Kaelen closed the document after asking Selina to send him a copy.
Then he opened his laptop.
"All right, Jules."
She looked at him.
"Show me what you've purchased."
"Everything?"
"Everything."
Jules pulled out her phone.
"And after that, you're going to show me what else you think we need."
"Dad—"
"Jules."
He waited until she looked at him.
"I still don't like that you went behind my back, and I don't like that you're keeping things from us."
Her shoulders dropped.
"I know."
"Then let's start there."
For the next half hour, Kaelen went through her transactions.
Warehouse rentals.
International shipments.
Expedited delivery charges.
Equipment orders.
The cargo truck.
Apartment 18A.
Every time Jules thought they'd finished one subject, he found another question.
"Who reviewed this warehouse agreement?"
"I did."
"Did you have anyone check the liability terms?"
"No."
"Who confirmed the delivery dates?"
"The suppliers."
"Did you speak with them directly?"
"Not all of them."
Kaelen turned the laptop toward her.
"Look here."
Jules leaned closer.
"This shipment has an estimated departure date, not a confirmed arrival date."
"I know."
"Then why did you pay extra for expedited delivery?"
"Because I need it here as soon as possible."
"Paying more doesn't make an unfinished order ready to ship."
Jules exhaled.
"I understand."
"Do you? Because this is the third order with the same problem."
"Dad, I was trying to get everything done."
"And you rushed."
"We don't have time to spend weeks negotiating every little thing!"
Kaelen looked up.
"Every little thing?"
Jules stopped.
"These are contracts, Jules. You're committing money, accepting legal obligations, and depending on companies you've barely investigated."
"I didn't have a choice."
"You had a choice to speak to me."
She looked away.
Kaelen lowered his voice.
"Why didn't you?"
Jules didn't answer.
"Did you think I wouldn't help?"
"No."
"Then what?"
She stared at the screen.
Because she'd tried relying on people before.
Because plans had failed.
Because every hour wasted felt like another chance to lose them.
"I needed to get started."
Kaelen leaned back.
"Starting is one thing. Making decisions you don't fully understand is another."
Jules pressed her lips together.
She knew he was right about some of the contracts.
That didn't make hearing it any easier.
"There's something else I should show you," Jules said.
Kaelen looked up.
"What?"
"My storage."
"Your what?"
Jules held out her hand.
A sealed package of dried beans appeared on the table.
Tavian jerked backward.
"WHAT?"
Jules retrieved a bag of rice.
Jorin leaned forward.
"Where was that?"
"In storage."
"Yeah, but where?"
"Somewhere separate from here."
Daric reached for the bag.
"Can you put it back?"
Jules did.
The bag disappeared.
Tavian stared at the empty table.
"Okay. That's actually useful."
Kaelen rubbed his forehead.
"So you can store supplies without needing a physical warehouse?"
"Yes."
"Then why did you rent two warehouses?"
"Because deliveries have to go somewhere first. I can't have trucks showing up at our house with everything."
Kaelen considered that.
"And you need to be near the supplies to store them?"
"Yes."
"Can you store anything?"
"I haven't tested every limit."
"Is there a weight restriction?"
"I don't know."
"A size restriction?"
"I don't know."
"Can anyone else access it?"
"I don't know."
Kaelen was silent for a moment.
"Then we can't build our entire logistics plan around it until we understand those limits."
Jules frowned.
"I've already used it."
"Successfully, yes. But what happens if you can't access it when we need something?"
"I don't know."
"And if you're injured?"
Jules went still.
Kaelen noticed.
"Jules, I'm not trying to upset you. I'm asking what the rest of us are supposed to do if you're unavailable."
She stared at the table.
She hadn't considered that.
Not properly.
In her mind, she'd always been there to retrieve the supplies.
But what if she wasn't?
What if—
No.
She pushed the thought away.
"I'll figure it out."
Kaelen shook his head.
"That's not a plan."
"Let's talk about medical supplies," Serina said.
