The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 221

Chapter 221

Like always, nothing got past Zeph.

Nicole curled her toes against the floor and played dumb. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea. I wasn’t guarding against you.”

She decided to act completely normal and let Zeph deal with the tension.

“Do you want to know?” he suddenly asked.

“Know what?”

“My secret.”

Nope. Nicole absolutely didn’t want to know. She still wanted to stay alive and had zero interest in getting silenced afterward.

Zeph kept planting potatoes. “I believe time will reveal everything.”

She paused. What was that supposed to mean?

Something about the conversation felt off, and Nicole shifted uncomfortably. “Sorry. I’ve always been like this. I’m naturally suspicious, and it’s hard for me to really open up to people.”

Getting a second chance at life didn’t magically erase the PTSD. She had been trying hard to manage it, though. Compared to the beginning, she was already doing much better.

Zeph gave the same answer as before. “You’re fine. I’d probably be the same way.”

Okay… Wasn’t that a little contradictory?

Still, she decided to forget it. It was better to play dead.

After finishing with the potatoes, the two of them headed over to Hughie’s place to start cooking.

The three households agreed to cook and eat together through Christmas and New Year’s, covering both lunch and dinner every day.

Unfortunately, everyone in the group ate like bottomless pits. The holiday supplies Nicole had stocked up on weren’t nearly enough, so the three households had to pool together extra food.

Nicole contributed five pounds of frozen potatoes and a fish.

Then she remembered Cola, that bottomless pit disguised as a dog, and reluctantly tossed in a few extra pounds of grain and some noodles.

Zeph brought a bag of frozen pears, ten preserved salted eggs, and two pounds of pork belly.

Hughie’s group brought charcoal, gas, rice, cooking oil, snacks, and a few bottles of liquor.

No matter the circumstances, Christmas Eve always carried a different kind of warmth.

+15 Bonus

Zeph handled the cooking while Nicole stood nearby, acting like some battlefield strategist, pointing things out from the sidelines. Before long, rich aromas filled the kitchen.

Hughie stood watch on the balcony and caught the scent of meals drifting from neighboring apartments.

Yeah… Still nowhere near as good as the food from the 18th floor.

Still, during this frozen apocalypse, being able to celebrate Christmas at all already felt like a blessing.

The authorities had gone out of their way to boost morale for the holidays, even distributing an extra pound of relief grain to every survivor.

It didn’t sound like much per person, but Westbridge still had a huge surviving population. Altogether, the amount of grain handed out was staggering.

A huge spread covered the table, with roast meat, mashed potatoes, thick stew, and a giant pot of steaming rice filling every inch of space.

There were no fireworks this Christmas, but the sense of ceremony still mattered.

Hughie cranked up the music, threw open the front door, and announced dinner like some overexcited party host, instantly filling the apartment with noise and laughter.

With two professional mood-makers around, the meal turned surprisingly lively.

There weren’t many people there, but it was Nicole’s first time spending Christmas Eve with this kind of warmth and atmosphere. She still had no idea what the future held, yet a faint warmth lingered quietly in

her chest.

Hopefully, next year, everyone would still be here.

Jeremy lifted his glass. “Zeph, your cooking’s getting better and better.”

Hughie laughed. “Of course it is. You can tell he’s got a good woman…ahem, I mean, teacher behind him.”

Nicole frowned. Those two were definitely asking to get beaten up again.

Zeph stayed perfectly calm, his expression steady and composed. “Yeah. Nicole taught me well.”

Nicole looked over at Jeremy and Hughie, smiling sweetly enough to send chills down their spines.

Come on. Eat.”

Uh-oh

Every time she showed that signature smile, somebody ended up getting hit. The two men instantly felt their hearts skip.

“Right, right, let’s eat already,” Hughie said quickly. “Food’s gonna get cold.”

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