18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 74

It was only two miles to Redland Town, but the icy surface was slicker than a greased pig at a county fair. The so-called snow boots did no good. If anyone were to chase her, not only would she not be able to run fast, but she was likely to take a nasty spill. Stella, under the guise of digging through her backpack, pulled out a pair of ice skates from Arcadia and strapped them on. The skates were a bit large, but with a few pairs of socks stuffed in, they fit just fine.

Stella had learned to skate, but like a hound dog on a slippery porch, she was all wobble and no grace. She clumsily glided toward the outskirts of the community.

Before she could even get out of the neighborhood, two men burst from building 7, wielding clubs and charging at her. It was her fault for standing out so much. The arctic survival suits were designed to be brightly colored for search and rescue purposes, even in the graying weather.

The two men were bundled up, wearing all their clothes regardless of the season; their greedy eyes were the only thing visible. Needless to say, they had their sights on Stella's suit.

Unfortunately for them, their shoes slipped on the ice, and they took a tumble before they could even reach Stella. By the time they managed to pick themselves up, she was long gone.

Once she was out of the community, she gradually found her balance and skated swiftly towards Redland Town.

She encountered a few survivors on the way, who watched with envious eyes as she shot past them on the snowy landscape. Damn, she was impressive! Here in the south, who else had such complete gear?

They envied how well she was living, and then grimaced at their own pitiful state.

The more she skated, the smoother she got, and she quickly arrived at Redland Town. Stella switched back into her snow boots, took Cooper out of her backpack, and headed towards the top floor of the commercial city.

In just a few months, the once bustling commercial city was desolate, with debris everywhere, and even splattered blood on the walls.

In this unfamiliar environment, Cooper was particularly vigilant, leading the way and ensuring that it was safe before allowing Stella to follow.

Only the top two floors of Redland Town were not flooded, and Stella found a secluded spot on the top floor that also offered a panoramic view of the surroundings. The roads and surrounding shops were all submerged underwater, and in the distance, the silhouette of a building could be vaguely seen.

She scanned the area with her binoculars but didn't spot any potential threats.

The outside was freezing, especially when sitting still. Each breath she took felt like it was numbing her heart. This damn weather must've been below -30 degrees, right?

Stella took out some foot warmers and stuck them on, then hugged a hot water bottle for warmth. She instructed Cooper to keep watch as she was going to rest.

It was still early, but she had come out early to see if the person threatening her had any accomplices keeping watch or lying in ambush.

Stella nestled in a wind-sheltered spot, tending to her crops in Arcadia in her mind. She was planning to plant some peanuts.

Cooper was a serious dog and kept a dutiful watch, ready to replace and eliminate anyone who tried to steal his food.

When she was tired, Stella would rest with her eyes closed, or scan the surroundings with her binoculars.

At three in the afternoon, there was no sign of anyone suspicious, not even a ghost. Stella was patient, and it wasn't until almost four o'clock that Cooper gave a low warning.

When she looked through her binoculars, she saw a shadow slowly moving across the snow. The figure was completely wrapped up from head to toe, making it impossible to discern their shape, but based on the direction they came from, she could already guess who it was.

Stella checked her non-digital watch, then hid with Cooper. While hiding, she had Cooper kept an eye on the perimeter.

The shadow slowly climbed to the top floor, scanning the surroundings with vigilant eyes. Seeing that the place was empty, they seemed to be taken aback.

Stella, hiding in the shadows, couldn't help but laugh. It was as if she was the only one capable of standing someone up. She decided to let them wait a bit longer, to see who would grow impatient first.

In the icy landscape, the chilling air felt like invisible needles piercing her body. Sadie was so cold that she was on the verge of passing out, but she was too stubborn to leave. It wasn't possible. If Stella wasn't afraid of Arcadia being exposed, she wouldn't have left her home so early.

Thinking about how carefree Stella was living, while she had to trade her body for food to survive, Sadie was frustrated to the point of fury! If she could get the jade pendant, she wouldn't be in such a situation today.

Life was unbearable, and Hector was nothing but a spineless man living off women. Despite having her as a girlfriend, he slept with Amanda for food. After sleeping with Amanda, he even pushed her onto other men in exchange for food.

Just yesterday, he had forced Amanda to go out with Drew to earn their keep, all for a measly five pounds of food. Amanda was abused to the point where there wasn't a single part of her body that wasn't bruised.

And yet, as Hector ate the food that Amanda had traded her body for, he felt no guilt. Instead, he started to brainwash her.

Next time, it would be Sadie's turn. If she refused, he would use the same methods he used on Amanda on her. There was no escape.

Sadie was filled with hatred, but she knew that without Hector and the others, her fate would be even worse. She didn't want to play this game anymore! She wanted to go home and sleep. She wanted to eat delicious food, and she wanted countless new dresses. How she wished this was all a dream, and that when she woke up, the world would be as it once was. Unfortunately, this was a dream that she would never wake up from.

Sadie wanted to cry, but she was afraid that her tears would freeze her face. With no other choice, she stubbornly remained where she was, waiting for Stella to show up. Stella took out her thermos and drank some hot water, and only emerged from her hiding spot when she saw that Sadie was shivering so badly that she could barely stand. Sadie's eyes lit up at the sight of her. "Stella." She knew it. Stella was afraid of Arcadia being exposed.

Looking at her brand-new clothes, her confident and composed stride, then looking back at her own hodgepodge of clothes, ones she had found in the homes of the deceased, she felt nauseous. She had nightmares of the frozen dead coming back to haunt her. At this moment, jealousy surged within her. If she had Arcadia, then Stella's life would belong to her.

She had deliberately left Hector and the others to come here. This time, she had to succeed, no matter what.

Hearing the familiar tone in her voice, as if they were best friends greeting each other, Stella couldn't help but think of how thick-skinned she was. "What do you want?"

With no outsiders present, Sadie didn't bother to put on a facade. She went straight to the point, "I know you have Arcadia."

Stella looked intrigued. "How do you know I have Arcadia?"

"You don't need to know. All you need to know is that I do."

Since they had agreed to meet, Stella didn't bother to play dumb. "Yes, I do have Arcadia. But so what?"

"Stella, I bear no ill will towards you. I genuinely want to be friends with you. If you let me stay on the 18th floor, I'll keep your secret."

"Just stay on the 18th floor?"

With a confident smile, Sadie replied, "You have so many supplies in Arcadia, and we're friends after all. It wouldn't be too much to ask for you to share some with me, would it?" "How much do you want to share?"

Knowing Stella to be stubborn and headstrong, Sadie decided to take a step back. "I'm not greedy, all I need is to be well-fed and taken care of."

First, she would move onto the 18th floor and win over Jasper and secure her protection. Once her safety was ensured, she could then attempt to take over Arcadia.

Jasper had a gun, he was handsome and a good fighter. Plus, she had Arcadia at her disposal. Surely, she could thrive in this dog-eat-dog world. In time, anyone who dared to bully her would be dealt with severely. Unaware of Sadie's grand plans, Stella questioned, "And what if I don't agree?"