On her roller skates, Stella Sterling headed cheerfully in Yara Sterling’s direction, like a little bird in the snow.

Usually, the streets outside were completely empty, but today, the government was distributing supplies, and every household had sent a representative out to collect them.

A few people were still scattered about the street, heading home after collecting their supplies, while others hid in the corners with ill intentions.

And along the way, Stella Sterling, on her roller skates, turned quite a few heads.

"It’s snowing this hard, and she’s out here playing? You’d be covered head to toe in just a few minutes!"

"Exactly! Is she not afraid of freezing to death?"

"Blood... Is that blood on her clothes?"

All sorts of comments followed her. Some people even considered making a move on Stella Sterling, but they quickly abandoned the idea the moment they saw the blood splattered all over her.

On the street, where heavy snow fell and the cold wind howled, every pedestrian was draped in a layer of white, their faces frozen a purplish-blue. In contrast, Stella Sterling, stained with blood and gliding down the street with an excited look on her face, was an undeniably strange sight.

Those with sharp eyes who spotted her from a distance made sure to stay away.

Stella Sterling paid it no mind. After an unknown amount of time, the surveillance software she had on her began to send out frantic warnings. She knew she was close to Yara Sterling.

Not far away, several people in ragged clothes were gathered around a fire. Stella Sterling saw a familiar figure among them and, at first glance, recognized her as Yara Sterling, whom she had driven out of the Sterling Family.

At that moment, Yara was still draped in the tattered piece of cloth Stella had left her. Her normally delicate face was now frozen a purplish-blue, and her hair was dry and greasy. She bore no resemblance to her usual beautiful self.

"Mr. Lawrence, when are we setting off? It’s almost dark!"

"What’s the rush? For days, my brothers and I have been traveling through the wind and snow for you. We’re already exhausted, so of course we need to rest properly!"

A surge of anger rose in Yara Sterling’s heart.

After falling asleep that night, she had been woken up by the cold.

She awoke to find herself in a completely unfamiliar place. Worse, she was outdoors, with only a tattered cloth covering her, so cold that her whole body was nearly numb.

She was both furious and terrified, unable to understand how she had ended up here when she had just been safe at home.

Her phone was gone, she couldn’t contact anyone, and the world around her was a vast expanse of white. She had no idea where she was.

She wanted to return to the Sterling Family home, but she got her directions mixed up and only walked further and further away.

The two steamed buns she had were gone. She starved in the heavy snow for two full days without meeting a single person to ask for help, and then, both cold and hungry, she fainted from starvation.

After that, she was rescued by this group of men. They were homeless, without a place to live, and spent their days roaming around.

In the heavy snow, these men had also been looking for a place to take shelter, and that’s when they found her. Yara Sterling used her identity as a daughter of the Sterling Family to make them take her back home.

At first, these men were quite respectful to her, even giving her the first share of any good food they found. But as time went on, they gradually changed...

She had to swallow her pride and say every nice thing she could think of before these men finally agreed to escort her here.

Just as they were getting closer to the Sterling Family home, they heard that relief supplies were being distributed nearby and insisted on coming here to get some.

’It’s ridiculous. I’m a high and mighty daughter of the Sterling Family. As long as they save me and return me to my family, the reward the Sterlings would give them is nothing that these paltry relief supplies could ever compare to.’

’They have absolutely no foresight.’

Unfortunately, these men no longer listened to her at all and even sneered at her. To return to the Sterling Family home safely, she had to swallow this insult.

And now, these men were causing trouble again, insisting on another rest.

Yara Sterling felt she could no longer contain her anger.

She stood up. "What is wrong with you people? Why are you resting now? Once the job is done, you’ll have all the time in the world to rest! If you keep this up, I’ll have to tell my father, and then there’s no telling how much you’ll get."

But the men didn’t pay her any mind. The man named Lawrence shot her a glare, sneered, and then ignored her completely.

But Yara Sterling’s anger boiled over. She leaped to her feet, pointing at the men and screaming, "All of you, get up! Take me back! It’s such a short distance, and you haven’t even gotten me there. Every single one of you is useless trash! To think I ran into—"

SLAP!

Lawrence stood up and slapped her. The blow was so forceful it whipped Yara Sterling’s head to the side, cutting her off instantly.

Yara Sterling stared blankly as she turned her head back. Her face was already swelling, but it was as if she couldn’t feel the pain. In her entire life, no one had ever hit her. Even as the adopted daughter of the Sterling Family, no one had ever made her feel wronged.

Even Stella Sterling, the true heiress of the Sterling Family, had never been as glamorous as she was.

"Miss Sterling, I see you still haven’t grasped the situation. This is the apocalypse! The fact that I haven’t raped and killed you already is a sign of my mercy, and you still dare to demand so much!"

"You dare! If you dare to do that, just wait for my father’s revenge! I’m afraid ten of your lives won’t be enough to pay for it then!"

"The Sterling Family? Before, the Sterlings might have been something to reckon with. But in a situation like this, they can barely protect themselves. You really think the Sterling Family still counts for anything?"

At first, he had indeed saved and indulged her, thinking the Sterling Family would reward him. But now that they’d come this far, he didn’t want to give up.

The Sterling Family was wealthy and influential. Even in this situation, they would have more supplies stockpiled at home than anyone else. He figured he could get something for saving their daughter.

"You’d better be obedient right now. Then I can still send you back as planned. Otherwise, you’ll stay here and keep my brothers company!"

As he spoke, Lawrence’s gaze swept up and down Yara Sterling’s body. Yara felt a ball of fury raging in her heart. She cursed, "You hick! You think you can lay a hand on me? You—"

The next moment, someone grabbed her hair, and Lawrence’s hand began to rain slaps on her face. "You’re really pushing it! Daring to curse me? If I don’t teach you a harsh lesson today, then my name isn’t Lawrence!"

The other men just watched the spectacle from the side, with no intention of intervening.

Stella Sterling had arrived long ago, but she hadn’t revealed herself, simply watching the drama unfold from the side. She was inwardly delighted. ’For Yara Sterling to still be throwing her little missy tantrums at a time like this, she’s really got guts.’

Only when the man seemed about finished did Stella Sterling walk toward them, clapping. "Bravo! Teaching an ungrateful wretch a lesson. Well done, a truly wonderful show!"

The sudden voice startled everyone. Lawrence stopped and looked in Stella Sterling’s direction. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Yara Sterling’s eyes, however, widened in disbelief—

What was she seeing?!