Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 17: Buying Jewelry

Mariella's only regret was that her storage space was limited.

Food, medicine, drinks... Anything with an expiration date had to be stored inside the space. It kept things fresh and warm.

As for the bulky and heavy items, she had already unloaded them into the club's storage room. Once the villa renovation was finished, she would move everything there.

To free up more room, she transformed into a master organizer, packing things as tightly as possible.

But no matter how hard she compressed everything, she still had less than 175 cubic feet of space left. As she busied herself with arraging it all, her phone buzzed. It was Matthew.

"The medical equipment, medicines, vaccines, and contraceptives you ordered are all finalized. Once you pay the remaining balance, we can ship them."

Even though it was good news, Mariella's face fell.

She wasn't even sure whether the last 175 cubic feet would be enough to hold all the medicines and vaccines.

Thankfully, all those various medical supplies and equipment didn't take up much space. They could be stored directly in the living quarters that didn't have preservation functions.

Although the living area was also running out of room, she could temporarily unload things into the club's storage room if necessary.

Additionally, sealed alcohol, canned goods, and cigarettes could be cleared out of the storage space for now.

In short, the space would prioritize medicines, fresh foods, and hot drinks. Those were the survival supplies that absolutely required temperature control.

While her mind raced through those logistics, she answered quickly, "Got it. Send me the remaining balance. I'll transfer the payment immediately."

After thanking him, she hung up.

Following the amount Matthew sent, she completed the transfer and let out a soft breath.

With the medical equipment taken care of, the most critical part of her stockpiling plan was finally complete.

She was just about to celebrate her small victory with a good meal when another unfamiliar number called.

Mariella frowned the moment she saw it. She didn't even need to guess. It had to be someone from the Grahams or the Shepherds.

Harvey had run into serious trouble this time.

No matter what methods the Grahams and Shepherds tried, they couldn't get him released. So they began relentlessly harassing Mariella, trying to pressure her into signing that letter of understanding.

Mariella didn't bother wasting words or time. She simply hung up and blocked the number.

But the nonstop harassment calls quickly became unbearable.

So Mariella went to a service center and got a brand-new SIM card, removing the old one entirely.

She sent a group message to everyone she needed to stay in touch with, informing them of her new number. Only those people would be able to reach her now.

At last, her world became quiet again.

She wandered through the food street, dazzled by the colorful signs advertising each shop's signature dishes.

There was no way she could eat all the food.

And besides the 175 cubic feet reserved in her storage space for medicine and vaccines, there wasn't a single plate that could fit.

She was deeply regretful.

Mariella stuffed herself, letting out a satisfied burp afterward.

Once the apocalypse hit, she'd never get to enjoy such a lavish meal again.

It was only 7:30 p.m., yet she wasn't in a rush to return to the club. Instead, she went shopping.

She pushed open the glass door of a jewelry store, then realized belatedly and stopped.

Uh... What am I even doing here?

After the apocalypse began, money would lose value fast. The antique and art markets would also collapse, and even jewelry would become worthless.

Surviving the apocalypse was hard enough. Who would be in the mood to wear jewelry?

Yet Mariella couldn't help being drawn in by the dazzling sparkle.

Women were naturally attracted to shiny things, and she was no exception.

The apocalypse was cruel, but who said there couldn't be a little romantic indulgence?

She wasn't hurting for cash anyway. If she liked it, she would buy it.

Mariella moved in and out of jewelry stores, dropping five to six million in one go.

To avoid attracting thieves, she would get back into her car after leaving each store and store her purchases in her storage space.

In all the hustle, she didn't notice that the emerald bracelet on her wrist had grown even more translucent and lustrous.

After splurging nearly ten million on gold, silver, and gemstone jewelry, she finally felt satisfied.

Mariella checked her card balance. There were over 60 million remaining.

The remaining renovation payment for Celestine Ridge was around five million, and the four premium escape pods plus 20 oxygen packs she'd pre-ordered would cost over two million.

As for her bodyguards' salaries, she would first pay those who would be eliminated and dismissed, then cover the first month's wages for the rest.

When the apocalypse hit, they wouldn't need cash but all kinds of survival supplies.

Most of the stockpiled items were for her own needs. For the teammates, she'd let Chandler handle the supply runs.

Once the money was transferred, he would surely handle it perfectly.

Looking at the massive balance, Mariella felt a little helpless, as if there were no meaningful way to spend it.

When she returned to the club, Chandler and the team had already repelled another wave of attacks.