The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 211

Chapter 211

Zeph paused for a moment before answering, “I grew up with parents who cared about me. School went fine, I graduated, and got a job. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

That answer sounded clean, almost too clean. There was no way someone like him didn’t have a story

behind him.

No one believed it. Not Hughie’s group, and not even Cola. He gave a sharp bark, as if calling Zeph out.

Still, no one pushed. Zeph’s presence alone made people think twice, and with Nicole staying silent, the others had no courage to dig deeper.

“Eat,” Nicole said, glancing at the table. “The food’s gonna get cold.”

Jeremy immediately picked up on it. “Right, right, let’s eat first.”

The moment they bit into the roasted pork, everything else faded. It was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, rich without being greasy, and packed with flavor, the kind of dish that made them feel human again after everything they had been through.

Hughie took a few more bites, slowing down as the satisfaction settled in. “Nicole, Christmas is coming up. How are we celebrating?”

Nicole didn’t mind either way. It made no difference to her.

Beatrice spoke up instead.

“What if the three of us cook together? It’ll feel more festive.”

Nicole and the others had never cared much about Christmas. It was meant for families gathering together, and that was something they no longer had.

Beatrice, though, was different. She still had a home somewhere, even if she couldn’t return to it now. That only made her want to hold on to the tradition even more.

Hughie’s expression softened slightly. Beatrice had once said she would bring him home for Christmas, let him meet her parents properly. None of them had expected everything to fall apart before that could happen.

He glanced at her, then forced a lighter tone. “Things have been rough enough. If we can make it feel a little festive, why not? Maybe by next year, everything will be back to normal.”

In the third year of the apocalypse, “festive” usually meant trouble, which was why Nicole had never liked

After returning to the 18th floor, however, the days had started to blur together. She spent most of her

time indoors. Even training with Zeph didn’t change much. He was quiet, speaking only when necessary, and never the type to fill silence.

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Jeremy and Hughie were the opposite. They were easygoing and loud in a harmless way, the kind of people who had grown up relying on each other. Being around them, Nicole found herself relaxing more than she expected.

“I’m fine with it,” she said.

Zeph had no objections either. Cooking clearly wasn’t his strength anyway.

Poppy, on the other hand, lit up instantly. “Really? I finally get to spend Christmas with you, Zeph!”

Zeph reached out and gently rubbed her head. “Yeah. I don’t have work this year. I’ll stay with you.”

Something about the way he said it lingered with Nicole. It didn’t sound like a promise for just this year. It felt longer than that, stretching quietly into the future.

After they finished the grilled fish, they tossed noodles onto the grill, letting them soak up the leftover sauce and juices. No one held back. By the time they were done, they were full to the point of discomfort, leaning back with satisfied sighs.

This is what living’s supposed to feel like. We only get meat and drinks when Nicole’s around.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Nicole said, her tone steady as she glanced at the ones still recovering. “That’s about all I have, and I’ve already gone through most of it.”

“We’ve still got frozen meat,” Hughie added, “but with our cooking, we’d probably just ruin it.”

Nicole shook her head. “The roasted pork wasn’t mine. Zeph made it.”

Hughie clicked his tongue. “That’s not fair. You taught him, but not me. One of these days, you’ve got to teach me, too. I wanna cook for Beatrice.”

Nicole turned to Jeremy, goosebumps prickling along her arms. “Man… I suddenly feel sorry for you.”

Jeremy stood off to the side, looking like he might actually cry. Staying alive really wasn’t easy.

After eating their fill, their clothes heavy with the smell of smoke and oil, Nicole headed back to her place. She locked the door behind her and stepped into her storage space, taking her time under a long,

hot shower.

When she came out, she changed into her pajamas and settled onto the bed with a book. As she read, she unwrapped the chocolate Zeph had given her.

They were liquor-filled chocolates; smooth, rich, and almost melting on the tongue.

It wasn’t hard to guess it was expensive.

When sleep started to catch up with her, she set the book aside and gathered the snacks. That was when she noticed the box more clearly.

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