After Sebastian Crawford left with his men, Mandy Sinclair hurried to shut the door.
As the door closed, all the strength drained from Mandy Sinclair's body, and she slid down to the floor with her back against it.
"How could this happen...?" Mandy Sinclair murmured, her eyes filled with despair.
'We didn't have much food or drink left in the house to begin with, and now it's all been taken.'
'Were the four of them just supposed to wait here and starve to death?'
Hayden Warren emerged from the room with a dark expression. He rushed over to Mandy Sinclair and yanked her to her feet.
"Mandy Sinclair! What the hell is going on? Huh? Say something!"
"Didn't you say you were just going to the tenth floor to 'take a look'? Just a look! Why did they come to our apartment and take everything?"
"They took all our food and water! Are the four of us supposed to just wait here and starve?"
Hayden Warren was truly about to lose his mind.
If hitting Mandy Sinclair would have solved anything, he would have beaten her senseless.
Mandy Sinclair snapped back to her senses and looked at Hayden Warren in a daze. "Why are you yelling at me? Why didn't you say anything when those men were here? Why didn't you stop them? All you can do is shout at a woman! Are you even a man?"
"You think I didn't want to?" Hayden Warren's expression grew even uglier. "Wasn't I trying to protect our two kids?"
The mention of their two children sent Mandy Sinclair into an instant panic. "The kids? Honey, where are the kids?"
"In the bedroom." Hayden Warren let go of Mandy Sinclair. "They're both terrified. But that's not even the most important thing. What are they going to eat? We adults can hold out for a while, but how can the kids endure it?"
Tears instantly welled up in Mandy Sinclair's eyes.
But very quickly, her sorrow turned to hatred.
"It's all Sierra Sullivan's fault! If it weren't for her, things wouldn't have turned out like this! I'm going to find her and settle the score right now!"
Hayden Warren wanted to say more, but Mandy Sinclair had already thrown open the door and dashed out.
Hayden Warren quickly ran back to the bedroom, told his two children not to go out, and then followed her upstairs.
「...」
Sierra Sullivan hadn't been training for long when she heard the doorbell ring again.
This time, the ringing was even more frantic than before.
It rang again and again, and soon it started to stutter.
After a few more rings, there was a SIZZLE of electricity, and then it went completely silent.
The doorbell wasn't ringing anymore!
The whole world was finally quiet!
Not only was Sierra Sullivan not annoyed, she was actually quite happy.
'Good riddance!'
'Now I won't have to be tormented by that doorbell ever again!'
Sierra Sullivan ambled over to the door.
The doorbell wasn't completely broken. The speaker was dead, but the screen was working just fine.
On the screen was the image of Mandy Sinclair, screaming and cursing hysterically.
Her hands were on her hips, and she was swearing up a storm, her expression utterly ferocious.
'What kind of fit is she throwing now?'
Just as Sierra Sullivan was wondering, a man walked into view.
The man was wearing loungewear, his face was stubbled, and he looked haggard.
Sierra Sullivan recognized him at a glance; it was Mandy Sinclair's husband, Hayden Warren.
However, in Sierra Sullivan's memory, Hayden Warren was a CEO who was always impeccably dressed in a suit, the very picture of a corporate elite.
This was the first time she had ever seen him looking so disheveled and worn-out.
Hayden Warren grabbed Mandy Sinclair to stop her from continuing her tirade. He then stood in front of the door and forced a smile for the camera.
"Miss Sullivan, I know you must be in there."
"Just now, Sebastian Crawford and his men came to our apartment and took all our food and water!"
"Mandy and I can endure it, but we have two children at home, and kids can't go hungry! What if they get sick from starvation!"
"What happened today was Mandy's fault. I apologize to you on her behalf, Miss Sullivan. I'm not asking you to forgive her. I'm just begging you to sell us some food and water. I won't ask for much, just enough for the kids to eat. Please, Miss Sullivan!"
Hayden Warren's posture was extremely humble. He was practically groveling, bringing up the children in every other sentence.
Any other young woman might have been moved by Hayden Warren's plea.
But Sierra Sullivan was completely unmoved.
Mandy Sinclair's family getting robbed was a problem of her own making!
If Mandy Sinclair hadn't goaded Sebastian Crawford into trying to rob her, he wouldn't have felt like he'd lost face, and he certainly wouldn't have tried to get that face back from Mandy.
'Mandy Sinclair is reaping what she sowed, so why should I feel sorry for her children?'
'I've been given a second chance at life; I barely have time to feel sorry for myself!'
Sierra Sullivan remained silent, and outside, Mandy Sinclair grew angry again.
"What's the use of saying all those nice things to her! She's selfish and cold-blooded! It's useless no matter what you say!"
Hayden Warren was already on edge. Hearing Mandy Sinclair's words, he flared up in anger and slapped her across the face.
The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the empty elevator lobby.
Mandy Sinclair clutched her face, staring at Hayden Warren in disbelief. "You dared to hit me?"
"And why wouldn't I dare?" Hayden Warren shot back. "If you hadn't been causing trouble left and right, would our supplies have been taken? It's one thing not to admit you're wrong, but you're still blaming others. Apologize to Miss Sullivan right now, or don't even think about coming home!"
Mandy Sinclair's face was filled with grievance, but she bit her lip and apologized to the camera.
"Sierra Sullivan, I'm sorry!"
"It's all my fault! I shouldn't have held a grudge just because you didn't open the door!"
"I never expected Sebastian Crawford to be that kind of person! If I had known, I never would have gone to his apartment for some stupid meeting!"
"He robbed our family today; in a few days, he might come for you. We should team up! What do you say?"
Mandy Sinclair's voice was gentle, her words sincere, and even her expression was vivid.
But watching this version of Mandy Sinclair, Sierra Sullivan felt nothing at all, except the urge to scoff.
'This couple must take me for a fool!'
'Did they think I'd fall for their little repentant act?'
Sierra Sullivan couldn't be bothered to watch anymore. She turned and went back to the living room to continue her training.
'Their acting is so boring. Working out is more interesting!'
Outside the door, Mandy Sinclair and Hayden Warren continued their coordinated performance, but they still received no response. Finally, they gave up and went back downstairs, resentful.
Sierra Sullivan wouldn't open the door or make a sound. It was useless even if they screamed their lungs out.
They could only retreat for now and think of another way.
In the living room, Sierra Sullivan trained until six o'clock.
Because of the sandstorm, it got dark especially early.
By six, it was already pitch-black outside, and nothing was visible.
Sierra Sullivan entered her space. She was about to take a shower when the vibrant green seedlings in the farmland caught her attention.
'These seeds were only planted a day ago!'
'They've already grown taller than my hand!'
'Isn't this growth rate a bit too fast?'
'Could it be that the space doesn't just preserve things, but can also accelerate the growth of anything planted in its soil?'