18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 271

"Absolutely not!" Bran almost choked on his disbelief.

He'd admit, Stella was a looker, but women were the last thing he lacked. What kind of beauty hadn't he seen? Hollywood starlets, social media influencers, budding models, small-town girls... all he had to do was snap his fingers and they were his. "You're overthinking." Bran said dismissively, "I'm just intrigued by your mystery."

That was a relief. Stella would've been terrified to be on his radar, "So what?"

"I got curious, so I accidentally hit you with my car."

Stella laughed, "Bran, I'm curious about what goes on in your head. Should I crack it open with a knife to take a look?"

Yep, she was definitely the first woman to speak to him like that.

Bran looked uncomfortable, his eyes darting elsewhere, "I didn't expect such a big fuss today. My... my apologies."

Well, what a surprise! The rich boy apologizing. Had it been anyone else, Stella might not have let it go. But considering the vehicles and parts in Arcadia, and the swallowed pink diamond, she felt slightly uneasy.

Moreover, her ultimate goal was to continue living in the villa, and the Porras family wasn't to be messed with. Since he had given her an out, there was no need to push it.

"Of course, if you people insist on causing trouble, we're not afraid."

By "you people", she meant the self-proclaimed elites of the neighborhood. Her words were not only for Bran but also for those who thought highly of themselves.

Bran's pride took a hit, but considering his father's sudden change of attitude after meeting Evan, he decided to swallow his pride. He waved nonchalantly and strutted away. Cooper stubbornly remained where he was, staring at Bran's retreating figure, baring his teeth.

Stella patted him and turned to go home.

came

said he was attracted to me," Stella

sniffing, "You smell like

you jealous?" Stella laughed, "Don't

that, but he

little dazed." Stella sat down to explain, "Bran is the youngest of the Porras family, spoiled since childhood. Everyone praises him wherever he goes, which has fostered his arrogant and domineering behavior. But then he

anyone who dared disrespect the Porras family would probably be annihilated. After the bloodshed of the apocalypse, the Porras

case, as long as the Porras family didn't provoke

to deliver food. Stella

the next day he sent more things over. Drinks this time. He mentioned clearing up the misunderstanding and dropping the case at the police station. Stella ignored him, letting her vicious Cooper

several days. Eventually, they gradually adapted

allowed them to gradually transition to the greenhouse. If they had found seedlings in the wild,

herbs

Stella wanted to go into the mountains to find as many herbs as possible. Jasper had no objections. The other things could be moved into Arcadia, but it was hard to deal

of them. He really

of poultry and it might be too much for a child to handle. Moreover, everyone

for a moment and decided

that the family would be out for a few days, Austin readily agreed, "No problem, just bring them

the kid to

made from crushed corn and sweet potato sprouts. The three of them and the

it had probably been thoroughly searched by many people. They chose to enter the mountains from another direction in Ivywood Estates, aiming for an unexplored area. The seasons became more distinct, and many early-budding

lot of time teaching the siblings about herbs, and now they split up to search. Rosie was

day, they had gathered dozens of herbs, all of which were preserved in

mummy sleeping bags. She shared one

had stocked up on insect repellent, so Stella would regularly