Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Apocalypse Three-Piece Set

"What’s going on?!"

"We’ve been robbed! We’ve definitely been robbed!"

"Find the gold! Where are the two chests of gold?!"

They rushed in like madmen, only to be met by a scene of utter chaos. The balloons were trampled to shreds, and all the gifts were gone. The luxury goods, the designer brands—nothing was left but empty boxes scattered across the floor. Everything had been turned upside down. The two chests of gleaming gold bars and an entire cabinet of jewelry and luxury items had all vanished without a trace!

A silent "Ha!" escaped Sue’s lips.

"Oh, so this is what Ms. Lynch insisted I see?" Sue leaned against the doorframe, unable to hide the smile playing on her lips. "Alright, I’ve seen it. I wish you a happy engagement. May the rest of your lives be just like this room—a complete mess and utterly worthless!"

With that, she clapped her hands, turned, and walked away, pure satisfaction written all over her face.

"Stop right there! Sue Lawrence, did you do this?!" Adam Zane lunged forward to block her path, his bulging muscles tense as he glared at her menacingly.

Sue wasn’t the least bit afraid. In fact, her heart leaped with joy.

’What perfect timing! My family of five still needs Superpowers, and here comes a boxer’s Ability, a gift delivered right to my doorstep!’

A thought crossed her mind, and she immediately activated her Skill: [Even by Robbery, It’s Mine]!

[Acquired: [Boxer’s Right Hand (44%)]!]

’Oh-ho, 11% higher than the 33% from last time! It must be because this group’s combined Luck Value doesn’t even add up to one. Getting tainted by their bad luck actually let me cash in.’

Sue’s mood improved even more. She coldly spat out a single word: "Scram!"

"Sue, did you really do this? Why would you do such a thing?" Tiana Lynch felt both hatred and joy. ’It would be perfect if Sue did it. Then I could humiliate her even more.’

"Sue Lawrence! Tiana was kind enough to invite you, and you come in here to steal things and ruin their engagement?" Maeve Walsh pulled out her phone and viciously dialed 911. "I’m calling the police! You belong in jail!"

"Go ahead and call." Sue raised an eyebrow. "If I did it, then let the police come and arrest me. But frankly, I couldn’t be bothered with the pittance you people have."

Tossing out the scornful remark, she turned and stepped into the elevator, with Leo half a step behind her.

Seeing this, a vicious glint appeared in Adam Zane’s eyes. He reached out to grab Leo. They all knew Leo was the apple of her eye, so they wanted to use the child to threaten Sue!

But five-year-old Leo, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, suddenly sidestepped the grab. Then, bending his knees slightly, he took a mighty leap in front of everyone.

He covered a full two meters, landing lightly inside the elevator in one smooth, fluid motion.

The elevator doors slid shut. The red floor number changed from 6 to 5, its light clearly reflected in the shocked eyes of the people outside.

The ransacked crime scene, and a boy who could jump two meters—each event was more mind-bending than the last.

"That kid... he’s awakened a Superpower too?" Maeve Walsh’s voice trembled, her face a mask of disbelief.

’A five-year-old jumping two meters? Is Sue hiding something from us?’

Tiana Lynch shook her head, her fingertips digging into her palm so hard it was excruciating, yet she felt nothing.

She just felt that something was starting to go terribly wrong.

Sue’s nonchalance, Leo’s bizarre leap, and the room full of stolen gold were like three nets, tightening around her until she couldn’t breathe.

"Jason!" Tiana’s face was ashen as she whirled to look at Jason Sterling.

The man’s face was cold as ice, a dark shadow swirling in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "Contact a private investigator immediately. I want 24-hour surveillance on that mother and son! I’m going to find out just how many tricks Sue Lawrence has up her sleeve!"

In the sixth-floor hallway, a deathly silence froze everyone in place.

Mia Keller, who was at the very back, wasn’t sure what had happened, but she could still feel the oppressive atmosphere.

"Did Leo... have a Superpower before?"

Maeve Walsh’s expression was incredibly grim.

Tiana Lynch shook her head.

Donovan Lawrence’s gaze swept over the three of them. He moved his lips and said in a voice only they could hear, "If this doesn’t work, we’ll just kill the mother and son! It’s not like I haven’t killed my own family before in my last life. Kill them, take their stuff. Clean and simple!"

Not far away, in the fire escape, just one door away, Sue’s ears twitched.

She had gotten off the elevator on the fifth floor and taken the fire escape back up to eavesdrop. It had definitely been worth it.

Because her feline hearing allowed her to hear Donovan Lawrence’s words with perfect clarity.

’Case closed.’

’In my past life, the one who ransacked the Lawrence Family’s home, killed my sister-in-law and her unborn nephew, severely wounded my older brother, and forced my father to disappear... it wasn’t some band of drifters. It was him. Donovan Lawrence. The man I’d always called "cousin," whose family we’d always supported!’

’How could I have been so stupid? I never realized I was helping my family’s murderer all along. Some cousin. Ptooey! He’s nothing but an animal.’

Sue was trembling with rage, her eyes bloodshot.

"Mama..."

At her feet, a small body suddenly hugged her thigh, his head resting gently against her hip.

Leo looked up, his dark, grape-like eyes reflecting the dim light of the stairwell. They held none of a child’s timidity, only a calmness that defied his age.

He opened his small mouth and silently formed the words: "Leo hug. Mama don’t cry."

The warm touch on her thigh suddenly softened Sue’s heart. A warmth spread through her, and the red faded from her eyes. She bent down, picked up her son, and finally walked down the stairs, one step at a time.

’Villains, devils, murderers!’

’Of the people on the sixth floor, besides the clueless Mia Keller, not a single one was a good person.’

’Tiana Lynch’s hypocrisy, Jason Sterling’s arrogance, Maeve Walsh’s greed, and Donovan Lawrence, who was worse than an animal—he had robbed his own uncle’s family, plundered their home, and committed murder!’

’Donovan Lawrence, if you dare take a single step near the Lawrence Family in this life, I’ll make sure you’re torn to pieces!’

Back home, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Mia Keller, sent from a burner account.

’That silly girl finally got smart. She didn’t use her main account and expose herself this time.’

Waterdrop: Jason Sterling is going to hire a private investigator to tail you! What on earth happened between you two? How did you go from lovers to enemies?

Waterdrop: The police came! They checked the surveillance but found absolutely nothing. Good grief, it’s like everything in the office just vanished into thin air. There’s zero connection to you! Maeve Walsh and the others are furious. They couldn’t find any leverage against you, and their faces were green with rage, hahaha!

Waterdrop: Oh, right! The day after tomorrow, we’re going to the port to meet an oil tanker! The Paramount Raider that Jason Sterling bought is on it too. I’ll take a picture for you when I see it! Be careful. Jason Sterling is using a private investigator now, that’s so over the top. I think he’s going a little crazy!

Sue scrolled through the messages, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved into a smile.

’An oil tanker? Now that’s a good prize. In the apocalypse, the scarcest resource besides food is energy.’

’Jason Sterling definitely won’t pass up the oil on that ship. After all, the Paramount Raider is a real gas-guzzler.’

’So now he has the Paramount Raider, a Space Ability, and an entire oil tanker. Jason Sterling has managed to collect the apocalypse starter pack: transportation, energy, and storage.’