"Oh, so that’s how we’re playing? Now I’m interested!"

"What are you doing? You’re going to get me killed!"

Two voices rang out simultaneously—one filled with furious panic, the other with excitement.

At that moment, Quinn Chase charged up to them, roaring, "You dare hit my wife? I’ll kill you, you bitch!"

The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.

Stella Sterling actually laughed. Without another word, she sent Quinn Chase flying with a single kick. "So you want to act crazy in front of me? Fine. Let’s see who’s really crazy!"

Quinn Chase hit the floor and skidded several meters. Bystanders scrambled out of his path. One woman wasn’t quick enough and was nearly knocked over when he crashed into her. Fortunately, the person beside her caught her, saving her from a fall.

Quinn Chase’s wife tried to get up and run, but Stella kicked her back down. "You two can stay together!"

With that, she grabbed the woman by her clothes. Stella effortlessly hoisted the hundred-plus-pound woman into the air with one hand, as if lifting a baby chick.

Even though the onlookers were bewildered by the chaotic scene, they were absolutely stunned by Stella’s incredible strength.

She looked so petite. Where did all that strength come from?

Everyone gasped. Even the man whose friend had just died forgot his grief for a moment, staring at Stella in utter astonishment.

River Larkin, who had been trying to blend in with the crowd, watched with his jaw agape, unsure whether to be shocked or pleased.

’The last time they’d met, he realized Stella was trained, not some ordinary woman. Now, he was witnessing her immense strength firsthand.’

’He wanted Stella to be capable, but not *too* capable. Someone like that would be difficult to control.’

With a THUD, Stella threw the woman down next to Quinn Chase. The sickening sound of her body hitting the floor was enough to make the onlookers wince in sympathetic pain.

"’Want to go crazy? I’ll give you crazy!’ Stella muttered with a low chuckle, a sight that made the others shrink back in fear."

"Young lady, calm down," a woman pleaded. "It’s not worth all this!"

"If you don’t want me coming after you, I suggest you all mind your own business," Stella said, turning to the crowd with a thin smile. "Don’t worry, I won’t kill anyone."

She was smiling, yet it sent an inexplicable chill down their spines. Those who had been about to intervene froze in their tracks.

It was only then that they got a good look at her and remembered her past deeds.

The girl seemed normal enough on a daily basis, but the things she did were twisted. She’d even dared to attack someone with a knife. She seemed a little unhinged.

Someone had just died for meddling. Now, no one else dared to get involved.

Seeing that everyone got the message, Stella smiled, satisfied. She looked down at the couple.

Quinn Chase glared at her furiously. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

He struggled furiously, but Stella silenced him with a punch to the head that left his ears ringing.

"So you’re cursing at me? Your fucking business has nothing to do with me! And you tried to drag me into it?!"

Stella punctuated each word with a punch, alternating between the two of them with brutal fairness. No one was left out; it was one punch for him, one for her.

Every punch landed with a meaty thud, drawing blood. Their screams were far more wretched than before.

And Stella was still holding back. With her current strength, a single full-power punch could have been fatal.

’Killing them outright would be no fun.’

The scene was bloody and violent. In the past, people would never have stood for it. They would have either intervened or called the police.

But now, no one dared to make a move. The attacker, the victims—they all seemed unhinged, the kind of people who would resort to violence at the slightest provocation. Who would dare get involved in their mess?

Get involved, and you’d likely end up just like the man lying dead on the floor.

As for calling the police... forget it. No one had a working phone. And even if they did, and the call went through, the police probably couldn’t get here in this weather anyway.

In fact, after all this time, they weren’t even sure there *were* any police left.

Baldy Felix considered stopping her. But for some reason, he remembered the last time he’d run into the young woman from the 28th floor. She’d been covered in blood but had chatted with him as if nothing were wrong.

The impulse suddenly faded.

’His rational mind told him not to get involved.’

He took one last look at the scene, then turned and headed downstairs, washing his hands of the whole affair.

’Looks like things are really changing. The world is descending into chaos. Incidents like this will probably become common. He couldn’t manage it all. He couldn’t manage any of it.’

’From now on, he just had to protect himself.’

Outside, snow was falling thick and fast. The corridor windows were closed, but drafts of icy air still slipped through, making people shiver.

But no one seemed to feel the cold. They were all transfixed by the bloody scene unfolding before them, with a dead body lying just off to the side.

The scene was a shock to the system. It felt like the world had gone mad. They couldn’t quite name the feeling, but it was as if their old lives were a world away, leaving their heads spinning.

Some watched in silence for a moment before quietly turning and walking away.

In just a few moments, more than half of the crowd that had gathered to see what was happening had dispersed.

River Larkin watched Stella as she continued to beat them. As her future teammate, he felt he had a duty to try and talk some sense into her.

’It wasn’t wrong to be ruthless in front of strangers right now, but if she took it too far, it could backfire.’

’But the words of caution wouldn’t come out. He swallowed hard. Suddenly, Stella’s past attitude toward him didn’t seem so bad after all.’

"There. See how well you listen now?"

Staring down at the two figures, their faces swollen like pigs’ heads and their breathing faint, Stella finally lowered her fists.

She looked down at them, her gaze cold and indifferent.

’She couldn’t care less about the strange looks from the crowd. Ever since she was reborn, she’d had no intention of playing the part of a good person. In the end, it would all come down to blades anyway.’

’As long as she had the power, Stella had no intention of bottling up her anger and taking abuse from anyone.’

Now that she had a moment to breathe, Quinn Chase’s wife seemed to grasp at a new sliver of hope. She looked toward Bell, who was still cowering in the corner, and pleaded weakly, "Trey, save me! Please, save me!"

"You bitch! Seducing another man while I’m right here?! You dare do that right in front of me?! I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I don’t even know you!"

Bell’s and Quinn Chase’s voices erupted at the same time. One, filled with rage, raised his hand to strike the woman.

The other, furious with humiliation, sounded panicked and desperate. With a dark scowl, he tried to deny any connection to her and leave.

All while Quinn Chase’s wife was still crying out to him for help—