Yuri’s expression darkened at her words.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. With a stern expression, he said to Zara, "Will you ever let it go? She’s never done anything to you. Do you really have to keep making these assumptions about her?"

Upon hearing this, Zara gave Yuri a smirk. She then said in a low voice, "My dear little brother... I don’t remember you ever being so quick to defend someone. What, could it be... you’ve actually fallen for this little girl?"

After she finished, a cold, enigmatic smile touched Zara’s lips. She went on, "Let me tell you, these poor girls who are even halfway decent-looking know best how to use their bodies to get what they want. Don’t you do anything foolish." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

At this, Yuri’s patience snapped. He slammed the book in his hand onto the coffee table. Looking up at Zara, his face blank, he said coldly, "Are you just taking this out on me because Zane Simmons refused to go through with the marriage alliance?"

The smile on Zara’s face froze the moment the words left Yuri’s mouth. Her brow furrowed slightly as she pursed her lips, staring intently at him without saying a word.

Zane Simmons’s mother, Paige Walsh, was from the Walsh family. Though they were related as cousins, by Zara’s and Zane’s generation, the blood relation was already three generations removed.

Wealthy families constantly need to maintain their network of interests through marriage, which was why the Walsh Family now wanted another marriage alliance with the Simmons Family.

Zane was the only son of his generation in the Simmons Family, while Zara was her father’s only daughter. The duty of the marriage alliance naturally fell upon them.

Zara had grown tired of playing around these past few years. After trying all sorts of men, she felt it was time to get married and settle down.

The Simmons Family was large and influential, and Zane was young, handsome, witty, and humorous—exactly her type.

What made the prospect even more appealing to Zara was that Zane’s mother, Paige Walsh, was her father’s cousin. After marrying Zane, she wouldn’t have to suffer from the usual mother-in-law drama.

Zara was very satisfied with this marriage prospect; she felt that she and Zane were a perfect match.

As for Zane’s illegitimate son... while a bit unpleasant, he could just be sent abroad. As long as the boy was kept overseas his whole life, never came back, and never inherited the family business, Zara wasn’t planning to make a big deal out of it. After all, what powerful family didn’t have a bastard or two?

Zara thought her "magnanimity" would win Zane’s approval, but it turned out he had other ideas.

Zane told Zara straight up that he had no plans to get married and had no desire to go down the same old road of an arranged marriage as his parents.

This infuriated Zara.

She had deliberately moved to The Metropolis Residences, thinking she could use the proximity to her advantage.

But when she paid a visit to Zane’s place a couple of days ago, she discovered that he was actually keeping the illegitimate son’s birth mother in his house.

That woman was about the same age as Melody Summers, as delicate and fragile as a little white flower. When she saw Zara, her face went pale and she hid behind Zane, as if Zara were going to eat her alive.

And Zane, completely clueless, actually defended the woman, humiliating Zara in front of everyone!

Zara was now absolutely sick of these young girls with no family background and nothing but a pretty face!

Zara had been a heartbreaker her whole life. Growing up, she’d never met a man she couldn’t wrap around her finger. Who would have thought she’d meet her match in Zane Simmons?

She stroked the pink diamond ring on her finger and closed her eyes in frustration.

*

After Melody finished putting away the solar panels, her aunt, grandmother, and Miss Lowell carefully wiped them clean, slipped them into dust covers, and carried them down to the basement.

These solar panels, which had powered the villa for a full year, were the unsung heroes of the Summers Family.

After storing the solar panels, Melody switched the power supply to the gasoline generator. For at least the next year, the villa’s electricity would depend entirely on the generators and the gasoline and diesel fuel she had stockpiled.

Just then, the villa’s doorbell suddenly rang. Melody hurried over to check the security monitor and was surprised to see Officer Rhodes at the door.

Melody ran to open the door. She saw Roman Rhodes dressed in plain clothes, holding a large cardboard box in one arm and carrying a large bag in the other hand.

"Officer Rhodes, what brings you here?" Melody quickly invited him into the living room.

Roman handed the box to Melody and said with a smile, "I had some free time today, so I came to visit Professor Lowell."

Melody took what Roman handed her. Inside the box were fresh lobster and abalone, as well as a bound king crab.

She glanced at the bag and saw half a calf, cleaned and processed, still dripping with blood. It was clearly freshly slaughtered.

