18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 179

Having tidied the room, the two, accompanied by their dog, sat down to lunch in their humble abode in Arcadia. Rosie, however, was still fast asleep in the room. Knowing that time in Arcadia was precious, Jasper didn't rest. Instead, he helped Stella harvest the green beans in The Garden.

The beans were not yet mature, still in the green bean phase. The leaves and beans bore a vibrant green hue.

Given the long days ahead, Stella decided to turn them all into pickled beans. She figured it would be a good pastime to munch on them alongside some jerky. Cooper, the dog, was not one to be outdone. He bit into the bean sprouts and pulled them out at a remarkable speed, albeit with a lack of precision.

He was really competitive!

Harvesting the beans, washing them, adding pickling spices, and cooking them was their routine.

After teaching Jasper the process, Stella returned to her room for a nap. Waking around five, she was about to roll over when she felt a hand resting on her waist. Jasper was spooning her, fast asleep. Had she been that sound asleep? She hadn't even heard him enter the room. Was she too relaxed, or was he just that stealthy? Stella nudged him, "Quit pretending, I know you're awake."

Jasper opened his eyes, only to pull her closer. With their bodies close and eyes locked, she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. Stella felt her mind go blank, her gaze involuntarily shifted away. Suddenly, Jasper leaned in for a kiss. Stella froze for a moment, feeling her body betray her. She didn't push him away. And so, they found comfort in each other's presence.

He didn't push things further. He held her for a long while before his breathing steadied, "Stella, do you think the marriage office is still open?"

Stella considered, "Probably not."

"Once this disaster is over, we'll go and get our marriage certificate."

Stella threw a pillow at him, "I never said anything about marrying you."

Jasper gazed at her, "But I want to take care of you. Aren't you going to give me a chance?"

"Bark, bark, bark!"

Outside, Cooper was causing a commotion, calling for his trainer to start their practice. Jasper felt exasperated as his confession was interrupted.

the bed, laughing so hard it hurt, "Go on, Cooper is

end, Cooper collapsed on the grass, panting and unable to get up.

initiated, "Stella, shall

want to waste it. At this time, it was already dark outside, which meant

Stella caressed her cheek, "Sorry, kiddo. All for the sake of peace and

ready, they quickly

it was retracted back into Arcadia. Thankfully, it had landed on a flat area rather than the villa's rooftop. Otherwise, it would have rolled all the way down from the hilltop. The good news was that the tsunami

her night-vision binoculars, but the tsunami had destroyed

beyond their field of vision.

retracting the escape pod back into Arcadia, Stella was about to return to the villa with her flashlight when Cooper suddenly tensed up, growling softly. Jasper furrowed his brows, "Someone's

was likely that some had survived. As for what kind of people they were, that was another story. Jasper

task,

villa's front door was wide open. On the ground was a fire pit for light, and there were about almost twenty people, either sitting or standing. Their clothes were ragged, and

by their appearances, they were

Stella took a closer look and found him vaguely familiar. It seemed like she

soldiers since they arrived at

was actually the soldier who had distributed relief

blood. His thigh was particularly bloody because of a tourniquet. His face was pale, indicating significant blood loss. Being injured to this extent in a tsunami

survived three years in a post-apocalyptic world, Stella knew exactly what those looks meant. Simultaneously, she noticed something off about Jasper. She gently held his hand, sensing his icy stiffness and the

"I'll go first."

a rusty

and stuttered, "But, that man

a mouthful of yellow teeth, "Kid,

without uttering another

knife and stepped forward. The fire pit flickered, casting eerie shadows on the man's

stepped forward with her assault rifle, "Well, what