The Lane family exchanged uneasy glances, each seeing the same grim expression on the others’ faces.

In the end, David spoke.

“Untie her.”

I flexed my numb wrists, trying to bring the feeling back into them.

“Hmph. At least you know what’s good for you. For Brian’s sake, I won’t hold this against you.”

Putting on a fierce front, I threatened Francie, “You’d better watch your mouth in front of Mr. Kane. Otherwise, I’ll have him kill you first and Brian will be mine.”

“You—!”

Francie trembled with rage.

“Just you wait. The day you get dumped, I’ll skin you alive! By then, Brian won’t want you either, you ugly hag!”

“Ma’am, Sir, that bottle of water is yours but don’t let Francie have a drop!”

I tossed out the words, then turned and walked off with my head held high.

Behind me, Francie shouted in fury, but my face instantly tightened with anxiety.

My fighting ability was almost nonexistent.

I had planned to rely on my memories from my past life, stock up on supplies, then head somewhere remote, into the wastelands or the desert, and take my time getting revenge.

But things had already gone off course.

I had to escape overnight.

By tomorrow, when the Lane family couldn’t find Brian and Victor still hadn’t shown up, they would realize something was wrong.

In my past life, Victor only came to this city half a year later, after learning that Brian had a “living water source.”

Thinking of him, I shivered despite the forty-five-degree heat.

More than hatred, what I felt was fear.

Even before the apocalypse, Victor had been a seasoned operator with ties on both sides of the law—cunning and ruthless, a complete monster.

In my past life, after Brian had tricked him, he only managed to get what was left of me. Furious, he vented it all on my body.

Relying on my abnormal regenerative ability, he cut me, burned me with cigarettes, and set me on fire.

He tried every kind of torture on me.

In the end, he went too far and threw me into an incinerator, burning me alive.

I slapped my cheeks, forcing myself to focus as I gathered gasoline.

At the same time, the Lane family, having returned empty-handed from the city park, made their way back to the wastewater plant.

Francie swept her flashlight over the piles of trash, already losing patience.

Then something caught the light and flashed into her eyes.

Her whole body trembled.

Darkness flickered across her vision before she screamed and lunged forward.

“A ring… Dad, Mom, this is Brian’s hand!”

Jane fainted on the spot. David shook with rage and roared,

“She must be trying to run. Hurry, one of you go find Mr. Kane. The rest of you, come with me. We’ll cut her off at the road!”

A sudden unease gripped me for no reason at all.

After finding only a few bars of chocolate, I took a side path and ran.

Hours later, the blazing sun rose from the cracked horizon and climbed overhead, the air warping in the heat.

I checked the rearview mirror. There was no one behind me.

Only then did I finally relax.

I pulled out a piece of chocolate and brought it to my mouth, just about to take a bit when three cars suddenly appeared ahead, speeding straight toward me.

The window of the car on the left rolled down.

Jane, consumed by grief and fury, screamed at me, “Apple, you murderer! Get down here and pay with your life! I’ll make sure you die with your eyes open!”

I saw the severed hand in her arms.

They had found it that quickly.

Seeing I was about to be surrounded, I gritted my teeth, grabbed the gasoline can from the back seat, lit the lighter, and hurled it out.

“Boom!”

Caught off guard, Jane let out a sharp scream as her car burst into flames.

“Mom!”

Francie slammed on the brakes and jumped out to put out the fire. I floored the accelerator and drove straight at her.

“Help me!”

The second nephew swerved his car to block me, but I wrenched the wheel hard, the car swinging wide as I shot onto a side road.

Then I hurled out another can of gasoline.

Flames roared skyward.

The Lane family’s cars stalled, vanishing from my rearview mirror.

“Hah… I’m finally free!”

Adrenaline surged as I shouted, the relief of survival flooding through me.

But the next second, the seat twisted and constricted, pinning me in the driver’s seat in an instant.

The car lurched wildly before slamming into the guardrail.

A tremendous force yanked me out and threw me to the ground.

The joy vanished, swallowed by despair. I trembled uncontrollably.

It was over. Everything was over.

Sure enough, a cold, sinister laugh cut through the air.

“Using my name to bluff people… you’ve got a death wish.”