Chapter 44: What Kind of Environment Did She Grow Up In?

She took the elevator to the fourth floor. Over the past few days, the snow had piled up to the halfway point of the third floor, making it impossible to exit from there. The only way out was from the fourth floor.

Stella Sterling stood by a window. It was also covered in a layer of snow, but there were numerous handprints and footprints on it, likely from others who had left before. Just before Stella arrived, a young man had just vaulted out.

The fourth-floor hallway window was still over a meter above the snowpack. Stella leaped down, her feet sinking deep into the white powder until it was nearly up to her knees. A bone-chilling cold instantly surged up her legs.

Since the apocalypse began, aside from a trip to the Sterling Family’s home on the second day, Stella had remained in her apartment. She hadn’t left the residential complex, spending her days with the heat on. The sudden exposure to the outside temperature and biting cold took her a while to get used to.

She glanced around. The snow was already nearly ten meters deep. An endless sea of white stretched out before her, burying many of the shorter buildings and obscuring their original shapes.

Everything was white as far as the eye could see, making it difficult to tell one place from another. She could only get her bearings by identifying the taller buildings from memory.

She observed that not all the snow was loose. Some patches were already packed solid, firm enough to walk on without sinking. Dark footprints already marked these areas, and she slowly made her way toward them.

Solara Plaza was only about a thousand meters away. Normally, that distance would be nothing; she could get there in no time.

But now, once outside the complex, nobody could tell which way was which. It was hard to even know what direction to walk.

Besides, the cold was so intense it felt like your limbs would freeze off. Hands and feet were numb, and breathing was difficult. Every step sent a pang through the heart. In these conditions, there was no telling how long it would take to cover a thousand meters, but no one was giving up.

The government was distributing relief supplies, and many people had come out representing their entire families. If they turned back now, they would miss out on the supplies. Who knew when the next distribution would be, or if their own food would last until then.

Though many people couldn’t get their bearings, they were observant. They simply followed the direction others were heading.

Stella Sterling had a good memory. Plus, she had used binoculars to pinpoint Solara Plaza’s location before leaving home. Now, she walked resolutely in that direction.

"Wait, Stella Sterling, wait!"

Amidst the wind and snow, a faint shout reached Stella’s ears. The wind howled past, muffling the sound. Unsure if someone was actually calling her name, she didn’t turn back.

But it wasn’t long before she sensed someone jogging up behind her. She immediately grew vigilant.

A moment later, a hand reached for her back shoulder. Stella sidestepped, simultaneously grabbing the approaching arm and using its momentum to throw the person to the ground.

"AAAH! It hurts, it hurts! Let go! It’s me, it’s me, River Larkin! Your partner—"

The pained cries echoed far into the distance. Only then did Stella look down at the person on the ground, pale and trembling as he clutched his hand. It was, indeed, River Larkin.

Her expression remained unchanged. She looked down at him, her face cold as ice. "What are you doing following me?"

"Hey, beautiful, we know each other, don’t we? Did you have to be so rough?"

River Larkin sucked in a sharp breath, his voice trembling. Stella’s throw had dislocated his arm, and his back throbbed with a burning pain. He felt like his whole body was about to fall apart.

’Damn it, how can she be so ruthless?’ he mentally cursed. He even suspected that if she’d had a weapon, she might have gone straight for the kill.

A wave of fear washed over him at the thought.

Stella stared at him coldly, saying nothing.

River Larkin said, "Fine, fine, my mistake. I shouldn’t have snuck up behind you. But I was just calling your name. Didn’t you hear me?"

’Was she doing that on purpose?’ River wondered. He’d been shouting her name the whole way; she must have known it was him.

’Did I offend her somehow? Is this her way of getting revenge?’

But seeing Stella’s icy expression, he didn’t dare voice his suspicions.

Seeing her like this, he didn’t dare ask her for help. He could only grit his teeth against the pain and slowly struggle to his feet.

Stella just watched coldly from the side, showing no intention of lending him a hand.

River grumbled internally about Stella’s cold-bloodedness. ’What kind of environment did she grow up in? Why is she so different from other girls?’

’I’ve been so warm and friendly to her these past few days. Anyone else, even someone with a heart of stone, would have melted by now.’

However, he wasn’t angry. Instead, he felt a surge of determination. ’The more a woman is like this, the more satisfying it is to conquer her.’

He believed that once he helped her deal with her enemies, she would be deeply moved. ’Once I have her trust, it’ll be a lot of fun. A powerful woman like her, at my beck and call... just the thought of it is thrilling.’

And from what he’d seen, Stella was skilled, with lightning-fast reflexes. Her strength made her worth his time.

Seeing the unconcealed scheming in his eyes despite his pained expression, Stella sneered inwardly. ’This man is full of tricks. Even without what happened in my past life, he’s not someone worth associating with.’

Stella sneered, and while he was still struggling to get up, she turned and continued walking. This time, she heard his shouts from behind her crystal clear, but she pretended not to and kept moving forward.

He wasn’t her friend—just someone who had approached her on his own initiative, with ulterior motives from the very beginning.

The only reason she hadn’t dealt with him already was that he was still useful. Otherwise, she would have silently disposed of him when he came to her apartment.

When she was in a good mood, she could play along with someone like him, humoring him for a bit.

When she was in a bad mood, she couldn’t be bothered.

Behind her, River Larkin gritted his teeth, got to his feet, and continued toward Solara Plaza. His whole body was wracked with pain, but he had no choice. He had to go, pain or not.

His family’s food supply was also running low. Every little bit he could get today counted. Besides, he could get his hands on more than just one share...

Stella was fully equipped. Moreover, she had taken good care of her body over the past few days—eating well, drinking her fill, and getting plenty of rest. Unlike others who were scrimping and saving, she was living just as she had before the apocalypse.

As a result, her spirit and energy were high. After acclimatizing to the environment, her pace quickened, and she reached Solara Plaza long before many others. A large crowd had already gathered there; some had already received their supplies and were preparing to leave.