She pulled a notebook toward her.
"If we're preparing for major disasters, we need to know what kinds of injuries and illnesses to expect."
Jules nodded.
"Contaminated water is going to be a big problem. A lot of people get sick when clean water becomes difficult to find."
"Diarrheal illnesses?"
"Yes. Fever, vomiting, dehydration. Sometimes entire shelters are affected."
Serina began writing.
"Respiratory infections?"
"Those too."
"Wound infections?"
Jules nodded.
"People get hurt trying to escape. Some wounds never heal properly."
Serina looked up.
"Never?"
"Not when there's no medicine. Or when they can't keep the wounds clean."
Her mother studied her.
"How do you know that?"
Jules froze.
"I just know."
Serina set down her pen.
"Jules."
"What?"
"You keep saying you've seen things. You describe these illnesses like you were there."
Jules looked away.
"I've done a lot of research."
"Research doesn't usually make someone speak like that."
Jules didn't answer.
Serina waited.
Then she sighed.
"All right. Let's focus on what you can tell me."
She glanced at her notes.
"This strange gas you mentioned. How long after exposure do symptoms appear?"
"I don't know."
"Does everyone exposed become infected?"
"No. Not everyone."
"How do you know who will become sick?"
"I don't."
"Is it contagious before symptoms appear?"
"I don't know."
"Do the infected develop a fever? Respiratory symptoms? Neurological changes?"
Jules hesitated.
"It varies."
"Varies how?"
"I don't remember every detail."
Serina stopped writing.
"Jules, you're asking me to prepare for a disease you can't identify."
"I know."
"Then I need you to understand something. I can't just order a collection of medications and assume we'll be able to treat it."
"We can get antibiotics."
"Antibiotics won't treat every infection."
"Then antivirals."
"Those aren't universal treatments either."
"What about probiotics?"
"They can have specific uses, but they're not a substitute for treating an infection or dehydration."
Jules rubbed her forehead.
"Mom, I'm not saying any one thing is going to fix everything. I'm saying we need to have as much as possible."
"And I'm telling you that having supplies isn't the same as knowing how to use them safely."
Jules looked up.
Serina's voice had become firmer.
"Insulin needs appropriate storage and monitoring. Some medications expire. Others require prescriptions, trained staff, or equipment we may not have. An MRI machine isn't useful if we can't power, maintain, or operate it."
"I know that."
"Then let me do my job."
Jules blinked.
Serina looked at her for a moment.
"I'm a doctor, Jules. If you're asking me to help prepare this family medically, I need to be allowed to make medical decisions. I can't work from a list of things you remember people needing."
Jules felt her cheeks grow warm.
"I wasn't trying to tell you how to do your job."
"Then stop treating every question like I'm arguing with you."
The words stung.
Serina sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap at you."
Jules looked down.
Her mother continued more quietly.
"I spent this morning watching my daughter disappear in front of me. Now you're telling me about diseases I can't identify, hospitals collapsing, and people dying because they can't get treatment."
She paused.
"Do you have any idea how frightening that is for me?"
Jules swallowed.
"Yes."
"Then understand that I'm frightened too."
The room fell quiet.
Serina looked at her notebook.
"We can prepare for the things we know. Clean water. Sanitation. Wound care. Chronic illnesses. Emergency medicine. We can investigate equipment suppliers and what it would take to establish a properly equipped private clinic."
She looked back at Jules.
"But I need you to trust my judgment."
Jules nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Serina reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
"That's all I'm asking."
"We can help with the warehouses," Daric said.
Kaelen looked up.
"What?"
"Jorin and I. We can check deliveries and keep track of what's arriving."
Jorin nodded.
"Take pictures, compare things with the invoices, make sure nothing's damaged."
"You're both sixteen," Serina said.
"We know, Mom."
"And you have school."
"So does Jules," Daric replied.
"That's different."
"How?"
Serina opened her mouth, then paused.
Daric leaned forward.
