Hoarding Resources In Apocalypse

Chapter 3

Or a sign from God that you are all going to die, Ciro reasoned, walking away from the crowd of celebrating people.

Next, he moved to the nearest loan centers.

Their rates were excessively high. Most borrowers thought they had bagged a good deal. But in the few weeks to come, everything was going to be totally worthless.

By the end of the day, Ciro had secured five million dollars for himself. For now it was going to be enough to establish the fortress he needed to build and stock enough supplies to live on before the apocalypse began.

Searching through a list of security companies online, he found the one that could build exactly what he wanted.

They had built the home of the president as well as other military bases scattered all over the country.

For maximum results, Ciro drove to their headquarters in a luxury urban district, where he was welcomed by refined ambience and a beautiful receptionist who led him through the inventory.

From impenetrable glass to grenade-proof steel, perfection of all sorts lay right before Ciro's eyes, but he pushed past them without paying much attention.

"None of this currently meets the criteria of what I want."

The lady's jaw dropped. They were the best security company in the country, one that could rival international brands.

He has to be another one of those prank buyers with no real money, just empty talk, she kept the thought strong in her head but maintained her professionalism.

"I'm afraid, sir, those are the best custom-made options currently available to us. But you could give a description of what you want."

"A triple-layered impenetrable glass that blocks out extreme cold, working built-in defense systems that respond only to my voice, an underground bunker—" The list went on almost endlessly, all to be done within a few days.

The receptionist was flustered by the sheer number of demands as she stared at the mountainous list growing before her eyes.

"Can you get that done?" Ciro inquired.

"Everything depends on your ability to make the initial deposit, sir," the lady responded swiftly, barely recovered from the shock still stuck deep in her bones.

Without much talk, Ciro swiped his card and completed the paperwork while the lady was still lost in the deep realms of her thoughts.

Whoever this young man was, he was definitely running from people—powerful people. Maybe even nations. Her thoughts widened with possibilities while Ciro walked away from the building with a villain's grin on his face.

He had just made a perfect deal, because in a few months' time the company wouldn't even exist to demand any sort of repayment.

The construction began almost instantly. Ciro inspected it closely at every stage, and when it was completed, he walked into his spacious haven. The reinforced steel, grenade-proof walls, and the perfect heating system—everything had been made exactly as he wanted it. Only then did he begin to feel the sensation of being safe.

A few moments later, the air was filled with a scent that Ciro would have died to be around in his past life, but in this one it only caused his stomach to churn, burn, and turn over.

Sarah stared at the tall fortress right before her and her jaw dropped at the mere sight of it.

The theory of Ciro getting all of this from a lottery sounded way too wild. That could only mean he was hiding something from her, causing her teeth to grit.

Because the Ciro she knew would tell her everything. Including when he lost his mother to cancer and his only sister went missing just weeks later and was pronounced dead.

But again, maybe he was trying to protect her.

"Babe, I've been trying to reach you."

Ciro's gaze swept over the safe house and he knew exactly what her presence meant.

"I understand that you've been busy building a future for the both of us. That's why I'm here to help." She brushed his bare chest with her breasts as she spoke, a calculated act to drive her point home that Ciro clearly did not appreciate.

"And what help can you render?" She could barely notice the overflow of sarcasm in Ciro's tone, her desperation mistaking it for approval instead.

"Instead of hiring a cleaning company, I can get that done instead. Natalie and I are the perfect duo for this job."

Ciro squinted his eyes almost with disapproval.

"I can't let you do that. You'll get all muddy and dirty, and I don't really think dirt works well with you, babe," Ciro countered, but Sarah pressed on, eager to do anything to earn his trust once again and make him another loyal dog of hers.

She quickly picked up dirt and played with it.

"See? Not dead yet, babe. Let me do this," she pleaded, hiding the irritation she felt from the dust.

"Okay, if you say so."

Satisfaction burned in Ciro's chest. Instead of wasting money on cleaning agents, the witch had offered him free labor.

"But can you get it done before tomorrow?"

Sarah choked on her own breath almost instantly.

That was an impossible feat to achieve. But one look at Ciro made her nod her head.

"Definitely. It's going to be a walk in the park."

"Great." Or a walk in hell, he thought.

With those words, he left.

Deep into the night, Sarah and Natalie worked on the safe house. Their entire bodies ached and their eyes drooped with exhaustion, but they pushed through every second with hope.

"Where do you really think he got all that money from?" Natalie asked.

"I have my theory. He must have found out that he's some rich heir. His late-night movements, disregarding work—that could be the only logical explanation for all of this."

Natalie nodded affirmatively.

"If that's true, we just hit a gold mine." The thought of getting rich without much effort caused a rush of adrenaline to flow through their blood.

But what they didn't realize was that Ciro had CCTV cameras hidden throughout the property and could hear every single sound they made on his PC back at his apartment.