Chapter 257


    Ste and Jasper had already celebrated their housewarming dinner on their own, feasting on


    delicacies like foie gras, filet mignon wrapped in Iberian ham and caviar, and a bottle of ''82 Lafite.


    Cooper had his share too and licked his te clean.


    When their neighbor Austin invited them over for his housewarming party, Ste couldn''t find a


    reason to refuse, so she readily agreed, "Sure."


    "Juste over, no need to bring anything." Knowing his son liked to y with Rosie, Austin


    specifically instructed, "Remember to bring Rosie and Cooper."


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Austin and his son lived in a sprawling vi. Whenever Monkey and others had no business, they


    woulde over, often gathering to eat or y cards together.


    The days werefortable, no doubt, but quite boring.


    Jasper was mostly silent, only bing particrly enthusiastic when making love with Ste. The


    rest of the time, he would work, read, practice, eat and sleep.


    It was mostly Ste who initiated conversations.


    While lying in bed, Ste yfully tickled him, "What should we gift Austin for his housewarming


    party?"


    Jasper, not adept at social etiquette, thought for a moment, "A bottle of wine and a pack of


    cigarettes?"


    Austincked nothing, and his housewarming party would be grand. The appetites of the three of


    them, plus Cooper, were not small, especially the food-loving dog.


    Ste agreed, "Sounds good."


    The next day, early in the morning, the neighborhood began to buzz with activity.


    Austin''s men brought their families over, the yard filled withughter and light-hearted teasing


    among the women while the children yed happily.


    Ste wasn''t fond of social gatherings, especially with unfamiliar people. Thankfully, the windows


    were soundproof, so she quickly closed them.


    Around eleven in the morning, the inte rang, "Jasper, bring everyone over for lunch."


    Soon, Dn knocked on the door, with several children following behind him, all here to pick up


    Rosie and Cooper.


    Ste, carrying the gift, joined the family heading across the street for lunch. As soon as they


    stepped out, Dn greeted them, "Hi, I''m here to y with Rosie."


    He even offered Rosie some candy. Rosie didn''t ept it, but instinctively looked at her brother.


    Jasper gave themand, "Rosie, say thank you."


    Rosie thanked Dn and epted the candy but didn''t eat it. She put it in her pocket.


    Dn pulled Rosie towards his house, "We have a swing at our house. You can sit on it."


    Compared to the two of them, the other children looked rather shabby, their clothes and shoes old.


    They were better off than most children in the slums though. They just seemed out of ce in the


    wealthy neighborhood.


    As they entered, they found Monkey in the front yard, his ear being pulled by a tall woman in a red


    dress, "Did you ignore what I said?"


    Monkey was in pain, and all he could do was beg, "Geez, honey, be gentle. Today is the boss''


    housewarming party. Give me some dignity."


    One was thin, short, and unattractive, while the other was morous and tall, excessively eye-


    catching.


    Ste finally understood why Monkey was willing to splurge on a house. If she could marry such a


    beautiful woman, she wouldn''t mind being broke either.


    Upon seeing the neers, the woman hid her punishing hand and Monkey, rubbing his ear,


    greeted Ste with a smile, "You''re here. Let me introduce you, this is my wife, Miranda."


    Ste greeted with a smile, "Hello, Miranda."


    Just as she had guessed, even in the post-apocalyptic world, Monkey treated his wife like a


    treasure, letting her hit and scold him without retaliating, holding her in his hand as if she might


    break, cherishing her as if she might melt in his mouth.


    Upon seeing Ste, Miranda was surprised, "I met you a few days ago, on the third floor of our


    building."


    So this was the ''Miss'' Monkey had talked about. Miranda had imagined an older woman in her


    thirties or forties, not a young woman in her early twenties.


    Young, beautiful, with smooth and rosy skin, and delicate features. In the post-apocalyptic world,


    she shone brightly, making Miranda, who was always confident, feel inferior.


    Ste nodded, "Yeah, what a coincidence."


    After exchanging pleasantries, Ste and Jasper entered the living room. It was their first time


    visiting Austin''s house, and they were impressed by theyout and decoration, especially the door


    installed at the staircase, just like in their own house.


    Austin''s crew was all there. Some were ying cards, some were chatting and eating peanuts,


    while the women were busy setting the table and cooking.


    Unlike Miranda, their status at home was rtively low, as everything was decided by their


    breadwinning husbands.