"We're not asking to run the whole operation. But we're old enough to help."
"And drive," Jorin added. "As long as we're following the rules."
Kaelen considered them.
"I don't want either of you handling machinery or unloading heavy equipment."
"Fine," Daric said.
"Or signing for expensive shipments without authorization."
"Fine."
"And you'll need an adult involved when the warehouse requires one."
Daric sighed.
"Dad."
"I'm serious."
"So are we."
Jorin leaned toward Daric.
"Actually, I think we should start with the inventory records. If we don't know what's coming, we're going to waste time driving back and forth."
Daric frowned.
"We need to see the warehouses first."
"Why?"
"To know how much room there is."
"We can get the dimensions."
"That's not the same thing."
Jorin rolled his eyes.
"You're just looking for an excuse to drive."
Daric turned toward him.
"You're the one who brought up driving!"
"Because you said—"
"Enough," Kaelen interrupted.
Both boys stopped.
He looked between them.
"You're proving why we need a plan before anyone goes anywhere."
Tavian raised his hand.
"I volunteer to supervise."
Daric answered immediately.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll somehow get us banned from the warehouse."
"That happened one time."
Everyone turned toward him.
Tavian blinked.
"...Different warehouse."
Kaelen closed his eyes.
"I don't even want to know."
A few people laughed.
Jules didn't.
She was staring at the growing collection of notes.
Warehouses.
Medical supplies.
Contracts.
Transportation.
Every conversation seemed to produce more questions.
More things she hadn't considered.
More reasons her plans weren't good enough.
And they hadn't even discussed the tower.
"There's one more thing," Jules said.
Kaelen looked up.
"What?"
"The apartment."
He sighed.
"I was wondering when we'd get back to that."
Jules opened the property information she'd saved.
"Pinnacle Tower. In Clearwater."
Kaelen studied the images.
"That's where you put the deposit?"
"Yes. Apartment 18A."
"And why that building?"
"It's tall, it's relatively secure, and the residential section is separated from the commercial floors. There's controlled access, multiple levels, and a lot of space."
Kaelen scrolled.
"Five commercial floors below the residential tower."
"Yes."
"And twenty-two residential floors."
Jules nodded.
"But 18A isn't the apartment I actually want."
Kaelen stopped scrolling.
"Of course it isn't."
Jules ignored his tone.
"I want Floor 22."
He looked at her.
"The penthouse?"
"Yes."
"Jules, do you have any idea how much that property costs?"
"Approximately ten million Sol."
Tavian made a choking sound.
"Ten MILLION?"
Jorin stared at Jules.
"Are you trying to bankrupt Dad?"
"No!"
"Because you're doing a pretty good job."
Kaelen held up a hand.
"Enough."
He looked back at Jules.
"Why the penthouse?"
She hesitated.
"I need ownership of the top floor. Not just access. Ownership."
"For what?"
"Something connected to my ability."
Kaelen waited.
Jules said nothing.
"That's all you're going to tell me?"
"For now."
He leaned back.
"Jules, you're asking me to consider spending ten million sol on a property because you say you need it."
"Yes."
"And you can't explain what makes that property worth ten million sol to us."
"It's important."
"Important isn't an explanation."
"I know, but—"
"Why isn't Apartment 18A enough?"
"Because it isn't."
"Why?"
"Dad."
"Jules."
She looked away.
Kaelen closed the property listing.
"No."
Her head snapped up.
"What?"
"I'm not authorizing a ten-million-sol purchase based on that explanation."
"But we need it!"
"Then tell me why."
"I told you. It's connected to my ability."
"How?"
Jules opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
She couldn't tell him what the Apex Core would do.
She didn't know herself.
All she knew was that the System had identified the tower and required the top floor.
That had been enough for her.
But apparently it wasn't enough for anyone else.
"Can you at least call the agency?" she asked.
"To ask what?"
"Whether it's available."
"It's under contract, Jules."
"The company buying it is being investigated. Their assets are frozen."
