Joanne White had been incredibly annoyed these past few days. Austin Hale had started pestering her again.

Austin Hale had recently found a new job; he’d been hired by Adler Enterprises.

Before the extreme heat, Adler Enterprises had launched a seawater desalination project. It was a high-energy, low-return venture originally intended to supply neighboring island nations and, incidentally, rake in some government subsidies. But then came the apocalyptic heat wave that lasted for over half a year. The nationwide drought and water shortage caused the once-unremarkable Adler Enterprises to skyrocket overnight.

The benefits at Adler Group were decent. Employees received a daily ration of desalinated water, and the salary was quite good.

Austin Hale had found a new hope in life. He felt he had a future again, so he started contacting Joanne White, hoping she would come back to him.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered other women. Ever since he joined Adler Enterprises, Mrs. Hale had even arranged several blind dates for him, but Austin Hale was never satisfied.

In terms of looks, education, and figure, none of the girls he’d met on dates could compare to Joanne White. Besides, he found them all a bit dull, lacking Joanne’s cleverness and charm.

Joanne White was sick and tired of Austin Hale’s harassment. She was over seven months pregnant and already on edge. To make matters worse, Zane Simmons had been cycling through a never-ending stream of girls lately, which gave Joanne a profound sense of insecurity.

Not only did Joanne have to worry about the flock of arm candy around Zane Simmons, but she also had to worry about Melody Summers—a ticking time bomb ready to go off at any moment.

The other day, she had been secretly watching from an upstairs window and noticed that Zane Simmons treated Melody Summers differently. Joanne was terrified that Melody would tell Zane about how she had started rumors and cyberbullied her back in college.

Joanne White’s constant anxiety was taking a toll on her pregnancy; she frequently felt a dragging pain in her abdomen.

She begged Zane Simmons to help find her parents a new house, so Mr. and Mrs. White could move away from their old place and Austin Hale couldn’t bother them anymore.

"Joanne, I got paid 10,000 this month. I’ll send it all to you. After my probationary period ends next month, I’ll get a raise. Don’t worry, I can definitely give you a good life," Austin Hale said earnestly over the phone.

Before the disaster, Joanne White might have considered getting back together with Austin Hale. But it was already October, and the world was still trapped in a global heatwave. What could 10,000 even buy? It wasn’t enough to cover the daily cost of running the air conditioner.

Joanne White had grown accustomed to a life of luxury with Zane Simmons, used to having a maid tend to her every day. She couldn’t go back to pinching pennies and living a hard life with Austin Hale.

Anyway, Mr. and Mrs. White had already moved. Joanne White couldn’t be bothered to waste any more time on Austin Hale; the past few days had exhausted all her patience. She replied coldly, "Austin Hale, we’re really over. Don’t contact me again. Stop wasting your time on me and find a nice, simple girl to settle down with."

With that, Joanne White hung up the phone.

Austin Hale stared at the phone in disbelief. He immediately called back, only to find that Joanne White had blocked him again.

Austin Hale rushed out the door and ran to Mr. and Mrs. White’s house, only to find the place completely empty.

*

Austin Hale had been looking completely dejected for days. Seeing this, his supervisor walked over, patted his shoulder, and asked, "Hale, why so listless?"

Austin Hale forced a smile and replied, "Supervisor Warren, I’m fine. Just haven’t been sleeping well these past few days."

Supervisor Warren nodded, then added with a smile, "Tonight, Mr. Adler is holding a party at the Oceanus Hotel for all the company’s shareholders. You’re tall and handsome—come to the banquet and help represent the company!"

This was basically an order to go drink with clients, but Austin Hale knew it was a chance to impress the higher-ups. His spirits lifted, and he replied, "Yes, Supervisor Warren! I definitely won’t let you down!"

*

Oceanus Hotel.

Zane Simmons was also attending the Adler Group’s reception tonight. He and Flynn Adler were mere acquaintances, not particularly close, but the Simmons Family was a shareholder in the Adler Group, so Zane Simmons was on the guest list.

"Thanks for gracing us with your presence, Mr. Shepherd," Flynn Adler joked with a grin.

"May your business prosper, Mr. Adler," Zane Simmons replied with a smile, clinking his glass against Flynn’s.

Flynn Adler lowered his voice and said to Zane Simmons, "Have you heard, Mr. Shepherd? Rumor has it the Hayes Family’s precious youngest son has gone missing. Hector Hayes is frantic, sending people to search for him everywhere."

