Chapter 205: Dominic Crawford Took in Joy Warren and Her Mother
"Great!"
Candice Tate cheered excitedly.
She was happy as long as she could live with her sister!
It didn’t matter what the new house looked like!
Yvonne Shelby was happy to hear that Sierra Sullivan had found a place to live, too.
But her happiness was tinged with worry.
"Renting a place requires Contribution Points, doesn’t it? I’ll go get them!"
"No need!" Jayce quickly stopped Yvonne Shelby. "We went to the exchange center and traded food for Contribution Points. We’ve already paid the rent and have plenty left over. Mom, you should keep the points you have for yourself, just in case of an emergency."
Yvonne Shelby knew what Jayce and Sierra Sullivan were capable of, so she didn’t insist.
During the two days they had stayed at the old place, Sierra Sullivan had filled all the cabinets with supplies and food.
She even left enough fruits and vegetables to last for two or three days.
Besides, they lived close by, so it was no trouble to bring fruits and vegetables over every two or three days.
If she left too much at once, the fruits and vegetables wouldn’t be as fresh, and the taste would be a little off.
Once Yvonne Shelby was ready, the group headed back the way they came.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the house Sierra and the others had rented.
Yvonne Shelby looked the place over, inside and out, and nodded in satisfaction. "Nice! This is the perfect size for the three of you."
The one-bedroom apartment Yvonne Shelby and Kevin Everett were living in now wasn’t as big as this house, but it was more than enough for the two of them.
Most importantly, the base had assigned that apartment to Kevin Everett as compensation.
As long as Kevin Everett was alive, they could live there indefinitely, rent-free.
For that reason alone, it made sense for them to keep living there.
Sierra Sullivan took Candice Tate’s hand and led her to the door of a small room. "Candice, go on in! This is your room. See if you like it."
Candice entered, but instead of rushing to look around, she first placed the urn she was holding on the table.
Only after setting it down securely did Candice take a good look at the room.
"I love it!" Candice nodded emphatically. "I really love this room. Thank you, Big Sis!"
Seeing Candice so happy, Sierra’s heart swelled with emotion. She reached out and ruffled the girl’s hair. "You don’t have to thank me. It’s what I should do."
Sierra never considered raising Candice a chore. On the contrary, she truly enjoyed it.
’If this apocalypse never ends,’ Sierra thought, ’I’ll probably never have children of my own.’
Even though Candice called her "Big Sis," Sierra had always thought of the girl as her own daughter.
’If I ever had a daughter,’ she mused, ’I’d hope she’d be as bright and well-behaved as Candice.’
That afternoon, the four of them stayed in, talking and prepping ingredients for dinner.
Since they were all eating together, hot pot was the most convenient choice.
Sierra Sullivan took out a rack of lamb and put it in her largest pot to stew.
She didn’t need to add any special seasonings; she just let the lamb simmer slowly over the heat.
By the time evening came, the lamb would be fall-off-the-bone tender and the broth a creamy white.
Then they could add a packet of hot pot base to the broth and use it for cooking—the taste would be absolutely heavenly!
Preparing everything wasn’t tiring, but it was time-consuming.
Just as the aroma of the lamb broth filled the house, there was a knock at the door.
Sierra Sullivan smiled. "That must be Nathan Thorne. He smelled the food and decided to show up!"
Muttering this, she walked over and opened the door.
But to Sierra’s surprise, the person standing at the door wasn’t Nathan Thorne, but Dominic Crawford.
"Mr. Crawford?"
Though surprised, Sierra stepped aside. "Come in! Did you go back to find your family this afternoon? We knocked on your door but you weren’t home."
Dominic Crawford remained standing in place, his expression incredibly conflicted.
Seeing his expression, Sierra instinctively raised an eyebrow.
’Something’s clearly wrong,’ she thought. ’But I wonder what it is.’
Seeing Dominic struggling with how to begin, Sierra didn’t press him and just waited quietly.
Jayce walked over at that moment. "Mr. Crawford," he said, looking at Dominic, "we’re all good friends here. If you have something to say, just say it. You don’t have to be so conflicted."
Dominic Crawford took a deep breath, as if steeling his courage.
"I... I brought Joy and her mother over."
"Joy’s mother is in poor health. She’s been staying in the collective dorms, and the conditions there are terrible. Her mother is always being bullied. Now that Joy is back, there’s no extra space for her to live... They really had no other choice. So, I brought them over to live with me. But don’t you worry. Once I earn enough Contribution Points, I’ll definitely pay you back for the rent and the supplies... I’ll pay it all back."
This time, Sierra didn’t answer right away.
If it were only Dominic Crawford, then given their friendship, Sierra wouldn’t have felt the slightest bit of regret about renting the house for him or giving him so many supplies. She wouldn’t have held it against him.
It wouldn’t have mattered even if he never paid them back.
But now, it wasn’t just Dominic who would be using those things; it was also Joy Warren and her mother.
It wasn’t that Sierra had anything against Joy Warren personally. It was just that, as the saying goes, a small favor earns you thanks, but a large one can earn you an enemy.
With Dominic going to such lengths to help Joy, Sierra was afraid he wouldn’t come out of it well.
But this was Dominic Crawford’s decision, his own personal affair.
In the end, Sierra just nodded. "Alright. We’ll do as you say."
Dominic Crawford, who had been so tense a moment ago, finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Sierra, don’t worry! I’ll definitely pay you back for everything by next month!"
Standing not far away, Joy Warren and her mother heard every word of the conversation between Sierra and Dominic Crawford.
Joy Warren frowned, but ultimately said nothing.
Sierra took a step outside, catching sight of Joy’s frown.
Joy Warren reacted quickly. Seeing Sierra looking her way, she immediately adjusted her expression into one filled with gratitude.
"Captain Sullivan, thank you! I’ll work hard to find a job, too!"
Sierra nodded. "Mhm. You’re a Superpower User, so finding a job should be pretty simple. That way you can support your mother and split the rent with Mr. Crawford. It would work out perfectly."
Joy Warren pursed her lips, but still nodded. "Right."
She voiced her agreement, but her expression told a completely different story.
Seeing this, Sierra sighed to herself.
’This time,’ she thought, ’I’m afraid Dominic Crawford is... ’