CHAPTER 78: THE ANSWER

Cassel — POV

I felt the air growing hotter around us... thick, almost suffocating, like the world itself was holding its breath.

Every inch of my body screamed.

Not in pain.

Not in fear.

It was telling me to stop.

To slow down.

To breathe before I drowned in the storm I had created inside myself.

But I couldn’t.

I was far too excited... far too overwhelmed.

The heat in my chest hadn’t faded since earlier—since that brief, intoxicating moment between Rosalia and me.

Her touch still clung to my skin like a memory etched into my nerves, and the faint trace of her scent hovered at the edge of every breath I took.

I could still feel the softness of her fingers brushing my cheek.

I could still feel the warmth of her breath near my neck.

I could still remember the way she trembled faintly in my arms, fragile and precious in a way that made something primal inside me stir.

I could still feel her teeth on my skin...

And now—after confessing, after finally laying bare the feelings I had tried so hard to contain—that ache in my chest only grew sharper. Stronger. Hungrier.

I wanted her.

I wanted her in a way that terrified me.

But despite that desperate, consuming desire... I didn’t move.

I didn’t reach for her again.

I didn’t press my lips to hers.

Because the one thing I wanted—needed—had not come.

Rosalia hadn’t answered me.

Not a whisper.

Not a breath.

Not a single word confirming or denying anything.

She didn’t tell me she loved me back.

She didn’t tell me she accepted me.

She didn’t tell me she would be mine.

"...Rosalia."

Her name slipped from me, soft but unbearably heavy.

My voice didn’t even sound like my own—strained, rough, suspended somewhere between hope and despair.

What should I say?

What could I say?

Should I beg her?

Should I push her?

Should I... force her to stay with me, even if she rejected me?

The dark thought flickered—brief, ugly, instinctive.

But the second she lifted her head from my chest, everything inside me shattered.

Those eyes.

Those gentle, luminous eyes I could never get enough of.

They rose to meet mine softly, hesitantly, as if she were afraid of what she might see in me... and at the same time drawn to it.

And just like that, all my darker thoughts vanished.

Collapsed like ash in a storm.

Because I could never hurt her.

Not now.

Not ever.

Not even after a million lifetimes.

She closed her eyes for a moment, her lashes trembling.

She didn’t speak.

She didn’t even breathe loudly.

And I forced myself to remain silent too.

Waiting.

Waiting for the unknown.

Waiting for the one answer I feared and yearned for more than anything.

The heat inside me slowly receded, giving way to something colder... more fragile... a quiet dread that gnawed at my bones.

Then—finally—I heard it.

Her voice.

Soft.

Small.

Barely pushing through the air between us.

"Repeat what you said. Repeat it," I said with urgency.

My heart stopped.

My fingers tightened around her shoulders—too tight, too sudden.

She gasped, a small cry escaping her lips.

"Sorry—did I hurt you? Rosalia, I—"

I scrambled, checking her arm, her sleeve, her shoulder, unable to look her in the eyes because I was afraid of what I might see there—fear, rejection, hesitation.

But she whispered, low and breathy, as if speaking directly to a fool who was drowning in love.

"I do. I want to be your... your girlfriend."

Time froze.

Suddenly, she looked at me with a gaze that gathered the courage of the whole world.

Her lips trembled as she spoke again, and my entire world tilted.

"Cae... I love you too. I love you so much it’s driving me insane. I love you so much I don’t even know what to do with it. I’ve loved you since—"

"Boss! Boss! Look, I found a zombie rat! Oh my God, not even the rats were spared from this damn virus!"

A strong voice, a sharp voice, an annoying voice suddenly rang out, disrupting Rose’s words.

Robin’s voice didn’t just interrupt.

It stabbed through the moment like a blade.

Rosalia flinched violently, halting mid-sentence, her eyes widening before she ducked back into the blankets in pure embarrassment.

That damned, cursed, brainless Robin.

Knowing that the atmosphere has completely spoiled and that we cannot continue this heart-to-heart conversation.

I stepped out of the vehicle with murder in my eyes, my entire body radiating enough rage to scorch the ground.

Rosalia stayed inside, hiding like a startled kitten.

Robin stood there, waving a headless zombie rat by its tail as if it were some trophy.

I stared at him coldly.

"Robin," I said, my voice deathly quiet, "get that thing out of my sight, or I’ll shove it down your throat."

The words were cruel.

Too dangerous.

Which was probably why Robin paled instantly.

He jerked the rat closer to his chest, stumbling backward like a frightened child before sprinting away.

I still heard him muttering like an idiot:

"Does Boss... have a rat phobia...?"

God, if patience were a test, I was seconds away from failing miserably.

He ran toward Frederick and the others, who had finally woken up. They hadn’t been controlled for long, so they recovered quickly.

But Liz... Liz was different.

Henry was carrying her toward me, unconscious but breathing.

Liz was capable—strong, sharp, dangerous—but something about her had always lingered in the back of my mind.

Something I couldn’t ignore.

I would have to keep an eye on her.

Henry and I shared a glance, and I sighed under my breath.

Why did they have to show up at that exact moment?

One minute—just one minute—and I would have heard Rosalia’s full confession.

"Put her in the car," I ordered quietly. "We’re heading back to the base. We’re done collecting supplies for today."

"As you wish, Boss," Henry said smoothly.

Too smoothly.

I cursed him silently.

This man had almost punched me before when we were arguing for Rosalia.

And now? Now he acted like the perfect, obedient subordinate.

What a man.

Everyone was exhausted.

Some had been controlled, others had fought against teammates, and others had spent the entire day scavenging through ruins and danger.

Bodies dropped into seats the moment the doors opened.

Even Liz didn’t wake up.

Only Henry and I remained fully alert, driving the convoy back toward the base.

Along the way, I kept glancing through the rear-view mirror.

Rosalia’s eyelids were drooping, her head bobbing gently like she was losing a battle against sleep.

Her small body curled around a pillow, cheeks squished adorably against the soft fabric.

She looked like a tiny hamster—puffy cheeks, slightly parted lips, arms wrapped protectively around the pillow as if it were a lifeline.

Every few seconds, she’d fight sleep, lifting her head determinedly... only for it to fall right back down in the cutest, most pathetic defeat.

A soft, warm calm settled over me as the car moved through the darkening road.

For the first time in a very long time...

I felt at peace.

I couldn’t stop smiling.

Not for a single moment.

Not after everything that happened.

Not after hearing her say she loved me.

And of course I’ll make her say that again and again...

I’ve to listen to her full confession again later..I can’t wait to get to base.

And the gentle smile on my face stayed there the entire way back to the safe base.