The Last Guests of Winter

Before the world turned to ice, her family came knocking, ready to negotiate the terms of our marriage. They wanted more than commitment. They wanted three million dollars and three luxury homes. My parents shut them down immediately. It was ridiculous. Then, the storm hit. The blizzard sealed us inside the house. With numbers on their side and no mercy to spare, her family took control of everything. The food. The heat. Our chances. When we fought back, we lost. They dragged us outside and left us in the snow. We froze. Then, I opened my eyes. I was back to before it all began. Chapter 1 "My parents are coming over in three days. We'll settle the terms with your father. You'd better be ready to meet our demands." I stared at the bright red lips opening and closing in front of me, then glanced up at the blazing sun overhead. A rush of excitement hit me so hard that it felt like I had slapped myself across the face. Jasmine Baker, the girl I used to treat like a goddess, rolled her eyes in disgust. "Are you crazy, Carson? Don't think acting like an idiot will get you out of meeting our terms." Her words yanked me out of the dizzy joy of being reborn. I looked her up and down carefully. I spent five years pursuing her, from college until then. I thought that would be enough time for anyone to change. I was wrong. She was pregnant with another man's child and still had the audacity to ask me for three million dollars to prove I was serious about marrying her. When the storm came in my previous life, she and her entire family took over my home, drove my family out into the icy darkness, and left us to die. Maybe my expression had turned too dark; Jasmine shrank back a little. "Why are you looking at me like that? What kind of a decent girl gets married without proper terms?" 'What kind of a decent girl asks for a hundred thousand dollars? You're also carrying another man's baby.' I kept that part to myself. The pain from my last moments before death flashed through my mind. Suddenly, an idea formed. "Of course, you should have it. Absolutely. And forget three days. Let's talk tomorrow." As soon as I finished speaking, I drove straight back to my villa on the mountain and told the housekeeper to clear out all the food. Then, I gave another order to install surveillance cameras in every room. I wanted to see everything, anytime I chose. I had just finished with that when my future mother-in-law, Kelly Shaw, called. "Carson, I heard from Jas that the meeting between our families has been moved up. "That makes things a bit inconvenient for us. Why don't you send us a car? It'll make your family look more presentable, too. What do you think?" Memories from my previous life surged up so violently that I almost crushed my phone in my hand. I forced myself to stay calm. "You're absolutely right. I'll have the driver bring a car over to your place right away." Satisfied, Kelly hung up cheerfully. I immediately called the driver. "Plan the route carefully. On the way back, drain the fuel until there's only just enough to reach the mountain villa. Not a drop more." The next day, Jasmine's family arrived at the villa, acting as arrogant as ever. Just like in my previous life, Kelly theatrically removed her cheap knockoff sunglasses and looked around the house with disdain. "I thought your family was rich. This looks pretty average to me." I glanced at the four people standing in front of me, a little confused. In my previous life, all their relatives had come. So, why was it only Jasmine's parents and her brother, Luis Baker, this time? Thinking about that whole group working together to shove me out the door back then, I clenched my fists. "Jas, why is it just your immediate family? This is a happy occasion. You should bring everyone to celebrate." Kelly shot me a look full of contempt. "Easy for you to say. What kind of junk car did you send us? "It only had four tiny seats. How were we supposed to bring anyone else?" I closed my eyes for a second, speechless. Before I could respond, Luis cut in. "Mom, Dad, what are you talking about? The car may be small, but it's worth over a hundred thousand." Then, he leaned in and whispered something to Kelly. Her expression finally softened. "Luis thinks the car is decent. Fine. Send a few more cars to pick up our relatives, then we can talk." I let out a silent, icy laugh. To me, money was just a number. "If a few cars are all it takes to trap you here and send you to your deaths, then I'd gladly pay the price," I murmured to myself. Chapter 2 The driver caught my meaning instantly. He met my eyes, gave a small nod, and drove off to pick up more people. Jasmine's family acted like they owned the place. They wandered through the villa, upstairs and downstairs, taking laps like tourists. After a while, they sprawled across the couches in the living room without a shred of manners. "Where are your parents? This is