18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 67

Jasper, on the other hand, was likely grappling with the shadow of his past. His body involuntarily stalled and, in a blink, Stella over toppled him. She pinned him down with her long legs and twisted his arm with force.

Their bodies were entangled like a pretzel, but Stella clearly had the upper hand.

Jasper, however, found it amusing and, surprisingly, did not retaliate. "Not bad, you could defeat me with your wild punches."

Stella, feeling a bit guilty for using underhanded tactics, awkwardly got up. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

They continued to spar and after two hours, they were both soaked in sweat. Stella was flushed and panting. She felt exhilaratingly exhausted.

Rosie, clutching her rag doll, came back with her stomach rumbling. “I’m hungry. What are we having for dinner?”

Jasper looked at Stella and, oh great, was she supposed to cook again? She had plans to eat out with Cooper in Arcadia. But Jasper had done so much for her, and she felt embarrassed to refuse. As much as she didn't want to cook, she suggested, "How about pies?"

Rosie, not wanting to be subjected to her brother’s notorious cooking, clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes, yes, your pies are the best!"

They had chicken pies for lunch, and for dinner, they had fried apple pies.

Stella went to change her clothes and then taught Jasper how to cook fried apple pies. She had to admit, the pies smelled heavenly.

The crispy golden crust and the juicy filling were mouthwatering. Luckily, they were on the 18th floor, and it was raining outside, otherwise, they might have attracted unwanted attention.

Rosie, with a greasy mouth, patted her belly and boasted, "Look, I have a baby now."

Jasper grimaced.

“Kids,” Stella thought, trying not to laugh. Looked like Jasper had to give Rosie another lesson on biology.

After dinner, Jasper took the dishes from Stella. "I’ll handle the cleaning."

After helping Rosie with her homework, Stella bid them goodnight and headed home. Just as she opened her door, she ran into Lukas. "Stella, join us for some pie?"

"No thanks, I just had dinner."

She ate too much when she saw the two enjoying their meal.

Lukas smirked mysteriously at room 1801. "Well, if you change your mind, just come over."

His peculiar gaze left Stella puzzled and slightly uneasy, probably because she had left them out of their dinner plans, but Jasper hadn't invited them over, and she didn't want to overstep.

The pies were indeed delicious. She thought she could stock up on them next time.

In the following days, she stayed home, reading, exercising, and making clothes for her pets. The baby rabbits had all survived and were growing heavier. The largest one weighed about three pounds – it was about time for slaughter.

Snowy had given birth to a second litter, a whopping twelve babies. Unfortunately, their chances of survival were slim due to the timing of their birth.

Katie had resumed her acupuncture treatment after a few days break. Her health had improved significantly from the good food. She took out a bag filled with about three pounds of white powder and was beaming. "Stella, this is wild kudzu powder. I brought it especially for you to try."

Stella hesitated to accept this precious gift. "Let's discuss your situation first. If I can help, then I'll accept your gift."

Katie looked awkward. "You're too straightforward, kid..." She was truly grateful, but she also knew that the people on the 18th floor had connections to getting food supplies.

The Moore family had been digging up wild kudzu roots. Mikey had made a grinder that could grind the chopped roots into a pulp, which they then washed to extract the kudzu powder. They estimated they could produce more than a hundred pounds of powder.

If it weren't for the apocalypse, this would’ve been a highly sought-after product, but now, filling their bellies was the priority. The kudzu powder had many health benefits, but it wasn't filling.