The dinner table fell quiet for a moment. No one spoke, all of them pondering what Grace Sutton meant by the "commotion" she’d heard.

The apartment buildings at The Metropolis Residences had excellent soundproofing. Since the Summers family moved in, they hadn’t heard any strange noises, so the "cries and shouts" Grace Sutton had heard were truly peculiar.

Melody Summers thought, ’Could someone have been arguing in the hallway in the middle of the night?’

’Who could it have been?’

’There are only four households on this floor...’

’Joyce Lawson’s family lives in 1601, Ivan Warren and Maisie Lynch are in 1602, and that man named Titus Lowell is in 1603...’

’Could it be that Ivan Warren and Maisie Lynch were fighting?! And Maisie ran into the hallway crying?’

Melody Summers turned it over in her mind but was still completely baffled.

Seeing their expressions, Miss Lowell spoke up to reassure them. "Alright now, let’s not make wild guesses. It was probably just the wind rattling a window or something. We shouldn’t scare ourselves."

Hearing Miss Lowell’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.

There was no point in overthinking it. Even if someone really had been crying, it was best not to meddle in other people’s affairs.

...

After dinner, Melody saw it was still early. Unable to sleep, she simply entered the Arcadian Space again and went to the mine to dig for a while.

She needed large amounts of gold and coal right now. The gold was for trading at the "Odyssey Station," and she needed to stockpile more coal just in case.

By the time she finished her work and emerged from the space, it was already past midnight.

The snow was still falling outside, but the howling gale had stopped, blanketing the world in a profound silence.

Just as Melody was about to change and go to sleep, she suddenly heard a strange noise from outside.

The sound was faint, but in the dead of night, it was exceptionally clear.

It was a sound like rolling wheels, as if someone were dragging something across the floor.

Melody’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately grew wary. ’Could it be a thief?’ she thought.

At the thought, Melody’s heart began to race. She quietly opened her bedroom door, walked into the living room, and crept cautiously to the front door to look through the peephole.

However, the hallway was pitch-black. She couldn’t see a thing.

But the strange rolling sound continued, accompanied by the sounds of a door opening and closing, as well as footsteps.

Melody frowned, feeling more and more that something was strange. She remembered what her aunt, Grace Sutton, had mentioned at dinner about the odd noises and hesitated, wondering if she should go out and take a look.

After about two or three minutes, the sounds from outside stopped. Melody took a deep breath, gently turned the doorknob, and pushed the door open to step outside...

******

「One hour earlier. Apartment 1601.」

Joyce Lawson’s mother, Yvonne York, was lost in a pleasant dream.

In her dream, Yvonne was on a tropical island vacation with her husband and son. The family of three was happily sea fishing from a yacht.

Her precious son, Gregory Lawson, quickly reeled in a large fish. He showed it to her excitedly, shouting, "Mom! Mom! Look, I caught a fish!"

But the next second, Gregory Lawson slapped the fish in his hands right onto Yvonne’s face with a wet THWACK!

"Mmph...!" A slimy, cold sensation spread across her face. Yvonne shuddered and snapped awake!

But when she woke, she was horrified to discover it wasn’t a dream...

Someone was standing by her bed, caressing her face with a cold hand!

"Ah!" Yvonne let out a short, terrified scream. She lurched to the side to dodge, simultaneously raising her hand to forcefully smack away the hand touching her cheek!

But in the next instant, the lights in the room suddenly switched on, and bright light flooded the entire room.

In the light, Yvonne saw two strange men standing before her.

Both men were tall and powerfully built. One had a cold expression and a sinister gaze, with a swastika-like tattoo on his face.

The other had a shock of blond hair and was currently staring at Yvonne with a lecherous expression, his eyes raking over her with ill intent.

Staring at the two mountain-like strangers before her, Yvonne’s eyes widened in terror.

She clutched her blanket tightly and shuffled backward, her voice trembling as she asked, "Who... who are you? ...How did you get into my house?!"

Yvonne’s voice was hoarse with fear, but the two men in front of her didn’t answer her question.

Drake Lowell stared at Yvonne, clicking his tongue twice. "Her skin’s pretty fair, but what a shame... she’s a bit old..." he said, dissatisfied. "Sigh, if only she were three or five years younger, she’d be perfect..."

Titus Lowell, however, said nothing more. He lunged forward and seized Yvonne’s wrist!

He ignored Yvonne’s screams and struggles, dragging her out from under the covers.

The other man, Drake Lowell, took out a rope he had prepared. He easily overpowered Yvonne’s resistance and skillfully tied her hands and feet, then grabbed a nearby pillowcase and stuffed it in her mouth.

Once she was tied up, he lifted her as easily as a chick and tossed her onto the floor.

Yvonne was thrown to the ground, her head hitting the floor with a THUD. She cried out in pain and squeezed her eyes shut.

When Yvonne opened her eyes again, they met the gaze of her husband, Mason Lawson.

Only then did Yvonne see clearly that her entire family was now tied up and thrown on the floor.

Her husband, Mason Lawson, and her son, Gregory Lawson, were lying awkwardly on the floor, their hands and feet bound behind their backs and their mouths gagged with rags.

Her mother-in-law and daughter, Joyce Lawson, were tied together back-to-back, sitting in a corner with wide tape covering their mouths.

Seeing all this, Yvonne’s pupils constricted—she realized her family had been kidnapped in a home invasion!

Seeing the entire Lawson family of five neatly tied up, Titus Lowell laughed and said to Drake Lowell beside him, "I thought this family of five would be tough to handle. Turns out they’re all useless! Every single one of them was sleeping like a log!"

The three Lowell brothers had thought that with two men in Apartment 1601, it might be the most difficult target. They never expected to take down the family so easily.

Hearing this, Titus Lowell also sneered. He walked over to Gregory Lawson and nudged the boy’s head with his foot, saying disdainfully, "The intel I gathered said this family had a son. I thought he’d be a grown man..."

"Who knew he’d be a little kid who hasn’t even grown in all his teeth! Goddammit, I was worried for nothing!"

Kicked by Titus Lowell for no reason, Gregory Lawson was instantly furious.

Having always been coddled, he began to squirm defiantly on the floor, letting out muffled "Mmph! Mmph!" sounds.

Seeing their precious son being bullied, Mason Lawson and Yvonne York immediately began to struggle as well. Forgetting their fear, they both glared at Titus Lowell with furious eyes.

Seeing this, Titus Lowell’s expression instantly darkened. He snorted coldly, a vicious glint in his eyes.

He strode quickly over to Mason and Yvonne, raised his foot, and kicked the couple hard in the stomach without hesitation.

"Oof!—"

"Nngh—"

Mason Lawson and Yvonne York both let out muffled grunts of pain. Their bodies immediately curled into balls, their faces contorted in agony.

Titus Lowell lowered his voice and said to them viciously, "Stay still, both of you! If you dare to move again, I’ll chop you to pieces!"

Titus Lowell’s gaze was filled with savagery. Combined with the tattoo on his face, he looked utterly terrifying. Mason Lawson and Yvonne York immediately stopped moving.

Seeing the three of them quiet down, Titus first walked over to the coal stove and poked at the coals. Then he returned to Mason Lawson’s side and silently squatted down.

As Mason Lawson watched in terror, Titus Lowell said in a low voice, "Listen up, you punk. I’m gonna take that rag out of your mouth. But if you dare make a single sound... I’ll twist your head right off! You hear me?!"

Under Titus Lowell’s sinister gaze, Mason Lawson was so tense he could barely breathe.

After a few seconds, he gave a slow, stiff nod.