"And that doesn't automatically terminate a contract."
"I know!"
Kaelen looked at her.
"Then stop acting like I'm refusing to help because I won't immediately do what you're asking."
Jules felt something inside her tighten.
"I'm not!"
"You've been doing it all morning."
She stared at him.
Kaelen continued.
"Every time someone asks a question, you get frustrated. Every time we point out a problem, you tell us there's no time. And when we ask you to explain something important, you tell us you can't."
"Because I can't!"
"Then you need to accept that we can't make every decision based on information you refuse to share."
Jules pushed back her chair.
It scraped loudly against the floor.
"Fine."
Everyone looked at her.
She stood.
"Forget it. I'll just do everything myself."
The room went silent.
Kaelen stared at her.
Then his expression hardened.
"That's exactly what got us into this position in the first place, Jules."
She turned toward him.
"What?"
"You made all these decisions alone. You spent money you didn't have permission to spend. You signed contracts without telling anybody. And now that we're asking questions, you're threatening to do it all again."
Jules felt her face grow hot.
"I was trying to protect everyone!"
"And we're trying to help you!"
"By questioning everything I do?"
"Yes!"
His voice rose.
"Because that's what people do when they're making decisions together!"
Jules flinched.
Kaelen took a breath, lowering his voice.
"You don't get to ask us to trust you with our lives and then decide we're not allowed to question your plans."
Jules stared at him.
Her heart was pounding.
He didn't understand.
None of them understood.
They hadn't seen what she'd seen.
They hadn't watched their food run out.
They hadn't heard Amira crying from hunger.
They hadn't stood helplessly while people they loved died.
They didn't know what happened when a decision came too late.
"You don't understand what happens when I get something wrong."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Kaelen went still.
Serina looked up sharply.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Jules froze.
Too much.
She looked down.
"Nothing."
"Jules," Kaelen said quietly.
She shook her head.
"I didn't mean—"
"Look at me."
She didn't.
"Jules."
Slowly, she raised her eyes.
Her father's anger had faded.
"Then help me understand what you can," he said. "Because I can't protect this family if you won't let me help."
Jules felt her throat tighten.
She wanted to tell him.
She wanted to tell him everything.
About the first life.
About the shelters.
About the times she'd searched for him in ruined buildings.
About how much she'd missed hearing his voice.
But the memories pressed against her so suddenly that she could barely breathe.
We tried.
We failed.
We buried them.
Her hands began to tremble.
Serina noticed immediately.
"Jules?"
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
Her mother stood and approached her.
Jules took a small step backward.
"Mom, please."
Serina stopped.
For a moment, she simply looked at her daughter.
Then she said, "Okay."
Jules blinked.
"We won't force you to explain everything today," Serina continued. "But you can't keep shutting us out whenever something becomes difficult."
Jules wiped quickly at her eyes.
"I don't want anyone to die."
The words were barely audible.
Nobody moved.
Jules stared at the floor.
"I don't want to lose any of you."
Serina's expression crumpled.
"Oh, sweetheart."
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Jules.
This time, Jules didn't pull away.
She held onto her mother.
For a few seconds, she couldn't speak.
Kaelen stood beside them.
"We don't want to lose anyone either," he said.
Jules closed her eyes.
He rested a hand against the back of her head.
"But if we're going to get through whatever's coming, we need to work together."
Jules nodded against her mother's shoulder.
"I know."
"That means you let us ask questions."
Another nod.
"And it means you don't make ten-million-sol decisions without talking to me."
Despite everything, Jules let out a shaky laugh.
"Okay."
Kaelen smiled faintly.
"Good."
From the table, Tavian cleared his throat.
"So... are we allowed to ask questions again, or is that still dangerous?"
Daric smacked his arm.
"Ow!"
"Seriously?"
"What? I waited!"
Jules laughed through the last of her tears.
Serina shook her head.
"Tavian, give your sister a minute."
"That's what I was doing!"