    However, the men envied Monkey. If they had such a beautiful woman, they would be willing to be


    her servant, even if it meant being a workhorse.


    After exchanging greetings with everyone, Ste handed Austin their gift.


    A bottle of posh liquor and a pack of premium cigarettes, raremodities that even Austin found


    difficult to source, especially after the major earthquake.


    These two were quite resourceful.


    Austin didn''t usually smoke this kind of premium brands, and the smell was addictive. He


    immediately opened the pack, shared some with his men, and offered one to Jasper.


    Jasper politely declined, "No thanks, I don''t smoke."


    The others weren''t as polite, they inhaled the smoke as if they were cats sniffing catnip,pletely


    entranced.


    The housewarming feast was extravagant, with smoked chicken, duck, and pork, pork belly, and a


    variety of seafood. Drinks and liquor were also served.


    There were four tables in total, one for men, one for Austin and his son along with Ste and her


    family, and two for the women and children.


    Monkey voluntarily sat with his wife.


    Miranda was fiery and cunning; she secretly added meat to her husband''s bowl.


    Everyone wished Austin well and took their seats to eat.


    Ste noticed that although Austin was all smiles, he seemed less enthusiastic than a few days ago.


    He asionally nced outside, appearing a bit disappointed. From the looks of it, there were


    empty seats. The guests he had really invited hadn''t arrived.


    In the post-apocalyptic world, where tomorrow was uncertain, the only thing not to be wasted was


    good food. Ste put her thoughts aside and focused on eating.


    Several of the dishes were delicious, while others were a pity. Ste shared the tasty ones with


    Rosie.


    It had been a long time since it was this lively. Four tables filled with people dining together, men


    drinking beer, women chatting away, children eagerly digging into their tes of food, causing an


    uproar every now and then.


    The noise was so intense that it made Ste''s ears ring.


    Especially these second-hand dealers, not only were they great at selling stuff, but they sure knew


    how to boast.


    The scent of meat, vegetables, and constant chatter intertwined.


    Austin and the others were relentless in encouraging drinks, to the point where even Jasper, who


    hardly touched alcohol, had a few rounds. Ste also had some.


    After filling up on food and drink, it was time to make a quick exit, or else they''d be chatting non-


    stop for days.


    The children surrounded Cooper, and their desire for the meat couldn’t be hidden. Cooper''s mood


    was far from pleasant. He constantly felt like there were troublemakers out to get him. In the end, he


    didn''t even touch a single bite of food.


    "Woof."


    Rosie took out a piece of jerky to feed him, "Don''t be scared, Cooper."


    Scared? He was more concerned about identally killing someone and potentially upsetting his


    owner.


    Stuffed to the gills, they took a stroll around the vi district.


    Beautiful, stylish houses lined the streets, with white picket fences, gardens, fountains, swimming


    pools, sun umbres, and beach chairs. Each house was a showpiece, decorated artistically,


    making visitors feel like they''d been transported to a romantic, exotic locale.


    However, two vis stood out like a sore thumb.


    A majority of the vis were upied, some powered by sr panels, others by generators. Rich


    ladies gathered in groups for tea parties, their makeup immacte, their dresses beautiful.


    Fortunately, Ste wasn''t one for envy, but she did enjoy the view.


    That was the beauty of living in a vi district, you could unt your wealth without a worry. Here,


    showing off was the norm.


    After a long walk, they noticed the prime vi had not only been renovated but also extended with a


    new structure, looking as magnificent as a fairy-tale castle.


    On the main road, richdies were dressed in designer dress, men in suits and leather shoes, and


    the youngdies in exquisite dresses revealing their shoulders and backs.


    These were the rich of the vi district, now standing on either side of the main road, whispering to


    each other. To an outsider, it would seem they were awaiting a VIP.


    Ste nced at the prime vi, "I guess the Porras family is dropping by."


    "Who are the Porras family?" asked Jasper, who despite living in Griffith for over a decade, was still


    unfamiliar with the town gossip.


    "The wealthiest family in Griffith, they made their fortune in real estate. Just a year before the


    disaster, they topped the national rich list."


    To jog his memory, Ste continued, "Although Griffith isn''trge, it boasts of numerous millionaires.


    The three super SUVs we picked up? They belonged to the Porras family''s third son."


    As she''d finished speaking, the wealthy residents of the main road started to line up to wee the


    neers.