That night was destined to be unusually long.
Chloe finally had what she'd desperately longed for—a warm room.For the first time since the end of the world, she could lie down and truly rest.
Ethan locked the door from the outside, sliding the only key into his pocket.
Business was business, but the basics still mattered.Even if he believed Chloe was a decent person, letting her in and giving her a shot at survival was already more than generous.
He wasn't about to drop his guard anytime soon.
After that, Ethan took a hot shower and headed to bed himself.
He slept deep and long, waking up hours later with a sharp, refreshed gaze.
Having a woman around... made life feel a bit less empty.It added a human touch. Always being alone, day after day—he sometimes worried that isolation might one day drive him mad.
After all, humans were social creatures.
Still, that was only if the woman behaved—and remained harmless.
Ethan checked the surveillance feed.
Chloe was still curled up in bed, fast asleep.
She hadn't moved.She must have been too exhausted to even stir—finally letting her guard down after days of freezing torment.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, got dressed, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
After finishing his morning routine, he walked into the living room and pulled out some food from his storage space, placing it on the coffee table.
Then, he headed to Chloe's room door and unlocked it.
He knocked politely, even though he could see everything in the house on camera anyway.
After all, if they were going to live together long-term, some basic manners were still necessary.
"Come out and get something to eat."
From inside the room, Chloe's sleepy voice came through the door, soft and full of fatigue.
"Okay... I'll be right out."
Ethan returned to the table, picked up a beef and cheese burger, and walked over to the window.
After last night's blizzard, the chunk of ice on the neighboring balcony had grown even larger.A pristine white snow layer now blanketed it, but underneath the frost he could still make out the twisted outlines of ten frozen corpses.
Chloe walked out of the room, her expression slightly flushed when she saw Ethan.
She was a top medical graduate from an elite university—always proud, always cold to men.
She had held onto her purity all this time, never letting anyone close—not a husband, not a lover.
But now?
In the apocalypse, in exchange for survival... she had given herself to a man she barely knew.
And yet, looking at Ethan—tall, steady, his handsome face calm and unshakable—she felt safe.There was something about him that grounded her.
No matter how strong-willed a woman was, her heart always remembered her first.
Ethan was genuinely pleased with Chloe. Beautiful face, great body—what guy wouldn't be?
Still, love wasn't something he had room for yet.
Maybe one day, if she proved herself trustworthy over time, he'd open his heart again.
Maybe.
He gestured to the food on the table.
Chloe followed his gaze and saw steaming hot burgers, fried chicken, and a pile of golden fries.
These weren't just any rations—they were premium fast food from before the collapse, preserved in perfect condition inside his storage space.
Her throat tightened. She stepped forward, grabbed a burger, and tore into it.
Once upon a time, she would've turned up her nose at this greasy junk.
Now?
She nearly cried from how good it tasted.
In under ten minutes, she had devoured the entire spread.
Leaning back in her chair, she let out a satisfied burp before quickly covering her mouth, cheeks pink with embarrassment.
Ethan didn't care.
"You done?" he asked casually.
Chloe tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Not entirely full, but if I eat too much at once, I'll risk indigestion. So... better not."
"Good. Time to work."
Ethan jerked his chin toward the window.
Chloe followed his line of sight and froze.
That massive ice block on the neighboring balcony... the one with all the frozen corpses trapped inside it.
"You want to break that?"
She shivered involuntarily.
Those bodies had frozen solid, fused into the ice itself. Smashing it meant smashing them to pieces.
"They're already dead," Ethan said with a shrug. "But I still don't like the look of them."
He caught her shocked expression and smirked.
"Everyone in this building wanted me dead. They wanted my house. My supplies."
"I figured it's time they learn something about me."
"They thought I was just a coward hiding indoors. And sure, I didn't care about their opinions... but it's been long enough. Time to leave an impression."
There was one more reason, but he didn't bother explaining it to Chloe.
Ethan was the kind of man who always repaid his debts.
Chen Zhenghao had tried to kill him more than once.Just freezing him to death? That would've been too merciful.
Chloe seemed to realize what he was planning. She pointed to herself.
"Wait... You want me to do it?"
She was exasperated.
From start to finish, it felt like she was the one doing all the dirty work.
Now Chen Zhenghao was already dead, and this guy still wouldn't lift a finger?
Ethan's face was serious.
"I call it... staying alive."
"What if you shut the window on me while I'm out there? Then what?"
He wasn't dumb.His supplies were in his storage space, so starving wasn't a worry—but going back to sleeping in the cold? Hell no.
Chloe rolled her eyes hard.
How can someone be this cautious?She wasn't suicidal, after all. Why would she trap her only lifeline outside?
Ethan didn't care what she thought.
He handed her a baseball bat, but his posture clearly said defensive—ready to react.
Chloe was so angry she could explode.But even if she was pissed, her body still moved on instinct.
She took the bat, climbed over the railing, and stepped onto the icy balcony next door.
Ethan?
He pulled out his phone... and started recording.