Chapter 7

Evelyn's POV

This floor had three units per elevator, and the other two were completely empty.

I frowned as I pulled open my security door and stepped out.

The door to 1801 next door was wide open, revealing a brand new stainless steel door that had been torn off and tossed aside. A young man in casual clothes was using an electric drill, sparks flying as he drilled holes into the wall.

He paused when he heard the door opening, turning his head warily.

Our eyes met. I stared at his hard, familiar face. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed surprised to see me. He gave me a polite nod, then went back to work.

His lean frame hid a lot of strength. Everything about him warned people to stay back.

My wolf whispered in my head, He's a werewolf too.

I felt a chill run down my spine and quickly retreated to my room, locking the blast-resistant door behind me.

Everything had changed in this life.

Who would install three heavy stainless steel blast doors at home before anyone knew the apocalypse had begun?

Although he was a werewolf and had helped me, that was before the order completely collapsed.

With this storm turning into an apocalypse, how could I be sure he wouldn't change?

I walked to the balcony and looked out. The sky was already darkening like thick ink.

The city streets were flooded within a single night. Cars in low-lying areas were submerged, some even being swept away by rushing waters.

Rain blurred my vision, and the distant world seemed to dissolve into chaos.

The sky pressed lower, as if an invisible hand was squeezing the city, suffocating it with a sense of impending doom...

I grabbed a high-powered telescope. The city roads were now a sea of water.

Tornadoes whipped through the hurricane, tearing apart trees and billboards with their powerful winds. Cars were uprooted and swallowed whole.

A tornado?!

My pupils constricted as I watched a highway bridge split in two by the tornado. Lightning struck a power line, igniting a fire that was quickly doused by the torrential rain.

There hadn't been a tornado like this in my previous life!

My phone vibrated nonstop, messages flooding the screen at an alarming rate.

I found it annoying and turned to the kitchen, racing against time.

Chicken wings and legs were seasoned and thrown into the oven. Beef and ribs simmered in a large pot until the broth was rich and savory.

I moved swiftly, not pausing for a moment.

The exhaust fan whirred loudly, making the air stuffy and unappetizing. I made a quick bowl of ramen for lunch.

Just as I shut off the fan, I faintly heard a muffled cry from behind me.

I didn't pay much attention and carried the trash out to the door.

But when I turned back to go inside, the crying became clear—coming from next door.

Although I only had one year of medical school under my belt, I knew enough basic medicine.

The child's cry was weak and hoarse, clearly abnormal.

After a brief pause, I knocked on 1801. "Giselle?"

Three heavy stainless steel blast doors creaked with each knock, but there was no answer.

Just as I thought no one was home and was about to leave, a faint click came from within.

The lock clicked for what seemed like an eternity before the door slowly opened a crack.

A tear-streaked face, filled with fear, peered out.

Giselle's mouth still clung to remnants of vomit, her tiny face flushed with fever, a sickly red hue.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I touched her forehead. It was burning.

The little guy had two runny noses and was breathing heavily, clearly suffering from a high fever after being caught in the rain.

"Where's your dad?"

"He's my brother... He, he left." She sniffled. "He doesn't want me anymore."

It seemed this little girl had been abandoned before.

"I'm sure he just went out. He'll be back." I softened my voice. "Why don't you stay with me until then?"

She hiccupped and hesitantly nodded.

I led Giselle into the house and used a thermometer to confirm that she indeed had a fever.

Fortunately, I had children's fever medicine in my storage space. After giving her a dose, I left a note on apartment 1801. Her brother needed to know where she was.

The wind howled outside. I didn't know what to make of the cold man next door.

He had left a sick child home alone in this weather. Where did he go?

Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared as Giselle huddled in a corner of the sofa, trembling like a frightened animal.

Seeing her like this, I felt a pang of recognition—a sense of being abandoned by the world, just like when I was younger. The memory still lingered vividly.

I picked out a few heartwarming cartoons and played them on my tablet for her.

Sure enough, Giselle's tense little face gradually relaxed.

I sat beside her and glanced at my phone.

An endless stream of unread messages flooded in, with Hans's name prominently displayed:

"Evelyn, I shouldn't have yelled at you yesterday. Let's forget it happened."

"I really wanted you at my party. When you didn't come, I was upset. I said things I didn't mean."

It had only been one day and one night. Were they already falling apart?