It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that if Miles were tossed into a crowd of people right now, women from all over the world would fight over him.
Not because he was particularly charming, but because he possessed an unrecognized, extraordinary strength that set him apart.
Lisa paused for a moment, then smiled provocatively at Mary. "My man is mine to give. You could never take him from me! Don't believe me? Feel free to try."
Faced with Lisa's gentle yet assertive demeanor, Mary nearly faltered. With a faint air of detachment, she replied, "I'm not interested in your man. All I want is to achieve my dreams."
"That's not a conflict of interest," Lisa said with a smile. "You want to change the world, and he refuses to settle for mediocrity."
Lisa paused suddenly, her smile growing. "If, one day, he really reaches great heights, then—" She shrugged playfully. "I'll let you have him."
"Hah."
Mary smirked lightly and shook her head. "You're the first person in my life to ever tell me they'd 'let' me have something."
…
Inside the villa.
Miles lay sprawled on the couch, bored out of his mind, occasionally glancing at his phone that still had no signal.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang. Miles shot up like a startled fish, leaping off the couch and taking a few quick strides to the door.
"Thought you'd died out there!"
Seeing Lisa on the video monitor, Miles grumbled, "Didn't think you'd actually come back!"
"Miles, open the door!"
Outside, Lisa swayed as she pounded on the iron door, slurring her words. "I… I managed to get Mary to stay! Open up already!"
"Seriously?"
Miles muttered a string of curses as he unlocked the door. "What's gotten into you? Or is it that I've gone soft? Come on! Let's settle this!"
Thud!
As soon as the door opened, Lisa's drunken body collapsed against him.
"Damn it!" Miles quickly caught her, frowning. "How much did you drink? Was that woman trying to kill you with alcohol so she could take over your spot?"
Scooping up the completely plastered Lisa, Miles kicked the door shut with a loud bang.
On the soft mattress, Lisa rolled around aimlessly, giggling.
"Miles, I really love you! Hahaha!"
Miles sighed, his face dark with frustration, as he started helping her out of her coat. "Yeah, yeah, I'm honored. Truly."
"You're such an idiot! You don't even know… don't even know how much I drank with Mary… just to get her to agree to help you. If you ever dare treat me badly, I'll… I'll… I'll castrate you!"
Miles froze for a moment, his hands pausing mid-motion.
This drunken woman, with her flushed cheeks and the overwhelming scent of alcohol, had once had everything—pride in her career, an enviable family background, and a smooth, easy life.
But now, she had nothing. Her heart and soul, her entire being, were all tied to him.
Miles didn't know what Lisa and Mary had talked about that night, but her words were saturated with a deep, unwavering affection.
If this had once been a transaction, it was no longer a fair exchange.
…
The next afternoon.
Lisa woke with a splitting headache. She struggled to sit up, fumbling around blindly before collapsing back into the blankets.
"Ow… it hurts…"
After some time, she finally opened her eyes.
On the bedside table was a cup of steaming honey water, with a note beneath it: Ryan and I are out hunting. Will be back by six at the latest.
Lisa drank the honey water in a few gulps, the sweetness soothing her pounding head.
She glanced at the digital clock by the bed. "Hmm… only 4:30. I'll sleep another hour, then get up and cook… yeah, just an hour…"
Soft breathing soon filled the room once again.
…
Due to the ever-changing post-apocalyptic climate, it was already dark before six in the evening.
Miles drove the snowmobile at breakneck speed, the wild ride leaving Ryan nauseous.
"Slow the hell down, Miles!" Ryan shouted, barely holding himself together. "What's your rush? You're not that desperate, are you?"
"You don't get it!" Miles slammed the accelerator harder, growling. "That damn woman, Mary, got Lisa so drunk last night she didn't even know who she was. What if she's still out of it?"
Ryan paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm laughing at you. You've fallen for her, haven't you?" Ryan grinned, mimicking a movie scene. "You're done for, man. Yesterday changed you—it's like you're a whole new person!"
Miles scoffed. "Changed? I'm still the same charming prince everyone loves!"
"Keep denying it if you want," Ryan teased. "But admit it—since the apocalypse began, you've spoken more in the past few days than you have in months."
Miles said nothing.
Ryan glanced at him, sighing. "You were completely out of it before. Always paranoid, convinced the world was out to get you. You probably would've locked yourself in a vault if you thought it'd keep you safe."
Miles thought back to those earlier days and muttered, "You're exaggerating."
"Am I? Ask Anthony why he shivers every time you look at him!"
Ryan raised his voice. "You killed Andrew, Sarah, Tyler, and Sini! Sure, they deserved it, but your methods? They terrified people! You didn't even lift a finger and ended up indirectly killing thousands!"
"Were you scared?" Miles asked, glancing at him.
Ryan hesitated, then laughed. "At first, yeah. Especially when you kicked Ella and Zeki out. I mean, come on, you shared a night with Ella—did you really hate her that much?"
The snowmobile's speed began to slow.
Miles stared ahead quietly. "You wouldn't understand…"
"What?" Ryan leaned closer.
"I said you're a damn pervert!" Miles deflected with a grin. "So, how's the wind turbine project coming along?"
"Should be finished in two or three days," Ryan replied.
Miles nodded. "Prioritize the elderly, women, and children for electricity use. The rest can stick to timed schedules. People are used to it by now; cutting back a little won't kill anyone."
Ryan laughed. "Sure thing!"
"What's so funny now?"
"I'm just saying—you've changed. Last month, would you have cared about anyone else's survival?"
Miles hesitated, then shouted, "I'm not a damn animal—I'm human, aren't I?"
"Being human is a good thing," Ryan said, gripping the handlebar as he stared into the encroaching darkness. "If we lose our humanity, what's the point of living?"
"Fine, whatever you say!"
Miles smirked. "Hold on tight—I'm speeding up!"
"Damn it!"
Ryan lost his grip and slammed into the dashboard, cursing loudly. "Were you a kamikaze pilot in your past life? Want me to get you a damn plane to crash next?"