The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 152: Ch : I’ll not get Involved- Part 5

With the news of what happened spreading around, Selene expected to get a swift call from the government official incharge of her.

And it did not long for her to get the call that the man was on his way to ’talk with her’ either.

The moment the government official arrived at the site, Selene could tell he was in a state of panic.

He strode toward her in a hurry, his forehead glistening with sweat, and his expression was tight with worry.

It was clear that he had rushed over the moment he got the news about the attack.

"Miss Shadow. I just heard about what happened. I... I deeply apologize for this oversight. We were just swimming in work and we did not-"

He greeted hastily, his voice laced with tension. He huffed to get more air into his lungs, but it did not seem to be working as intended.

Selene raised a brow but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

The man took a deep breath, bowing his head slightly in genuine regret.

"We should have done a more thorough background check before allowing anyone into the project. This is entirely our failure, and I take full responsibility."

Selene sighed, crossing her arms. She wasn’t particularly angry at him, but she also wasn’t about to brush this off easily.

"What’s done is done. But make sure it never happens again."

She said coolly. She did not blame the official or the government for this mishap. There was just too much to check and no time to do all the checking."

The official nodded vigorously.

"Of course. I swear to you, it won’t."

He paused for a moment before clearing his throat.

"To prevent any future incidents, I will be assigning an official overseer to handle security and background checks more thoroughly."

Selene immediately felt her instincts flare up in warning.

Her gaze sharpened as she studied him. Something about this didn’t sit right with her.

She straightened, her posture tense.

"There’s no need for that. I doubt you will be able to filter any more than you already have."

She said, her tone measured.

But the man shook his head.

"I insist. We need to ensure safety moving forward, and I know just the right people for the job."

A sense of unease settled in Selene’s chest. She could already tell she wouldn’t like what he was about to say next.

"The Vale family has agreed to—"

"No."

The word shot out of Selene’s mouth like a bullet, sharp, firm, and immediate.

The government official flinched, startled by her sudden outburst. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her, clearly taken aback.

Selene clenched her fists, her entire body tensing.

"Do not involve the Vale family in this."

The sheer intensity in her voice made the air feel thicker, heavier.

The official stared at her, bewildered. From his perspective, getting the backing of the Vale family—a powerful, influential family—should have been good news.

Most people would have jumped at the chance to have their support.

After all, that family was one of the few who managed to retain their power even in these chaotic times and also manage to turn them into a better outcome for their business model.

But Selene’s reaction was instant and explosive, as if he had suggested something unthinkable.

He opened his mouth to question her, but before he could get the words out, he felt a sharp, cold gaze boring into him.

Ethan.

The official swallowed hard.

Ethan wasn’t saying anything, but his glare was more than enough to make the man reconsider pressing the issue.

A chill ran down the official’s spine. It wasn’t worth it.

After a tense pause, the man finally relented, raising his hands in surrender.

"Understood! I won’t involve them."

He said carefully.

Selene let out a slow breath, forcing herself to relax. She had let her emotions get the better of her, and now her heart was racing.

The official nodded quickly and took a step back.

"I’ll handle this myself, then. I’ll make sure this mistake never happens again."

With that, he quickly turned and left, clearly eager to remove himself from the charged atmosphere.

The moment he was out of sight, Selene exhaled sharply and closed her eyes.

"...I messed up. I shouldn’t have reacted like that."

She admitted, her voice quieter now.

Ethan, standing beside her, let out a low chuckle.

"Why not? You’re allowed to be mad, you know."

He said, grinning slightly.

Selene opened one eye, eyeing him.

"Yeah, but that was too emotional."

Ethan shrugged.

"So what? You don’t have to be calm and collected all the time. If someone pisses you off, you can tell them off as much as you want."

Selene stared at him for a second before letting out a soft laugh.

"That’s a dangerous mindset."

Ethan smirked.

"Maybe. But it made you feel better, didn’t it?"

She shook her head but couldn’t argue. She did feel a little lighter.

Zara, who had been watching from the side, sighed dramatically.

"Alright, so we survived another chaotic situation. Can we go home now?"

Selene hesitated.

"I’m staying here tonight."

She said after a pause.

Zara groaned.

"I knew you were going to say that."

Orion, ever composed, simply nodded.

"I’ll do my best to make sure nothing happens."

Zara looked between the two of them before throwing her hands up.

"Fine. I’ll stay too."

Selene blinked.

"You don’t have to—"

Zara cut her off with a glare.

"Don’t even start."

Selene let out a small smile.

Ethan stretched his arms lazily.

"Guess that means I’m staying too."

Selene turned to him.

"You don’t have to either—"

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You wanna have all the fun alone?"

Selene sighed but felt a warmth spread through her chest.

Even after everything, even after all the uncertainty—they were still here.

She looked at her team and felt a deep sense of relief.

No matter what happened next...

She wasn’t alone.