As he spoke, Liam’s gaze never left Suzy.

In fact, from the moment he opened the door, his attention had been fixed entirely on her. He had not spared so much as a glance for Leonard or Thomas standing nearby.

Suzy was slightly surprised by his sudden appearance, but she did not dwell on it.

Instead, she nodded.

"Yeah. We’re heading out for a bit."

She noticed that Liam was already dressed in a thick winter coat. At least she did not need to worry about him for now. Judging by his preparations, he likely had enough cold-weather supplies at home.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To find someone."

A faint crease appeared between Liam’s brows.

"It’s snowing outside," he reminded her.

"I know. You and Noah should stay warm too."

While they were talking, Leonard and Thomas had already started downstairs and were waiting on the landing below.

Thomas kept his eyes on Liam and subtly nudged Leonard with his elbow.

Leonard shot him a sideways glance.

Although Thomas had not said a word, Leonard understood perfectly.

"Suzy, are you ready?" Leonard called out deliberately.

His timing was impeccable. Suzy answered immediately. "Coming."

She waved goodbye to Liam.

"Then we’re off."

A smile appeared on her face as she turned to leave.

Just as she was about to descend the stairs, Liam suddenly reached out and caught her hand.

Suzy looked at him in confusion.

Almost immediately, he released her as if he had only wanted to stop her for a second.

"Come back early," he said quietly. "And be careful."

The words caught her off guard. For a moment, she simply stared at him.

Then she nodded. "Alright."

Ahead of her, Leonard and Thomas had already descended several more steps.

Suzy hurried to catch up.

As she followed them downward, Liam’s words lingered in her thoughts. For some reason, hearing them from him felt oddly unfamiliar.

Not unpleasant. Just... strangely out of character.

Once Suzy started moving again, Leonard and Thomas resumed their descent.

Leonard casually elbowed Thomas this time.

When Thomas glanced over, Leonard grinned. "Feeling threatened?"

Thomas merely looked at him without responding. That silence alone was enough of an answer.

Leonard’s smile widened mischievously.

"Uncle, what are you two talking about?" Suzy finally caught up with them.

She had vaguely overheard part of their conversation but had not caught the details.

"Nothing important," Leonard replied smoothly. "We were saying the roads might freeze over. It could make traveling easier."

"Oh."

The temperature had already dropped below freezing. Not by much yet, but it was only the beginning.

Before leaving, Suzy had not paid enough attention to check whether ice had already formed outside.

If it had, transportation would become far easier.

A few minutes later, the three of them reached the ground floor. Thin sheets of ice had already begun forming over portions of the floodwater.

However, the frozen layer was far too fragile. Walking on it remained impossible.

For now, their inflatable assault boat was still their only practical option.

Suzy retrieved the boat from her storage space.

After making final preparations, they set off.

The route had already been planned. Derek’s residential complex was not particularly far from Starlight Towers. More than anything, Suzy hoped he was still at home. Safe and warm.

Not running around. And definitely not in trouble.

The boat surged forward. The city around them felt eerily deserted.

Only a few days ago, countless people could still be seen venturing outside in search of supplies. The sudden arrival of freezing weather had changed everything.

Most survivors had retreated indoors, huddling wherever they could find warmth. No one wanted to risk venturing out in these conditions.

The assault boat eventually reached the entrance of the complex. Suzy pointed toward the distance.

"This way."

Thomas handled navigation while she directed the route. Meanwhile, Leonard remained responsible for keeping watch.

"Suzy, I think there are people over there."

Leonard lowered his binoculars slightly. His tone immediately caught their attention.

Suzy and Thomas both looked in the direction he indicated.

Several hundred meters away, one inflatable boat appeared to be confronting a smaller raft.

At that distance, Suzy could only make out vague silhouettes.

The details remained blurry.

A second later, Leonard frowned.

"Wait. No." His voice sharpened. "They’re heading straight toward us."

"I see them." Suzy and Thomas answered at the same time.

Leonard’s expression changed as he watched both vessels rapidly approaching.

"They’re not planning to rob us, are they?"

His grip tightened. "Let’s just leave."

The freezing weather alone was bad enough. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation.

Unfortunately, the other party seemed determined. Avoiding them was no longer an option.

Both boats accelerated, cutting directly across the flooded streets toward their position. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Thomas immediately increased the assault boat’s speed. The engine roared louder.

Leonard had already drawn the nail gun he carried for protection.

Without attracting attention, Suzy retrieved her crossbow from storage.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied the approaching figures. Yet the longer she looked, the stranger she felt.

One of them seemed familiar.

The individual was bundled from head to toe. A mask concealed the lower half of the face. A hat covered the hair. Only a pair of eyes remained visible.

The distance between them shrank rapidly.

Those eyes became clearer. And with every passing second, the sense of familiarity intensified.

Then suddenly—

"Suzy!"

The excited shout echoed across the frozen water. All three people on Suzy’s boat froze.

"Thomas, stop!" Suzy reacted immediately.

If she had heard correctly... Someone had just called her name.

Those eyes... Her heart skipped.

"Derek?" She called out cautiously.

The figure on the approaching raft waved enthusiastically.

"Suzy! It’s me!"

His delighted voice carried through the cold air.

The next second, he ripped off his mask and pulled away his hat. Soft curls sprang free and fell messily across his forehead.

Then his face came into view. Beautiful, youthful. Instantly recognizable.

It really was Derek.

Steering his raft with renewed enthusiasm, Derek quickly closed the remaining distance.

The moment he reached them, Suzy couldn’t help asking, "What are you doing here?"

Derek flashed his trademark grin, revealing a neat row of bright white teeth.

"Weren’t we supposed to meet up? I told you I’d come find you."

The familiar, slightly goofy smile softened something in Suzy’s chest.

Derek looked from her to Thomas and Leonard standing behind her.

Then realization dawned.

"Wait." His amber eyes widened. "You guys aren’t heading out to look for me, are you?"

"What do you think?"

The answer was obvious.

For a moment, Derek simply stared. Then the light in his eyes grew even brighter.

"Seriously?"

The delight on his face was impossible to hide.

The fact that Suzy had come looking for him meant she cared.

The thought alone nearly made him float off the raft.

"I already came to you," he said proudly. "You didn’t have to make the trip."

His grin widened. "See? I’m thoughtful."

Suzy rolled her eyes. "Sure you are."

Only then did Derek glance toward the others traveling with him.

"So..." he asked curiously, "who are these people?"