such a big deal, and it's just you here? "How is this supposed to show any respect for Jas or our family?" My parents? They were busy gathering supplies and building a safe house. However, there was no way I was telling them that. I took a slow breath and spoke in a humble tone. "Well, Mrs. Baker, my parents started from nothing, so they take money pretty seriously. "I want to give Jas the best life possible, like keeping her in a golden house. If they get involved, things may be harder to negotiate. Don't you think so?" Jasmine shot me an icy glance. "At least you've got some sense." With Jasmine's approval, her father, Rhett Baker, and Kelly dropped the topic for now. Instead, they started ordering me around, telling me to make coffee and wash fruits for them. That reminded me of something. The previous day, I had been so tense that I ordered all the food in the villa to be cleared out. Then, aside from its luxurious rooms, the entire place was completely empty. That definitely would not keep Jasmine's whole family satisfied. I quickly agreed and told the housekeeper to go and get some food. William Foster, our housekeeper with graying hair, looked at my anxious expression and chuckled. "Mr. Lewis, you must be so happy you've gone a little crazy. First, you have the food taken away. Now, you want to buy it all back." I looked at him, at his white hair and teasing smile, and felt a sudden sting in my chest. In my previous life, he was our family's longtime housekeeper. He had come with my parents to discuss the wedding terms. When the extreme cold hit, he was trapped in the mountain villa with us. To protect us, he went three days without eating anything. He gave all of his share of food to us. After we were thrown out of the house, he carried my injured body through the heavy snow, trying to get me down the mountain. I had lost too much blood. I could not fight against fate. Before I lost consciousness, all I could hear was his voice. "Mr. Lewis, you have to hold on. Even if it costs me my life today, I'll get you out safely." However, in the end, we were both buried in that endless blizzard. Seeing my eyes suddenly turn red, William clicked his tongue. "Oh, come on, you're a grown man. Why are you tearing up? You…" I cut him off. "Mr. Foster, you don't need to do that. Go and find my parents right now. They'll explain everything. "Have Shane come here instead. And whatever you do, don't come back here." William looked at my sudden seriousness, confused, but he nodded anyway and left. By the time Shane arrived carrying bags of supplies, all of the Baker family's relatives had shown up, too. The moment they got out of the cars, they started touring the villa on their own, like they already owned it. Rhett stood at the entrance, grinning as he greeted everyone, telling them to sit wherever they liked, as if that place were already his. Watching the greedy looks in their eyes, I actually felt relieved. 'I'm not afraid that you want it. I'm only afraid that you won't stay,' I thought. One by one, the relatives took their seats. Only then did Jasmine remember me. "Carson, get over here and say hello to everyone." Me, the heir to the Lewis Group, greeting a bunch of nobodies? That was clearly meant to humiliate me. Or maybe it was a test of obedience. In my previous life, my parents had stopped me and told Jasmine to show some respect. However, this time, I walked over without hesitation. I bent forward in a deep bow. "Hello, everyone. I'm Jas's fiancé, Carson." Rhett burst out laughing and bragged to the room. "See that? All that talk about the great Lewis family and Mr. Lewis. In front of my daughter, he's still completely obedient." I lifted my head and gave Rhett a sincere smile. "Mr. Baker, you're absolutely right." Chapter 3 To humiliate me on purpose, Jasmine did not even start the negotiation right away. Instead, she ordered me to serve a drink for every elder in the room, treating me like a servant. By the time I finished, she seemed to run out of ideas. Only then did she wave her hand dismissively and let me sit. Her whole family sprawled across the biggest sofa, while I dragged over a small stool and sat on the other side of the table. The divide between us could not have been clearer. In three days, we would be separated by life and death. The thought made the corner of my mouth lift into an involuntary smile. Jasmine's paternal aunt, Ruby, snapped me out of it with her sharp voice. "Look at him. Just imagining he gets to marry Jas, and he's already grinning like that." Jasmine's maternal uncle, Nevin, let out a mocking laugh. "The so-called only heir of the Lewis Group? Doesn't look like much to me. "For you to be worthy of our Jas, that's already reaching way above your level." 