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.

laughing so hard it hurt, "Go on, Cooper is calling

crawls. In the end, Cooper

dinner around seven, Jasper initiated, "Stella, shall we go out and

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

her cheek, "Sorry, kiddo. All for

they quickly left

rolled

destroyed everything. The sea was pitch dark,

away, beyond their field of vision. Presumably, the sea hadn't receded

to the villa with her flashlight

they were, that was another story.

on the task, staying close

flicker of firelight. Having lived there for a month, Stella knew her way around. She saw that the 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 their faces were dirty. Their

were the lowest

uniform, appearing to be a soldier. Stella took

interacted with soldiers since they arrived at the beach a month ago.

was actually the soldier who

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 was tantamount to a death sentence. Apparently, the people surrounding him realized this. Their expressions were complex

world, Stella knew exactly what those looks meant. Simultaneously, she noticed something off about Jasper. She

"I'll go first."

a rusty knife from his

next to him looked scared and stuttered,

man smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, "Kid, are

back, retreating into the crowd without uttering another word. The

flickered, casting eerie shadows

forward with her assault rifle, "Well,