Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Sierra Can’t Be This Selfish

Candice Tate nodded obediently. "I’m hungry!"

"Then what would you like to eat? You can have anything you want!"

"Really? Anything?"

Seeing Candice Tate’s sparkling eyes, Sierra Sullivan was amused. She nodded emphatically. "Of course. I said you can have anything you want, and I mean it! I won’t lie to you!"

"Then... can I have instant noodles?"

As soon as the words were out, her expression grew timid.

Sierra Sullivan truly hadn’t expected it. Of all things, Candice Tate wanted instant noodles!

’She had so much delicious food in her storage space.’

’And she’d said she could have anything.’

’But in the end, what Candice Tate chose was... instant noodles!’

Perhaps because Sierra Sullivan didn’t answer for a while, Candice Tate grew even more nervous.

"Is it... not okay?"

Her voice was much quieter than before.

Hearing this, Sierra Sullivan instantly snapped out of it and quickly shook her head. "You can! Of course, you can!"

"You’re the best!"

Seeing the beaming Candice Tate, Sierra Sullivan realized she had indeed been wrong just now.

’Adults and children think differently, and their likes and dislikes are different too.’

’To many adults, instant noodles were something you ate to make do when you had no other choice.’

’But for a child, it was completely different.’

’Instant noodles held a natural, powerful allure for them.’

Having figured this out, Sierra Sullivan didn’t dwell on it any longer.

She told Candice Tate to wait in the living room, then went into the bedroom. A moment later, she came out with a number of things.

A portable gas stove and an army stew pot with all sorts of ingredients already arranged inside.

There were also two packs of tonkotsu ramen.

"Let’s eat the vegetables and meat first, and then we’ll cook the instant noodles, okay?"

For Candice Tate, just getting to have instant noodles was enough, but she had no problem eating other things too. So she nodded obediently and readily agreed.

Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, not a proper mealtime.

’But what did that matter?’

’If you want to eat, you eat!’

Sierra Sullivan turned on the stove. Soon, the water in the pot began to boil, and a fragrant aroma started to spread.

As she smelled the rich, enticing aroma, a problem occurred to Sierra Sullivan.

’This smell... it would probably drift out from under the door and be smelled by the people outside...’

Previously, to avoid this very thing, Sierra Sullivan and Jayce would deliberately go into their space to eat strong-smelling food, only coming out after they had finished and cleaned up.

But now that Candice Tate was here, she couldn’t do that anymore.

Sierra Sullivan didn’t dwell on it for long, quickly putting the matter out of her mind.

’Anyway, whether she ate or not, whether the smell got out or not, in the eyes of those people outside, she was someone with a lot of supplies.’

’Since that was the case, there was no need to be secretive and make herself miserable.’

Having thought this through, Sierra Sullivan smiled at Candice Tate. "Hurry and eat, Candice. After you’re done, we’ll go downstairs for a bit."

Candice Tate didn’t ask what they were going downstairs to do, just meekly agreed, "Okay!"

The army stew had a rich variety of ingredients.

For the two of them, with their current appetites, they could easily finish it all.

Not only that, but they also split the two packs of ramen cooked in the pot, eating every last noodle.

After finishing the noodles, Sierra Sullivan went to the bedroom again and brought out the half watermelon from before.

No need to slice it. They each grabbed a spoon and dug right in.

The watermelon was sweet and juicy—clearly the number one choice for a post-meal fruit!

While Sierra Sullivan and Candice Tate were happily eating inside, the people in the hallway grew restless.

Lately, the meager amount of food they had each day was just enough to keep them alive.

But seeing everyone around them in the same boat, they had grown numb and accepted it.

But now, they smelled a rich aroma.

Instantly, everyone’s cravings were triggered.

’They had to ration every sip of water, yet someone else was eating army stew!’

’It’s not fair!’

"I know that smell! It’s coming from under the door on the thirty-sixth floor!"

"It’s Sierra Sullivan!"

"What right does Sierra Sullivan have to eat so well!"

"She has so many supplies, what’s wrong with sharing some with us?"

"She’s just one person, what right does she have to live in such a big apartment!"

"Her boyfriend... that powerful Water Ability User, he left alone this morning and hasn’t come back yet. It’s just Sierra Sullivan and some little brat in there now! We can knock on the door, have a ’nice chat’ with her, and teach her not to be so cold-blooded!"

The one who said this was a woman, her voice full of temptation.

Normally, even if they heard such words, no one would have been swayed.

Jayce had only left; he wasn’t dead. He would be back.

If they tried to pull something now, would they have any peace once Jayce returned?

But now, because of the aroma in the air, their reason had vanished.

The woman’s words were like a demon whispering in their ears, stirring up every emotion in their hearts.

The woman received no response, but she wasn’t discouraged. She continued to instigate.

"Sierra Sullivan can bring some little brat back from outside, give her a place to stay, and give her food. We’ve been living outside her door for so long, we’re practically neighbors. It’s only right that she give us a little something to eat and drink, and let us come inside to rest, right? The apocalypse is tough, we’re supposed to help each other! Aren’t the capable supposed to help the incapable?"

"If you’re all too embarrassed, I can take the lead. For the sake of everyone getting a hot meal and a chance to rest indoors, I’m willing to be the bad guy!"

As she spoke, the woman stood up and walked directly toward Sierra Sullivan’s door.

The people who had just been hesitating saw the woman reach Sierra Sullivan’s door. One by one, they were emboldened and all stood up to follow.

"Yeah! We’re just going to reason with Sierra Sullivan!"

"Sierra Sullivan can’t be so selfish!"

"She’s capable, so she should help us! When we’re capable in the future, we can help her too!"

As these people spoke, their voices grew louder and louder, each one trying to top the other.

Perhaps they didn’t even realize it themselves, but they weren’t saying these things for others to hear—they were saying them to convince themselves.

Finally gaining their approval, and with so many people backing her, the woman felt her confidence swell. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

’She’d like to see how Sierra Sullivan, all alone with a little brat and no man to rely on, would face the wrath of so many people.’

’With all of them, one punch each would be enough to smash this door down.’

’If each of them spat once, they could drown Sierra Sullivan!’

’When that time comes, she wanted to see if Sierra Sullivan could still act so high and mighty!’

’We’re all survivors, so what gives her the right to be so clean and superior?’

’She was going to drag Sierra Sullivan down to rock bottom!’