Melody couldn’t help but marvel. ’These ingredients would have been very expensive even before the disasters. Officer Rhodes is so generous.’

Just then, Miss Lowell came up from the basement. Seeing the items, she said with a hint of resignation, "Why did you bring so much again? We’re not short of anything here."

Ever since Roman learned that Miss Lowell was staying here, he had been sending things over to the Summers’ house every few days—fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and seafood, all of it hand-picked and prepped. The sincerity of the gesture was clear.

Roman smiled and replied, "Miss Lowell, please don’t be so formal. When we were kids, my brother and I were always at your place, eating your food and staying over. You never once complained about how much we ate. It’s only right that I repay your kindness now."

In Roman’s mind, Professor Lowell was like his own mother. His mother had passed away when he was young, so he wanted to show the professor the filial respect he couldn’t show his own mom.

Grace Sutton quickly brought Roman a cup of tea. He thanked her and took it, then said to Melody and the others, "There have been volcanic eruptions all over the world recently. Public order might become more unstable in the coming days. If you run into any danger here, you can call me anytime."

Hearing this, Melody asked tentatively, "Officer Rhodes, could you get us a few guns?"

Roman almost laughed in exasperation. He looked at Melody helplessly and said, "Those Crossbows you have would have been enough to get you a prison sentence before the disasters, and now you have the nerve to ask me for guns? Besides, even if I got them for you, do you even know how to use a gun? What if it accidentally discharges, or the chamber explodes? What if you hurt yourself?"

Melody could tell from Roman’s expression that it was a lost cause. She couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed; she really wanted to get some better weapons for self-defense.

In her past life, she hadn’t been in The Metropolis Residences during the Cold Night. She was living at the Lancaster Family’s villa. She only remembered that their area had been looted several times during that long night, and even the Lancaster’s home was broken into, with thieves making off with some appliances and decorations.

Now, she could only hope that no major unrest would break out in The Metropolis Residences.

*

The news over the past two days came like a relentless barrage, continuously pushing notifications about volcanic eruptions around the globe:

2:00 AM on the 3rd, Lyra Island: massive eruption of Mount Pinara!

4:00 AM on the 3rd, Veridia: eruption of Mount Pacian!

10:00 AM on the 3rd, Cryos: massive eruption of Mount Volcor!

6:00 PM on the 3rd, Althena: massive eruption of Mount Novus!

3:00 AM on the 4th, Veridia: massive eruption of Mount Sanctus!

4:00 AM on the 4th, Seraphina: eruption of Mount Aethen!

9:00 AM on the 4th, Wyvernia: supervolcano eruption at Brimstone Park!

3:00 AM on the 5th, the southeastern part of Mauna Island: eruption of Mount Kilauren!

4:00 AM on the 5th, The Alethean Isles in the central State of Althena: massive eruption of Mount Clevelus!

...

Due to the shifting of continental plates, the volcanic eruptions were accompanied by major earthquakes and tsunamis in multiple locations. Many countries issued continuous tsunami warnings and organized evacuations for their coastal populations.

Island nations, meanwhile, were facing devastating blows. The governments of many countries collapsed overnight. Survivors crammed onto international rescue ships and fled to inland countries and regions to seek asylum.

Internet access in the areas devastated by the eruptions was cut off, leaving the outside world temporarily unable to ascertain the specific death toll of this global catastrophe.

In regions where the internet was still working, online rumors flew wildly. Many theists believed it was a disaster sent by the gods to punish humanity. In an instant, public opinion on the internet, both domestic and international, exploded.

Starting on April 6th, the cataclysm of global volcanic eruptions inevitably reached their own country...

1:00 AM on the 6th, the nation’s largest active volcano—Skyfire Volcano—erupted violently!

Because of the memories from her past life, Melody didn’t sleep that night. She immediately grabbed her phone to check the news reports.

According to the news, the massive eruption of Skyfire Volcano had destroyed nearly all ecosystems within a radius of several hundred kilometers. The resulting lahar, a volcanic mudflow, spread out and covered Pineridge Lake, over three hundred kilometers away.

The eruption column reached a height of forty kilometers, and it was projected to form a layer of volcanic ash approximately ten centimeters thick between Coria and Kitaido in Kaito.