Braxton wanted to snatch the knife from Olivia's hand, but it was too long. She swung it so fast it almost left afterimages. If he reached for it, he could lose an arm. So he had no choice but to keep swinging his hammer. He couldn't hit her, but at least he could block her from getting closer. Every time the hammer clashed against her blade, sparks flew. Both of them swung hard, and for a while, neither could get the upper hand. Olivia grew anxious. She hadn't heard a sound from inside the apartment this whole time. She slashed at Braxton while shouting toward the door. "Ms. Ashford! Are you okay? "Ms. Ashford! Answer me!" Braxton panicked. If Olivia woke Natalie up, he was done for. Rage surged through him. He swung the hammer with all his strength, smashing into Olivia's knife. She had been distracted, and the impact knocked the blade right out of her hand. Her heart sank. She bent down to grab it back. But Braxton wasn't about to let her. He raised the hammer high and brought it straight down at her head. Olivia gasped and stumbled back. Her foot slipped off the stair edge, and she tumbled down, crashing onto the landing between the 13th and 14th floors. Braxton sneered. He rushed forward, eager to finish her off. But then—click. The steel door behind him creaked open. He froze and whipped around. ... Natalie had been woken by Lucky scratching at the door.At first, the dog hadn't worried. To her, Natalie was unbeatable, like a general who never lost a fight. But this time was different. She'd gone to the door, then everything fell silent. Outside, Lucky heard banging, voices, and fighting that didn't sound like her. The little dog sniffed the air. Natalie was close, just right outside—but she wasn't moving. Smart as he was, Lucky instantly suspected something was wrong. He barked wildly and clawed at the door, desperate to get out. Inside, Natalie stirred. She had held her breath in time earlier, so she hadn't inhaled much of the knockout gas. Lucky's barking finally dragged her back to consciousness. When she woke up, she heard Olivia shouting her name. She didn't even stop to calm Lucky. She staggered to her feet. Her head spun a little, but it didn't matter. She had more than enough strength left to deal with Braxton and Tiffany.She shook it off, pulled a gas mask from her storage stash, and strapped it on. If they tried spraying chemicals again, she'd be ready. Let's see what tricks they've got this time. She pushed the door open. Right there in front of her—Braxton, hammer raised, was about to crush Olivia. He turned and saw her step out. His blood ran cold. The ruthless witch had woken up. He bolted. Forgetting Olivia, forgetting even Tiffany sitting on the ground, he clutched the hammer and ran down the stairs, running like the devil was on his heels. Natalie's body was still sluggish from the gas. She couldn't catch him fast enough. She just stood there, staring after him in disgust. Coward. Always playing dirty tricks, but when it comes to a fair fight, he runs. Slippery bastard. Rolling her eyes, she hurried down to the landing and helped Olivia up.Olivia was drenched in sweat, out of breath, her arms scraped and bleeding from the fall. When she saw Natalie, she finally exhaled. "Ms. Ashford ... you're okay?" "I'm fine." Natalie pulled off her mask, frowning. "You shouldn't even be out here. Your body's still weak." Olivia gave a faint smile. "I'm better. I even went out scavenging. Found a bunch of crackers. Thought I'd bring you some." Natalie blinked, then shook her head disapprovingly. "You had a miscarriage. You need bed rest, not running around. I don't need these." Olivia's smile turned bitter. "There's no such thing as rest anymore. But it's fine. I've always been tough. I can handle it." She grabbed the bag beside her. "I know you've got plenty of food. But you saved my life. I just want to repay you, even if it's small." Natalie couldn't help admiring her. Strong in body, stronger in spirit. Truth was, without Olivia slowing Braxton down, he might have broken in. Natalie gave her a grateful look and accepted the bag. "Wait here a minute. I've got something for you, too." She turned back toward her apartment. That's when she noticed Tiffany. The woman was still sitting outside her door, staring at her with wide, glassy eyes. Natalie jumped, instantly pulling her knife. But Tiffany only let out a goofy giggle. She pointed at Natalie and slurred. "Heh ... hey, pretty lady! Super pretty!"