Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 169: Will You Give Me A Chance?

Chapter 169: Will You Give Me A Chance?

Garvin scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really don’t get it, do you?" His voice was tight with frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. "You just said it yourself that you only did it because it was required. To defeat the organization leaders. To open the safe haven. That’s all it was to you. A task. A mission. Nothing more?" His jaw clenched, his eyes dark with something unreadable. "Did it mean nothing to you at all?"

Scarlett hesitated, searching his face. She had never seen this expression on him before, this raw mix of anger and hurt.

"I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Garvin," she said bluntly, exhaling heavily. "What else does this whole thing mean? We’re all doing certain things because it’s our duty. It’s what we have to do to survive."

Garvin’s body tensed, his fists clenching at his sides. "Stop talking about the others and talk about us," he snapped, his voice laced with something dangerously close to desperation. "I don’t care if others are doing things out of duty. I’m asking you...us. The sex we had earlier, back at the Kato Organization, was that just a duty to you?"

Scarlett didn’t blink. "Yeah. Why else would I have done it if not because of duty?" she answered, her tone cool and detached. "I thought I explained this to you, but if I didn’t, then now you know. To defeat all the organization leaders at once, we had to come together. And since you’re my mate, that’s why I slept with you. It was necessary."

A heavy silence fell between them. The only sounds were the distant chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Garvin let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "So that means if someone else was your mate, you would’ve done the same thing with them?" His voice was hoarse, the words cutting deep even as he spoke them. "What happened between us wasn’t special after all. It was just another duty to you. I’m the fool for thinking it meant something."

Scarlett frowned, confusion creasing her brow. "What are you talking about?" she asked, taking a step closer, but Garvin didn’t move. "What do you mean you’re a fool for believing it was special? Do you... do you see what happened between us as something else?"

"Yes!" Garvin blurted out, his voice rising with an intensity that sent a chill through Scarlett. His gaze locked onto hers, burning with emotions she wasn’t prepared to face.

She had noticed the signs before. The way he looked at her. The way his presence lingered near her even when unnecessary. The way he spoke to her in a tone softer than the one he used with others.

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel it too.

But she had chosen to ignore it.

Her ex husband had been the reason she ended up dead back on Earth. If not for the impending apocalypse, she would have stayed dead. That betrayal still haunted her, carved deep into her soul like a wound that refused to heal.

She wasn’t interested in following another man again, not when she hadn’t even gotten her revenge on her first husband for what he did to her.

Accepting Garvin’s feelings seemed impossible.

"What do you mean, yes?" Scarlett asked, her expression feigning confusion. "Are you sick or something?"

Garvin let out a frustrated sigh. "I’m not sick, Scarlett. What we shared at Kato Organization meant a lot to me. It wasn’t just some mission or obligation, it meant that I finally had the woman I cherish. It meant I could finally start protecting you, caring for you. It meant you belong to me, just as I belong to you." His voice was steady but laced with emotion. As he stepped closer, their gazes locked. "I love you, Scarlett. I’ve always loved you."

Scarlett’s breath hitched, but she quickly masked it with indifference.

Garvin continued, his voice filled with sincerity that made Scarlett’s heart ache. "I’ve loved you from the moment I met you. Through everything we’ve faced in this apocalypse, through the dangers, the victories, the moments in between, I’ve always thought about you."

His eyes softened as he studied her face. "And when you came to Kato Organization, to save me. I thought... maybe you had feelings for me too. And then you offered yourself to me, and I agreed because I was ready to take responsibility."

Scarlett’s throat felt tight.

Garvin ran a hand through his hair, frustration flickering across his face. "I’m glad you’re away from your ex-husband," he admitted, his voice lower now. "I always hated myself for standing by and watching you go into that marriage. But back then... we were just strangers. And by the time I realized how I felt about you, it was already too late. You were married."

His jaw clenched, as if the memory itself was unbearable. "I tried to hide my frustration. I tried to push you away at work, hoping you’d quit so I wouldn’t have to see you every day. I couldn’t bring myself to fire you, but I thought if you left, maybe I’d stop thinking about you." He let out a bitter chuckle. "But you didn’t leave. You endured everything I threw at you. And it made me even angrier, angry at myself, at my feelings, at the situation."

He exhaled sharply. "And then I heard you got into an accident... because of a fight with your husband. That was the worst day of my life." His voice wavered. "I hated myself for not stepping in sooner. I hated myself for ignoring your suffering. And when the doctor said you were dead..." He swallowed hard, his fists clenching. "I was ready to give up my own life and follow you."

Scarlett’s eyes widened slightly, her fingers twitching at her sides.

Garvin took a slow breath, steadying himself. "But then... we were given a second chance. This apocalypse, it feels like it happened for us. Like it exists just so we could have another shot. To figure out what we really mean to each other. My coming back to the cemetery where you were buried then wasn’t to pick up any useless pen as I claimed, but to end my life on your grave."

Scarlett let out a scoff, taking a step back. "You must be joking, Garvin."

His gaze didn’t waver. "I’m not. I’ve never been more serious in my life."

A tense silence stretched between them. Then Garvin spoke again, his voice softer. "I love you, Scarlett. I know all of this might feel like too much, so I can wait. I’ll wait for you to decide if you want me too."

Scarlett’s expression remained unreadable as she stared at him. Then she let out a short, humorless laugh. "When you said this before, I thought you were joking. I hated you with passion."

Garvin straightened, taking a step closer. "I know. And I regret it, regret everything I did to you at work. But I promise, I’ve changed. The old Garvin isn’t the one standing in front of you now."

Scarlett inhaled deeply before exhaling through her nose. "I hated you because you didn’t confess your feelings until after I was already married." She scoffed, crossing her arms. "How could you start loving me only after I was with another man?"

Garvin’s face tensed.

Scarlett’s voice grew sharper. "And you know why I stayed at your company despite the way you treated me? Because I wanted you to suffer. I wanted you to burn with jealousy. I wanted you to see me every single day and be reminded that you lost your chance. I knew it hurt you to watch me belong to someone else, and I wanted it to hurt. Because that’s exactly what I felt."

Garvin’s eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing.

Scarlett took a deep breath. "And then, when you suspected that I was in an abusive marriage, you didn’t step in. You didn’t come for me."

Garvin flinched, guilt flickering across his face. "Scarlett..." He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "I cared about you more than you knew. I did try to do something. I confronted your husband. But he told me to stay out of his business, that I had no right to interfere in his marriage. And you... I asked you if you were okay, and you said yes."

Scarlett let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah. Well. I wasn’t." She exhaled, shaking her head. "But it’s in the past now. I’m fine now."

Her gaze turned cold, determined. "And I know my ex-husband, his sister, and his mother are still out there. Once the announcement is made about the safe haven, they’ll show their faces, if they’re still alive. And if they are, I’m going to make sure they meet a dead end. They killed me on Earth." Her eyes darkened. "Now, it’s my turn."

Garvin’s expression hardened with understanding. "I agree. And I’ll help you." His voice was firm. "I promise, I won’t be like him. I won’t be another man who lets you down. I love you, Scarlett."

He reached out, gently grabbing her hand. "Will you just give me a chance? A chance to make up for my mistakes? A chance to prove that I’m not like him?"