Chapter 13


    Knowing that the tenant of 1801, Jasper, was aloof was one thing, but she didn''t know he was prone


    to violence, especially towards children. Seeing Rosie''s demeanor, it seemed like she had grown


    ustomed to the beatings. No wonder she was always running to Ste''s apartment. Was she


    hiding from her abusive brother?


    "Why does he hit you?"


    Even though it was someone else''s family matter, child abuse was too much. Ste didn''t ask Rosie


    about her past, but from her observations of Rosie''s skittish gaze and her somewhat sycophantic


    personality, she couldn''t help but recall her own unpleasant childhood memories, "Rosie, is he your


    real brother?"


    That was why she didn''t turn Rosie away.


    "He teaches me to box." Rosie rubbed her bruised arm and gave Ste a sweet smile, "I got hit


    because I didn''t dodge in time, and I fell a few times too."


    Only then did Ste understand that Rosie had been practicing boxing for the past few days, for as


    much as five hours a day.


    "Ma’am, let me show you my boxing."


    Without waiting for Ste''s response, she walked into a spacious area and assumed a stance.


    Rosie, who was usually a timid and shy little girl, suddenly became fierce when she started to box.


    Her posture was as if she had transformed into apletely different person. Her boxing style was


    military, her movements were standard and powerful, and her posture was particrly sharp, her


    eyes fierce and full of spirit.


    Ste was dumbfounded. Rosie was even better than her. Steplimented her, which made


    Rosie blush, "You''re so nice." Her brother never praised her, no matter how well she did.


    The number of bruises on Rosie''s body indicated that she had been trained harshly. It was a


    hurricane day, and this high-intensity training for a four- or five-year-old child was rming.


    It seemed Jasper was preparing Rosie for something horrifying, for her to have self-defense abilities


    in the future?


    Rosie''s movements were precise, something that couldn''t be learned from videos alone.


    Ste didn''t ask any further. She then applied some herbal wine on Rosie''s bruises, "Soak it in hot


    water tonight."


    After getting some fresh air, Rosie kissed her pet bunny and reluctantly left.


    ……


    The apartment building was chaotic. There were fights, curses, and people ready to physically harm


    each other at the drop of a hat. The terrible weather and living conditions brought out the worst in


    people.


    The original residents of the 9th floor and the inhabitants of the 2nd floor who were squeezed in the


    corridor argued for half a day and almost resorted to knives. When the residents of the 9th floor


    woke up early in the morning, they found that their house had been burgled and the little food they


    had left was gone. The hurricane seemed never-ending, and this was their lifeline. Which bastard


    did this!


    The inhabitants of the 2nd floor were huddled at their doorstep. If a thief had really entered, it was


    impossible not to notice.


    Both families were dissatisfied and squabbled, causing a ruckus. The thefts weren''t just limited to


    the 9th floor. Other floors also had their share of burries. Even if the homeowners were


    awakened, they couldn''t see clearly in the dark, and the robbers always wore masks.


    It was not just one or two, but a groupmitting robbery. Even though there were people living in


    the corridor, they didn''t dare to move in face of the shiny knife, their eyesplex and dark, even


    gleaming with a light of schadenfreude. The victims deserved it; they should starve too.


    Others who heard the cries for help didn''t dare to help, instead they barricaded their rooms with


    refrigerators or sofas, praying that they wouldn''t break in.


    Ste adjusted her schedule, sleeping after dinner when it got dark, setting an rm for midnight


    and then getting up to do various physical training exercises.


    Just after a few days, she heard noises outside. She pressed herself against the door and listened,


    indeed someone was trying to pick the lock.


    These past few days have been chaotic and crazy, with several groups knocking on the door during


    the day, asking if there was any food to spare, the children were nearly starved.


    After being trapped for 10 days, with no water, electricity or gas, which family would still have stored


    food? Even if there were some, giving to this family but not to that one could potentially incite those


    starving to the point of desperation to swarm up and tear you apart.


    From Arcadia, she took out a butcher''s knife, put on her night vision goggles, and quietly opened


    the inner door, then suddenly pushed open the outer door.


    The man picking the lock was caught off guard. The man with the hook was silenced before he


    could scream, and his abdomen was in severe pain.


    Ste stabbed him a few times, pushed him aside and walked towards the second person.


    A shlight swung over, and seeing the bloody knife in her hand, the man was shocked and


    instinctively tried to run, but Ste caught him by the cor and threw him down.


    There were a total of four men trying to break in, two of whom turned and ran, but one suddenly


    bumped into a figure. Before he could make a sound, his neck was twisted and broken. Without


    even a chance to fall to the ground, his body was thrown out of the window.


    Ste looked up, a tall figure was efficiently killing and disposing of bodies. To her surprise, the knife


    brutally slit the second man''s throat. The man clutched his throat tightly, opened his mouth but


    couldn''t scream, his body thrashing around uncontrobly.


    The apartment building was rife with rumors that 1802 had a lot of food reserves, and Ste was not


    only beautiful but also lived alone. They came in the dark for the food, but also wanted to have their


    way with her.


    But they never expected that such a beautiful young woman was actually a demon.


    Ste pulled off the man''s mask, and it was him, the one who moved to 1803 in her previous life,


    the one who had tried to break into her apartment multiple times. This was the ugliness of human


    nature; even if given a second chance, he would choose to do evil.


    Ste sneered, and without hesitation, stabbed the man in the heart. She stood up, knife in hand,


    and warily watched the man not far away. Her vision was unclear in the dark, but judging from his


    build, it seemed like Jasper?


    Jasper walked over, dragged the man who had stopped breathing to the window, and threw him out.


    Seeing her standing still, her expression tense and solemn, he said softly, "You did nothing wrong.


    These people are a menace."


    Was he trying tofort her?


    He seemed unperturbed by tonight''s events, killing and disposing of bodies calmly, his dark gazes


    unfazed.


    Ste had spected about his identity; judging from his demeanor and posture, he was either a


    soldier or some kind of police officer. But now it seemed that he was more like a cold-blooded killer.


    Regardless of who he was, at least for now, he posed no threat to her, even helped her kill and


    dispose of bodies.


    Ste nodded, agreeing with his words. If she really let them go, who knew how many people would


    suffer?


    She wiped the blood off her face, cleaned the corridor with a mop and cloth, and Jasper fixed the


    damaged lock on the stairwell door overnight.


    Neither of them spoke, each retreating to their respective rooms.


    Ste went into Arcadia''s bathroom and took a shower, washing her bloodstained clothes until they


    were spotless. Despite everything she had been through, sheid in bed with a surprising


    calmness. She swiftly drifted off to sleep.


    By the next morning, the water level had risen significantly.


    Standing on the balcony, Ste had a doughnut and coffee for breakfast. The doughnut was golden


    and crispy, the coffee rich and aromatic. Eating it brought her immense pleasure, even lifting her


    mood.


    The water was filled with household garbage, bags of various colors floated in the water. There


    were a few corpses, floating to unknown ces with the flood.


    During her breakfast, she saw several people jump into the flood and swim away. Without


    exception, they were all braving the storm in search of food.


    Every day people left, but Ste never saw any of them return. Perhaps some did, but she just


    hadn''t seen them.


    The banging at the stairwell door resumed. Ste paid it no mind, brushing her teeth and rinsing out


    the taste of food.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    As noon approached, Ang came by. "Ste, the knocking is getting more frequent. We need to


    be extra careful these next few days."