Chapter 98
"Hannah... are you alright?" Olivia’s voice broke through the silence.
Hannah snapped back to herself, forcing a faint smile. "I’m fine."
Olivia edged closer, studying her face. "Were you just on a call with Richard?"
Hannah glanced at her. "You heard that?"
"By accident," Olivia admitted. Then, unable to hide her anticipation, she leaned in. "So? What did he say? Did he finally give in?"
At this point, Olivia was pinning all her hopes on Hannah.
If Hannah could move into Richard’s place, then she could follow along—and finally live in comfort again.
Because she knew very well—she couldn’t win Richard over herself.
It wasn’t for lack of trying.
No matter how boldly she flirted, Richard remained indifferent—cold, even.
In the end, everything still depended on Hannah.
And now, after so many days, Richard had finally video-called her.
Did that mean things were changing? Olivia waited eagerly for an answer.
She had no idea that her words struck Hannah like a spark in dry tinder.
Hannah was already simmering with anger from Richard’s humiliation.
Olivia’s question only poured oil on the fire.
"Richard?" Hannah let out a sharp, bitter laugh as she shot to her feet. "Who cares about him? As if I’d want to live in his place anyway!"
Olivia froze. "Hannah...?"
"Don’t mention him in front of me again," Hannah snapped, her voice tight with suppressed fury. "Just hearing his name pisses me off."
Without another word, she turned and walked into the living room, pulling out her phone.
She contacted Sean.
One by one, she told him everything that had happened in the building.
That call just now had made things crystal clear— Richard was doing it on purpose.
Every word, every gesture was meant to provoke her. To humiliate her. To make her suffer.
If that was the case... Then she wouldn’t hold back either.
Sean didn’t say much in response.
Only that he would "handle it."
***
The building was quiet for two days.
Then, Bill led another group up to Richard’s door.
This time, they came prepared–armed. Cautious. Determined.
And still, they gained nothing.
Full of confidence when they went up. Humiliated when they came down.
Some of them even bore fresh injuries, cursing under their breath.
By now, nearly everyone in the building knew— Richard was a "fat prize" that was almost impossible to take down.
And ironically, because of him, Suzy’s side remained untouched.
All attention had shifted to the twentieth floor.
No one bothered with 501 anymore.
Even so, Suzy didn’t dare go out.
Most of her time was spent inside her space—tending to her crops, or exercising on the bike.
***
Time slipped by.
Before they knew it, the scorching heat had lasted over a month.
Then, one morning—something changed.
"It’s raining! It’s raining!!"
"This damn heatwave is finally over!"
"Oh my god... rain... it’s really rain..."
Through her haze of sleep, Suzy heard the commotion. She had just sat up when a knock came at her door.
Leonard’s voice followed—excited, almost disbelieving. "Suzy, wake up! It’s raining!"
She got out of bed and opened the door. Together, they stepped onto the balcony.
The heavy blackout curtains had already been pulled aside.
Outside, the blinding, merciless sun was gone.
Dark clouds blanketed the sky. Rain fell in steady sheets, pattering against the ground.
"It’s raining," Leonard said, almost in awe.
All around them, people shouted, cried, laughed.
Windows flew open. Hands reached out into the rain, catching the long-awaited drops.
Some, on the lower floors, couldn’t hold back—they ran straight into it.
Suzy stood there, momentarily dazed.
Rain.
It meant the end of the extreme heat.
And what came next was... Typhoons. Flooding.
"Suzy... does this mean the heatwave is over?" Leonard asked.
She nodded slowly. "Yes. And the typhoons will be here soon."
The excitement drained from Leonard’s face.
"Typhoons..." he muttered.
A bitter realization settled in. The world didn’t intend to give them a moment’s rest.
The end of the extreme heat came earlier than Suzy had expected.
In her memory, it should have lasted two full months—yet now, just over a month in, it had come to an abrupt halt.
The two of them stood on the balcony for a long time.
Rain fell steadily from the heavy, slate-gray sky, with no sign of stopping.
The suffocating heat that had lingered for so long slowly receded beneath the endless curtain of rain.
***
After a quick wash, Suzy returned to the living room.
Leonard sat on the sofa, scrolling through his phone, his expression thoughtful.
"Uncle, what are you looking at?" she asked.
"Updates," Leonard said, lifting his phone slightly. "It’s not just here—it’s raining all across the country. Looks like the heatwave really is over."
He paused, then suddenly realized something. "Suzy... this rain... when is it going to stop?"
Suzy lowered her gaze, recalling the memories from her dream.
She had barely survived the extreme heat—only to face relentless storms afterward.
Rain that never seemed to end.
Floods that swallowed everything.
"This rain won’t stop," she said softly.
From this day forward, it would continue—unbroken—until the flood disaster itself came to an end.
And it was this rain... That would truly usher in hell on earth.
The last remnants of order would collapse completely.
Leonard let out a quiet sigh, his expression heavy.
But when he thought of the supplies they had stockpiled—more than enough—his unease slowly eased.
"Don’t worry," Suzy added gently, noticing his expression. "We’ve already prepared everything we need."
Leonard nodded. "You’re right."
They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the steady drumming of rain outside.
"Then... should we get ready to move?" Leonard asked.
Suzy had already told him her plan.
Apartment 501 was only temporary.
Once the heatwave ended, they would relocate to the safehouse she had spent a fortune building.
"Yes," Suzy said. "We’ll move in the next few days—whenever the timing feels right."
With her storage space, moving was effortless.
Everything could be packed away in an instant—no hauling, no back-and-forth.
Whenever she chose to leave, she could.
"Let’s observe for a few more days first," Leonard said.
There were still eyes on them in the building. Moving recklessly could be dangerous.
Suzy nodded. "Alright."