Zane Simmons asked in surprise, "When did this happen? Hugh Hayes is a grown man. How could he just vanish for no reason?"

Flynn Adler shook his head. "He’s been gone for several days. Apparently, two of his men disappeared with him, and no one knows what they were up to. The three of them drove into a surveillance blind spot and never came out. It’s like they and the car vanished into thin air."

Finishing his story, Flynn Adler sighed. "It seems the world has really gone crazy. For something this bizarre to happen..."

’The Hayes Family only went legit a couple of years ago, and the Adler Family was involved in organized crime before that,’ Zane Simmons thought. ’What right do either of them have to comment on the world being crazy?’

’Putting that aside, this very Oceanus Hotel is one of Hector Hayes’s properties. Rumor is, there’s still some shady business going on here. It’s just that no one’s made a fuss, so no one’s investigated.’

Joanne White was also at the Oceanus Hotel. She had grown increasingly anxious cooped up in the villa these past few days and couldn’t stand it anymore. She had begged Zane Simmons for a long time before he agreed to bring her out for some fresh air today. However, he forbade her from entering the third-floor banquet hall, so she could only stay in a private room in the second-floor conservatory.

Bodyguards stood guard outside. A chill from the indoor air conditioning prickled Joanne White’s skin. She noticed a small door next to the conservatory that led directly to an outdoor terrace. She slipped out quietly, planning to walk around the terrace to clear her head.

Outside, the night was as hot as ever, but Joanne White felt the warmth envelop her, chasing away the indoor chill. It was quite comfortable.

Meanwhile, Austin Hale had spent the evening plastering on a smile and toasting a circle of executives, downing glass after glass as if his life depended on it. After several rounds, he’d had a bit too much to drink and went down to the second-floor terrace to sober up, never expecting to run right into Joanne White.

"Joanne!" Austin Hale rushed forward and hugged her excitedly. "It really is you!"

Joanne White froze. ’It’s Austin Hale!’

Lost in the happy surprise of their reunion, Austin Hale looked down at Joanne White’s pregnant belly. A flicker of confusion crossed his face, followed by sheer ecstasy. "You didn’t get rid of the baby?! That’s wonderful, Joanne! Why did you lie and tell me you’d already aborted it?"

Joanne White struggled out of his embrace, frowning as she hissed, "Enough, Austin Hale! Don’t touch me! I already told you we’re over. Stop pestering me!"

"Joanne, what nonsense are you talking about?" Austin Hale asked, confused. "You’re still pregnant! Are you planning to have this baby and raise it all by yourself? Come home with me. Come home, and let me take care of you and the baby!"

Joanne White took a deep breath and put some distance between them. Her face was cold as she said, "This baby has nothing to do with you. I have a new boyfriend. We are over."

Austin Hale stared at her, utterly stunned, as if struck by lightning. He then muttered, "No, I don’t believe you. Joanne, you’re lying to me, aren’t you...?"

Joanne White said nothing, silently turning her head away.

Austin Hale surged forward and grabbed her again. "Joanne White! How could you do this! I don’t care whose baby you’re carrying, you have to come back to me! I sank my life savings into buying that school district apartment for you! We were about to get married!"

Joanne White threw his hand off and growled, "Don’t be a fool, Austin Hale! The public hospitals are nearly paralyzed. Do you have any idea how much private hospitals are charging now? A single epidural costs more than gold! Do you want me to go back with you just to die on the delivery table?!"

Austin Hale’s eyes turned red when he heard this, but he didn’t know how to refute her. He knew the public hospitals were practically paralyzed, with many people developing complications from pre-existing conditions due to the heat, and that there was a shortage of both medical equipment and staff. Still, he couldn’t accept it. His face darkened as he stared silently at Joanne White, a storm brewing in his eyes.

A chill ran down Joanne White’s spine. She wanted to scream for the bodyguards outside, but Austin Hale was too close. She was afraid they wouldn’t get to her in time.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Joanne White’s mind. She said to Austin Hale, "Austin Hale, let’s be honest, we were just using each other. I don’t love you. I’m really not worth all this. The only one who ever truly loved you was Melody Summers. I know she’s doing very well for herself now. You should go find her. You can try to win her back!"

Austin Hale froze at her words. "...Melody Summers...?"