Nowadays, if a family of three were to eat sparingly, this much food could last them for several days.

But Stella Sterling finished it all in a single meal. If anyone else saw, they would probably be envious, but they also wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from denouncing her for being wasteful.

Stella Sterling patted her stomach. "About eighty percent full. Still a little room left. Looks like I’ll have to eat more tonight!"

She was aware that her appetite was growing.

In her past life, ever since her dimensional space had bonded with her, she’d noticed her appetite increasing daily. But there had been nothing she could do about it back then. She was lucky if she could find a scrap to eat; she certainly didn’t have the means to eat until she was full.

Now, she had no worries about food or drink. The supplies in her space allowed her to eat to her heart’s content, so she indulged herself, eating until she was full every time without any restraint.

For one thing, she was exercising daily now and needed to burn a lot of calories. For another, she discovered that as her appetite grew, so did her physical strength...

She wasn’t sure if it was because of the water she drank from her space, but regardless, getting stronger was purely beneficial for her.

She had recently been studying the theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. Using this knowledge, she would take her own pulse in her free time and had found it to be strong and her vitality abundant. Her body was in excellent condition.

「Around ten o’clock at night」

The power in the complex had been out for days. Cell phones had long since died, and with no other forms of entertainment, everyone went to bed early. The nights were utterly silent; if any family made so much as a slightly loud noise, the other residents would hear it.

But just then, a blood-curdling scream echoed through their building. Many people were jolted from their sleep, getting up and leaving their apartments to investigate.

People in the other buildings only faintly heard a sound. Since it was muffled, many of them simply rolled over and went back to sleep.

Stella Sterling was still in bed watching a show on her phone, dressed only in a thin nightgown. When she heard the noise, her leisurely expression shifted. She put down her phone and listened intently. The screams from outside were continuous, and what’s more, they sounded vaguely familiar.

Stella Sterling smiled. "Looks like the show has started."

She could hear the screams clearly, and they sounded a bit like River Larkin’s voice. Stella Sterling figured he had gotten impatient and made his move.

And so, she sat up, got dressed, grabbed a flashlight, and headed out the door.

It was pitch-black outside. The moment Stella Sterling opened her door, the one across the hall opened as well. Willow Young called out to her, "Are you going to see what the commotion is about? A young woman like you shouldn’t be sticking her nose into other people’s business. It’s easy for trouble to find you on a night like this. I’d advise you to stay home where it’s safe!"

Stella Sterling turned her head and smiled at her. "Do I look like the kind of person who gets pushed around?"

In the dim hallway, Willow Young couldn’t see her clearly, only the flash of teeth as the other woman grinned. She involuntarily recalled the sight of this person a few nights ago, wielding a machete to attack someone. A sudden shiver of fear ran through her.

By the time she snapped out of it, Stella Sterling’s figure had already disappeared into the stairwell.

Willow Young pursed her lips. "So what if she has a knife? She acts all fierce, but does she really think she’s invincible?"

"Lulu, leave her be!" her boyfriend’s exasperated voice came from behind her. His girlfriend had been too fast; she had opened the door before he could react.

"Oh, I know. You don’t have to be so cautious all the time. I know what I’m doing. Besides, I’m actually trying to get on her good side now!"

"Yeah, I know. I’m not blaming you. You stay put, lock the door, and don’t go out. I’m going to go down and see what’s going on."

"What? Why are you going out? It’s too dangerous!"

"We all live in this complex. We should know what’s happening. Being ignorant of the situation is its own kind of danger. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. You just take care of yourself."

As Stella Sterling made her way up the pitch-black staircase, she pinpointed the screams as coming from the 25th floor.

’If I’m not mistaken,’ she thought, ’River Larkin must have done something, been caught in the act, and is now being taught a lesson.’

’And he has the nerve to brag to my face all day about how capable he is.’

Stella Sterling didn’t deny that he was clever—he had a certain cunning—but sometimes he was far too overconfident.

As she neared the 25th floor, the screams grew more distinct. At the same time, she could hear the murmur of people speaking in low voices.

On the landing, she saw a few beams of light dancing ahead. It was probably other residents. They were standing at the top of the stairs, murmuring among themselves. They seemed unsure of what was happening, content to watch from a distance, not daring to get any closer.

She switched off her flashlight and approached them. "What’s going on?"

The group consisted of a few young men. When they turned and saw Stella Sterling, their tone was relatively polite. "We don’t know. The screams are coming from that apartment. Maybe a burglar broke into the complex?"

"We have no idea what’s going on, or if the assailant has a weapon. We don’t dare rush in to find out."

Just then, more footsteps echoed up the stairwell as someone else approached. Stella Sterling looked over and saw a man with glasses and a scholarly air about him. It was Attorney Miller.

His eyes swept over the group, and when his gaze fell upon Stella Sterling, it lingered for a second or two before moving on.

Stella Sterling remained expressionless, but she didn’t like the way he had just looked at her.

Listening to the screams, she gradually began to feel that something was wrong. The sounds weren’t normal; it was as if the same few screams were being repeated over and over.

’When someone’s being beaten,’ she thought, ’how could the sound of their screams not change at all?’

Just then, more footsteps came from downstairs. This time, it sounded like several people. Stella Sterling looked down and, among the group in the darkness, she recognized a familiar figure.

Her expression flickered for a moment, but she quickly composed herself, squinting to get a better look at the newcomers.

One of the people who had just arrived was River Larkin—the very same River Larkin she had assumed had failed their plan and was currently getting beaten up in apartment 2508.

He was completely unharmed, just like the others who had come to check on the situation. His clothes looked like they had been hastily thrown on and his hair was a mess. Aside from the strange fact that he was coming up from downstairs when he should have been coming down from above, everything else seemed normal.

Just then, River Larkin saw her as well. He smiled, walked over to her side, and asked the others, "What’s going on?"

He then tried to lean in and whisper something in Stella Sterling’s ear, but she simply took two steps to the side to avoid him.

He froze for a second. Seeing her cold expression, he wondered, ’Is she still angry about what I said earlier?’

He dipped his head for a moment, then looked up at the others, his brow furrowed. "What’s going on in that apartment? Those are some awful screams. They’re not killing someone in there, are they? Why don’t we all go take a look together?"