"Damn it, where the hell did that woman go? I’ve been watching all night and haven’t seen a damn thing!"

’Did we get bad intel? Maybe she doesn’t even live in this complex. Otherwise, this is the only way back in!’

He muttered under his breath, his eyes darting around as if searching for someone.

This was the same man who had tried to get Stella Sterling to trade places with him at the supply distribution point yesterday.

He and his friends had staked out this spot for a long time yesterday but never saw the woman return. They later agreed to take turns standing guard while the others found a place to crash in a nearby building.

The moment anyone on watch saw her, they were to immediately signal the others.

It was no accident they had targeted her. They’d been watching her for a while; she was well-equipped, and her healthy complexion suggested she was living comfortably. They figured they could score big off her.

On top of that, the woman had dared to report him, which made him hold a grudge. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he taught her a lesson, which was why he was so determined to ambush her.

His shift was in the early morning. It was just too cold, and with no sign of the woman, he couldn’t help but close his eyes for a moment, not expecting to actually fall asleep.

He hadn’t seen her, so he wasn’t sure if she had already returned while he was asleep.

"Son of a bitch—"

He cursed angrily and kicked a nearby tree. Snow came showering down, pelting him and making his head ring.

A good amount of snow slid down his collar. The moment it touched his skin, he let out a strange yelp, his body shivering uncontrollably.

"Damn it, I’m not waiting anymore. I’m going back. She got damn lucky. She better hope I don’t see her next time!"

After one last curse, the man turned to find his buddies—

...

Back at the apartment complex, Stella Sterling reached the landing between the third and fourth floors. She looked at the windowsill—it was nearly a meter high. She took a running start, leaped onto the sill, and then jumped down. Snow scattered across the floor. She patted down her clothes; the outer layer was completely soaked. The motion knocked even more snow from her body and hair, instantly wetting the ground.

When she looked up, she saw a man standing in the corridor watching her. It was the bald man from yesterday who had offered to escort her home.

He happened to live on the fourth floor.

Stella Sterling gave a nod, and the bald man nodded back politely. "Good to see you’re okay!"

’She was definitely being targeted yesterday, and she refused my help. I thought for sure her chances were slim to none!’

’To see her return safely now is quite a surprise. Looks like there’s more to this girl than meets the eye.’ 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The next moment, his pupils contracted when he saw the blood spattered on her clothes. The way he looked at Stella Sterling changed.

Stella Sterling noticed his gaze, glanced down at herself, and then looked back up at him, unfazed. "You’re up early."

’It’s snowing so heavily, yet he’s out here instead of at home. Plus, he’s only wearing a long-sleeved shirt and has a light sheen of sweat. It looks like he was training.’

’He’s not slacking off even in this weather.’ Stella’s eyes flickered.

In her past life, she hadn’t stayed in this complex for long. After the apocalypse began, she had struggled to get back here, only to be driven out. She didn’t know the people here well.

So, seeing him like this surprised her.

"Sure is. You’re up pretty early yourself!" the bald man said, rubbing his head with a wry smile.

’The sky isn’t even light yet, and she’s just coming back from outside. Who could possibly be up earlier than her?’

After the brief exchange, they had nothing more to say. Stella Sterling wasn’t one for conversation, so she walked past him toward the elevator while he entered his apartment.

He didn’t ask about the blood on Stella Sterling, maintaining a calm facade.

But the moment he was inside, he said to his wife, "From now on, stay away from the young woman on the 28th floor. If you can’t avoid her, at least try not to get on her bad side."

His wife was doing push-ups. Hearing him, she stopped and asked, "The 28th floor? Which one? You mean that young girl who buried someone a while back?"

The bald man, Felix Lawrence, nodded. "That’s her. She looks young and small, but she’s bad news."

Jane Chase looked back at him in confusion while taking a sip of water. "Didn’t you say she was someone we could approach? In that previous incident, she didn’t actually hurt anyone, just put on a show. Why the change of tune today?"

"Putting on a show was before. Now, I think she’s actually taken a life!"

Hearing this, Jane Chase turned to face him. Felix Lawrence continued, "I just ran into her outside. Looked like she just got back from somewhere, and she was spattered with blood. I could even smell it, so it must have been fresh. She was being targeted yesterday, and today she comes back covered in blood. It might be from those guys!"

He said it calmly, but his voice still trembled slightly.

Jane Chase pondered for a moment. "Then we should definitely keep our distance. We don’t know when this snow will stop. If it keeps up, certain things are bound to happen sooner or later. We need to prepare. Our child is still young; we have to protect her!"

Stella Sterling had no idea that because of her, two more people were now contemplating how to survive in this apocalypse.

She walked up to the elevator, intending to take it back up, but found it unresponsive after she pressed the button several times.

’Looks like the backup power has finally given out.’ She sighed, but she wasn’t surprised.

The power had been out for days. The elevator had been running on its backup supply, and it was a miracle it had lasted this long.

Any other elevator’s backup power would have died within hours.

She turned away. The elevator was completely useless now. If she wanted to get home, she’d have to walk up to the 28th floor herself.

With no other choice, she resigned herself to her fate and started climbing the stairs.

It was still early, and most people didn’t have much to eat. To conserve their rations, many would sleep in until noon so they wouldn’t feel as hungry.

So, aside from the bald man, she didn’t run into anyone else.

"You’re back!" As Stella Sterling was opening her door, a head popped out from the apartment opposite hers. It was the nosy Willow Young.

She seemed a little afraid of Stella. When she saw Stella look over, she spoke quickly, "I heard a noise outside your door last night. I looked through my peephole and saw a man—he looked a bit like that guy from downstairs who’s come looking for you a few times. You should be careful!"

After saying her piece, she quickly pulled her head back and shut the door.

Stella Sterling’s hand paused for a moment before she continued opening the door. Once inside, she took off her overcoat and hung it by the entrance. She walked to the sofa, turned on the air conditioner and the heated table, then sat down to warm herself. After a long while, the chill finally began to fade from her body—

She took a hot milk tea from her spatial storage, took a long sip, and then pulled out her laptop. She opened the surveillance software and pulled up last night’s footage.

Before long, the figure of River Larkin appeared at her door...