'Right, right. Me, the sole heir of the Lewis Group, marrying your scheming little princess is, somehow, my good fortune.' I kept the thought to myself. In my previous life, I had been completely devoted to Jasmine. I treated her like someone untouchable, always respectful, always careful. It was not until the world froze over that I found out the truth. She had already been pregnant with her lover's child. Accepting my pursuit had just been her way of finding a rich father for that baby. Seeing that I did not argue back and still wore a smile, the Baker family grew even bolder. One after another, they kept talking over each other. The topic stayed the same. Jasmine was out of my league, and I had simply gotten lucky to win her over. They went on like that for about an hour before finally remembering that I, the supposed main character of today's meeting, was still sitting there. Rhett cleared his throat and spoke first. "Carson, you've been chasing Jas all these years. We've all seen it." The mockery in his voice set off another round of laughter. I kept my head lowered, quietly listening to that assembly line worker lecture me. "We're not asking for much. Three million dollars. That's our condition. "This house, well, the decoration is a bit shabby, and the location is kind of remote, but…" Amid everyone's knowing looks, he continued, saying, "Well, it's still livable. We'll take this house. "And those cars that picked us up earlier, why don't you arrange one for everyone here?" In my mind, I gave Rhett the middle finger. One car would cost 150,000 dollars. There were six of them. That was 900,000 in total. 'Do you really think your daughter is worth that much?' I thought. Rhett dragged out his tone again, as if that made him sound more dignified. "And another thing. If our family lives in this villa, what about our relatives?" As soon as he said that, the room filled with eager agreement. "Yeah, what about us?" "We're getting old. It's a shame we don't even have a decent place to retire." Inside, I sneered. 'You don't need to think that far ahead. In less than a week, you'll all starve to death in this mountain villa.' With that thought, my smile deepened. Rhett puffed out his chest and swept his gaze across the room like some kind of authority figure. Then, he raised a hand, signaling everyone to quiet down. "No need to rush. Carson, why don't you arrange one villa for Jas' aunt and her family and another for Jas' uncle and his family? What do you think?" Listening to his outrageous demands, I nodded without hesitation. Chapter 4 The moment I agreed without hesitation, Jasmine's face lit up with delight. She walked over and shyly looped her arm through mine. "You agreed so fast. No backing out later. "What if your parents ask about it? What are you going to say?" The spot where her skin touched mine instantly prickled, like something crawling under it. Fighting down the wave of disgust, I forced myself to gently wrap an arm around her waist. "My parents only have one son. Whatever I say, goes. Don't worry." Jasmine beamed, then slapped my hand away with a playful smile. "Ugh, look at you. We're not even married yet. Keep your hands to yourself." Rhett's voice turned sharp with disapproval. "Lewis, watch yourself. You're already getting handsy with Jas right in front of us. That's out of line." I quickly pulled my hand back and apologized over and over, bowing until my back started to ache. Only then did Rhett let out an icy snort and drop the matter. Jasmine picked up right where things left off and immediately added another demand. "I want a big apartment in the city center. At least 300 square meters. Otherwise, it wouldn't be convenient if I had friends over." A faint smile lingered on my lips as my gaze drifted toward her stomach. 'It's not that you can't bring friends home. It's that you can't bring the man you're seeing,' I thought. Maybe she felt the weight of my stare, because Jasmine suddenly took a step back. "Why are you looking at me like that? You won't even agree to something this small?" I swallowed the surge of hatred rising inside me and gave her a wide smile. "Of course, I agree. Anything you want, I'll make it happen. "However, tell me something. Why can't your friends come over?" The moment I asked, Jasmine's expression darkened instantly. "Carson, what are you implying? Are you saying I'm seeing someone else? We're not even married yet, and you already don't trust me? Then, maybe we shouldn't get married at all." I watched her furious reaction and understood everything. When people were overwhelmed with fear, it often turned into anger. She was afraid I would find out about her affair. She was even more afraid I would discover that she was already pregnant. It did not matter. The end of the world was coming anyway. I was not in a hurry. I quickly switched to a flattering expression and agreed to her demand. While we were talking, the private chef came over to ask if he should start serving. I glanced at the time and realized it was already noon. After all that talking, that family had not even gotten to the point. At