Dr. Chloe's soft touch made Ethan Cross feel something he hadn't in a long time—comfort. He wasn't the kind of man easily swayed by women, but even a man like him needed warmth.
Chloe was, without question, stunning. Her beauty had power—and Ethan wasn't immune to it. He enjoyed the way she leaned in close, clinging to his arm like a devoted lover.
Then a wicked thought crossed his mind.
What would Claire think if she saw this?
Would that self-centered, narcissistic little witch go ballistic?
Amused by the idea, Ethan whipped out his phone and took a selfie. In the photo, Chloe was snuggled against him, holding onto his arm like her life depended on it.
He hit send.
The message went straight to Claire.
"Claire, you're a great person. But… you were too late. I've found someone better now.""I'm sure you'll wish us well, right?"
Across the building, Claire was still wrestling with the phone—fighting with the two women beside her to try and send Ethan a message.
Ding!
The alert made all three heads snap toward the screen.
It was a message from Ethan.
Their hearts raced. Any message from him meant hope.
But when the photo loaded, all they saw was Chloe curled up against Ethan, a couple's selfie in all its affectionate glory.
Silence.
Chloe—flawless, elegant, poised. A top-tier woman in every aspect.
Claire, on the other hand? A low-level warehouse assistant with barely a diploma. Next to Chloe, she looked like someone who hadn't even unlocked the tutorial level.
Jealousy exploded like gasoline on a flame.
"Ethan! No! You can't do this to me!" Claire screamed, her fingers flying across the keys."I love you! I'm the one who's always loved you! She's lying to you! She doesn't really care about you! Give me a chance—I'll prove I'm the one who truly loves you!"
Ethan sneered as he typed.
"No need. Chloe and I—this is real. She's better than you in every way. Why would I give her up… for you?""Let's not stay in touch anymore. I wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea."
Ethan knew these words would crush Claire.
She had put all her hope—her will to survive—on him. Now he was smashing that hope with a smile.
He savored it.
After all, Claire always thought she was some kind of untouchable goddess. Men were supposed to crawl after her like dogs.
And now?
The man she once rejected was turning her down—for someone younger, smarter, and more beautiful.
It was delicious.
Claire screamed, her voice breaking into a shrill shriek.
"I don't believe it! Ethan, you were my simp for two years! You groveled at my feet! And now, when I finally want you, you don't want me back?"
"That bitch! She stole what was mine! She should die!"
Her eyes glowed with madness.
She'd always thought Ethan would be hers to summon whenever she pleased.
And now, he belonged to someone else.
Lin and Wendy, once her so-called "besties," burst into laughter.
"Look at you, you pathetic hoe. Got exactly what you deserve!""Karma's a bitch, huh? You thought you were some fairy princess—turns out you're just a clown."
Claire's eyes were bloodshot.
She grabbed the phone to message Ethan again—but found she was blocked.
He had cut her off completely.
There would be no more messages, no more begging, no more pretending.
He had erased her from his life.
Claire collapsed, her breath shaky, her heart crumbling. Soon, she'd die in this frozen hellhole—and the man who could've saved her was now kissing another woman.
Ethan smiled with satisfaction.
He put down his phone, basking in the joy of watching Claire break.
Chloe tightened her grip on his arm, her head tilting up to look into his eyes.
Their gazes locked.
Ethan's expression darkened.
He grabbed her soft hand and asked coldly, "You think I'm cruel, don't you?"
Chloe's breath hitched. Her face flushed with nervous excitement.
"I… I'm sure you had your reasons…"
Ethan's eyes grew distant.
He thought back to the past—to the life he'd lived before this hellscape, to the betrayal that had cost him everything.
Claire had used him, lied to him, and when he finally let her in—she'd handed his life over to the wolves.
They'd cut off his limbs with blunt kitchen knives. Fed on him like he was cattle.
That kind of pain wasn't something words could ever describe.
He looked back at Chloe, voice steady.
"As long as you understand."
He didn't feel like explaining. She didn't need to know.
What mattered was that she followed the rules—and so far, she had.
With Tony Chen gone, things were quieter. No more banging, no more spying from the other side of the wall.
Ethan hadn't killed him just for survival.
He killed him because the bastard was annoying.
The building's atmosphere felt lighter—but Ethan knew better than to relax.
The deeper the apocalypse went, the darker people became.
Tony was dead, sure. But the people who had tasted blood? They wouldn't stop.
Still, that had nothing to do with him.
The next morning, Ethan got up and opened Chloe's door for her.
She blushed as she walked out to use the bathroom, then came back to cook breakfast.
She wasn't a great cook—but better than Ethan.
Sometimes he felt like eating a hot, fresh meal, so he let her take care of it.
Of course, before he took a bite, he always made her try it first.
While eating, Ethan browsed WeChat and the few operational news apps.
Most apps had shut down, but the government kept a few platforms running—just enough to maintain order.
In the bitter cold, most of humanity had perished.
But the elites? They had disaster plans. They always did.
Then Ethan saw something familiar in the WeChat group—a name he hadn't expected.
Granny Linda.
"The snowstorm's almost over!" she posted."My brother's a top official —he told me himself!""You better start treating me with respect, or I'll have you all shot when the government takes control!"
No one replied.
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"She's still alive? I thought Tony took her out on day one."
Across from him, Chloe's expression softened.
"I… gave them some supplies once. When I was checking on her grandson's injury."
She looked a little sad.
Ethan didn't comment.
There was no point.
He just kept eating, savoring another quiet morning in hell.