Chapter 5


    Two kilometers was quite close, and it only took a few minutes to reach the entrance of her


    apartment. She handed over $200 to the stranger in gratitude for his heroic act of saving her and


    breaking the rules. The stranger''s voice was icy cold, “No need, it was on my way.”


    Ste didn’t push it. As she got out of the car, she warned, “There’s a hurricaneing. It might


    cause power and water cuts. While there’s still time, you might want to stock up on some groceries.”


    She exited the car, holding the package against the wind, and sprinted into the building. The rain


    started to fall in big, fat drops. Ste made her way out of the elevator, wiping her face, only to see


    Hector and Sadie standing in front of her apartment.


    They must have been waiting for quite some time. Hector looked impatient, while Sadie, the most


    popr girl in school, appeared charming and innocent in her white dress.


    “What took you so long?” Hector sounded annoyed. “We’ve been waiting for ages.”


    Seeing them, Ste couldn’t help but remember how she was bullied in the apocalypse, and how


    they had stood coldly by and watched her being butchered by people. Her mood instantly went sour.


    In her past life, she had been naive, but not this time. If they wanted to suck her dry and steal her


    superpower, they’d have to wait and see. The despair she had once experienced, they would go


    through twice over.


    Ste''s face was cold, “What do you want?” She had always been warm towards him, but now she


    became really cold towards him. Hector was taken aback, “Why didn’t youe to my birthday


    party?”


    “Why should I? We hardly know each other.”


    “You…” She was clearly pursuing him and had even promised to gift him something special. Of


    course, he wasn’t here for the gift, but because Sadie was interested in getting to know Ste.


    Sadie, with a smile on her face, said, “Hi, Ste.”


    Ste responded coldly, “I don’t know you. Don’t call me that.”


    Sadie was slightly embarrassed but maintained her sweet voice, “Today is Hector’s birthday. We


    thought we could celebrate it together since we all went to the same school.”


    The birthday party had already ended, inviting her to the eighth floor was just to snatch her pendant.


    Ste scoffed, “Are you deaf? I just said we don’t know each other. Why the hell should I care about


    his birthday?”


    Hector, unable to bear the insult, snapped, “Ste, what’s your problem?”


    “You wear a couple’s ring with her, but keep inviting me to your ce. Are you trying to have your


    cake and eat it too?”


    “You must be delusional. I don’t have any feelings for you.” Hector was furious. “Sadie, let’s go.”


    Sadie, however, didn''t want to leave. "Ste, the thing is, we came to celebrate the Hector''s


    birthday. Due to the typhoon, we can''t go back. Can I stay at your ce tonight?"


    "What’s the matter with you? We barely even know each other."


    Hector, with a stern expression, warned, "Ste, watch your words."


    "This is just the way I speak. If you don''t want trouble, stay away."


    Hector pulled Sadie to leave, but she stubbornly refused to go, gritting her teeth as she forced a


    smile. “Ste, I really like the pendant you’re wearing. Where did you get it?”


    Ste removed the pendant, “You want it?”


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Sadie’s eyes lit up, “Can I have it? I really love it.”


    Ste dropped the pendant on the ground and crushed it underfoot. It shattered into pieces. “Your


    admiration makes me sick.”


    Sadie was shocked. Hector was furious that his girlfriend was being bullied, and he threw insults at


    Ste.


    Ste had a vicious look on her face, "Get lost, and stop bothering me."


    Hector grabbed Sadie''s hand and stormed away.


    Ste then opened her stainless-steel door and hurriedly began unpacking her delivery. The pr


    thermal clothing was thick and warm. The mummy sleeping bag, made from severalyers of down,


    was top-notch quality. She would need them to survive the bitter cold.


    Outside, the wind howled and the sky was dark. She filled severalrge white stic buckets with


    water and ced a few in Arcadia''s bathroom, preparing for the hurricane that was about to hit. The


    apartment would soon lose power and water supply.


    Despite the raging storm outside, Ste busied herself in the kitchen, cooking various dishes.


    She made hearty meals like stewed pork, spaghetti bolognese, chicken parmesan, and beef stew,


    all inrge portions. The hot food was ced in stainless steel containers and kept warm in Arcadia.


    In the calm before the storm, everyone had stocked up on food, so she took advantage of the


    situation to cook these vorful dishes. She knew that once the storm hit, she wouldn’t dare to cook


    so freely for fear of attracting attention.


    She kept cooking until the early hours of the morning. After a quick shower, she fell into bed


    exhausted. She was woken by the sound of a drill. She opened the curtains to see the sky was still


    dark, and the storm was raging outside. She thought it was still early in the morning, but when she


    checked her phone, it was already past nine o''clock in the morning.


    Messages were flooding her phone, with unread texts in the neighborhood and ss group chats.


    Many were excited about the arrival of the hurricane which meant a break from work or school.


    Many people in the group shared images or videos of the devastation caused by the hurricane:


    trees uprooted, luxury cars damaged, and tornadoes splitting metal factories in half.


    Many began to realize something was wrong,menting about not stockpiling food. They mentioned


    that after work, when they rushed to the supermarket, there was no produce left.


    The continuous sound of an electric drill seemed to being from the adjacent room. Ste was


    puzzled. The building had three units per floor, and the other two units were unupied.


    In her past life, when the floodwaters had reached the second floor, the residents were forced to


    break into the vacant units for shelter. At first, they coexisted peacefully, but as food became more


    scarce, their eyes became more calcting, and they even attempted to pry open Ste''s door


    several times in the middle of the night. This time, she was prepared. If anyone dared to break into


    her ce, she had a fire ax at the ready.


    She could also hear the sound of a child. She opened the door and stepped outside to see a young


    man in casual attire drilling into the wall of the unit next to hers. Hearing the door open, he turned


    around.


    Ste looked surprised, “It''s you?”