. At home, he took care of everything. But now, he was hitting her.

Christopher had no patience left for Aurora. Seeing her silence, he started punching her face.

Her nose broke, blood covering her face. Aurora kept wailing in pain, but there was no pity in Christopher's eyes. He threw her to the ground, lifted his foot, and kicked her joints hard. The sound of rubber boots hitting flesh was accompanied by the occasional crack of breaking bones.