my nod, the staff began rolling in carts of food. The Baker family instantly dropped their fake airs. Faced with a table full of delicacies from land and sea, they dug in without any restraint. After stuffing themselves, Rhett leaned back, burped loudly, and immediately started complaining: the air-flown seafood was not fresh. The black truffles looked weird. Then, he picked up a bowl of consommé, squinting at the delicate shreds floating inside. "Why not add some real meat? Who are you trying to fool with this watered-down soup?" Luis nudged him with his elbow and lowered his voice. "That's not just soup. It's consommé. You're supposed to savor it." Honestly, if the end had not been so close and if they had not wiped out my entire family in my previous life, I might have kept them around just for entertainment. Chapter 5 After the meal, Ruby told the housekeeper to bring over a few plastic bags. I quickly stopped her. "What are you doing? You…" Nevin set his wine glass down with a thud and cut me off immediately. "We barely had a few bites. What's wrong with packing some food to go? "Don't think giving each of us a car and a villa is enough to brush us off. Let me tell you, if we, the uncles and aunts, don't approve, you and Jas aren't getting married." Hearing that, I felt a quiet surge of satisfaction. So the aunts and uncles thought the terms were not being divided fairly and wanted to stir things up. Perfect. "Don't misunderstand me," I said with a calm smile. "I'm not saying you can't take anything. I'm saying, if you like it here, why not stay a few more days?" The moment I said that, Ruby's face lit up with a wide grin. Kelly's expression stiffened. Her tone turned sharp. "Oh, Carson. People who know you may say you're being hospitable. People who don't may think you're the one calling the shots in our family." I clicked my tongue inwardly. I had not expected Kelly to adapt to her new sense of ownership so quickly. We had not even discussed the wedding date, and that mountain villa was already hers in her mind. Anyone who did not know better might think I, the heir of the Lewis Group, was marrying into a factory worker's family. Before I could respond, Ruby rolled her eyes and snapped back. "He's inviting us to stay longer. What's wrong with that? Is this villa in your name? If anything, it should be in Jas' name! "I held Jas when she was a baby. I'm staying. What are you going to do about it?" Nevin clearly could not stand seeing his sister challenged. He fired back right away, saying, "Since when is it your place to speak here? Sit down!" Rhett, of course, could not tolerate his sister being yelled at. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "This is outrageous! Have you all lost your minds?" I leaned back with my arms crossed, enjoying the sight of previous life's killers turning on each other. In no time, they split into two sides, arguing louder and louder. I watched with quiet delight until it looked like they might actually start fighting. Only then did I step in to mediate. Not because I cared about them. I just could not risk one side storming off. If anyone left the villa, my plan for revenge would get a lot harder. With Jasmine and me stepping in, the two sides argued for a long while before finally forcing a reluctant truce. Even so, the hatred in their eyes when they looked at each other was impossible to miss. Just as things settled down, my phone rang. I excused myself politely and slipped into the bathroom to answer it. It was my mom. She got straight to the point. The task I had given her was done. One of our villa districts had already been transformed into a steel fortress, strong enough to keep even zombies out. Remembering the extreme cold from my previous life, I felt a chill deep in my bones. I added a few more instructions. I told them to move all the supplies underground, stock up on heating equipment, and make sure the place could stay warm continuously for 50 years. In my previous life, we died early, at the hands of the Bakers. I never found out how long the freeze would last. However, my family had power and resources. Upgrading a place like that was nothing for them. They were not entirely convinced by my talk of nightmares, but they trusted me enough to follow every instruction exactly. With that kind of support behind me, I felt a lot more at ease. I reminded them again to secure water sources and supplies before finally hanging up. The moment I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Jasmine standing there, her expression dark. As soon as she saw me, she demanded, asking, "Who were you talking to for so long? "What's all that about extreme cold, heating equipment, and supplies? What are you hiding from me?" As she spoke, several pairs of eyes in the living room turned toward me at the same time. My heart skipped. 'I've finally gathered all of you here. I can't let anything go wrong now,' I thought.