Driven by pure hatred for Ethan Cross—and even more so, an insatiable lust for everything inside his warm, food-stocked fortress—the two plastic sisters, Claire Russell and Natalie Lin, once again found themselves forming a temporary alliance.
But when it came to actually stealing Ethan's apartment, things got a bit complicated.
"If we just storm in there, the two of us probably can't take him," Natalie muttered, gnawing on her chapped lip. "He's well-fed, warm, and healthy. We're weak, cold, and starving."
"We'll need outside help."
Claire shot her a cold glare. "Are you stupid?"
"If too many people know about this, we'll have to share the loot. Ethan's stash won't last long if we bring a mob!"
Natalie flinched, then asked anxiously, "So what do we do?"
Claire smirked. "We bring in someone dumb enough to do the dirty work for free."
Enter: Peter Zhou. Her faithful little simp.
Unlike Ethan, who had licked her boots only for a brief period and actually had a working brain, Peter was the kind of guy who would leap into traffic if Claire so much as sighed. A textbook doormat.
Natalie clapped her hands with a grin. "Now that's an idea. I knew he'd come in handy someday!"
Claire immediately called Peter.
He picked up in less than a second, despite being so starved his cheeks were sunken in and his body nothing but skin and bone.
Most of the food from his apartment had been handed over to Claire. And the idiot didn't even realize she was playing him. He thought his loyalty would eventually win her heart.
When he saw Claire's name on the screen, the pangs of hunger vanished. He practically skipped his way to her apartment.
When he arrived, Claire immediately leaned into him, voice trembling with "hurt."
"Ethan... he tried to force himself on me," she whimpered. "I just wanted a little food, and he said I had to sleep with him to get it…"
"I'm not that kind of girl, Peter… you know that!"
Peter's brain short-circuited.
She came to him for help.
Not Ethan. Not any other guy. Him.
Clearly, he was special. Clearly, this was fate.
His chest swelled with delusional pride. Maybe… maybe this was finally his moment.
"I swear to God," Peter growled, puffing his chest, "I'll make that bastard pay! No one treats you like that and gets away with it!"
Claire and Natalie exchanged a quick glance.
Hook, line, sinker.
They didn't even have to pull out the big manipulation lines—they hadn't gotten halfway through their fake sob story before he was already promising bloodshed.
Claire clung to Peter's arm, voice low and seductive. "He's got a ton of food in there… and a fireplace. It's warm and cozy."
"Why should he live in heaven while we rot in this icebox?"
"Peter, we take his place—and we live there together, okay?"
Peter already hated Ethan. He'd always been taller, richer, and better looking. They'd both pursued Claire at one point, and she'd clearly favored Ethan.
Now? Claire was clinging to him. Touching him. Choosing him.
"Hell yeah!" Peter grinned. "Leave it to me, babe. I'll take care of everything!"
Claire leaned in, voice dropping. "But you have to be careful. Ethan's a selfish bastard. If he knows we're coming, he'll fight back."
"So we need weapons—and we need to strike first."
Natalie jumped in with a venomous snarl. "Screw it. Let's just kill him!"
She hated Ethan more than anyone.
After all, she had sent him those photos—and he hadn't even flinched.
He'd told her she looked too dark.
If that got out? She'd rather be dead.
So yes. Ethan had to die.
Peter hesitated for a moment. "Kill him?" The word sounded heavy on his tongue.
Killing someone wasn't like punching a guy at a bar. It was murder. Even in a lawless world, it was a point of no return.
Claire instantly pulled a face and huffed.
"What? You're hesitating now?"
"I knew you didn't really love me. All that talk—you're just like the others!"
Peter panicked. "No no no! Claire, I'll do it! I swear!"
He just wanted her approval. If murder got it done… so be it.
Claire's lips curled. "Good. Then let's go right now."
"We knock. He opens the door. Then…"
She traced a finger across her throat.
Natalie grabbed their weapons: two kitchen knives and a steel rod she'd yanked from the closet rack.
Peter took a knife and tucked it under his jacket, hands trembling—not from fear, but adrenaline.
Then the three of them stalked their way down the hall, straight to Ethan's apartment.
Claire and Natalie pressed against the walls on either side of the door, staying out of view of the peephole. Weapons gripped tightly in frozen fingers.
Peter nodded, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
"Ethan? Hey, it's Peter!"
Inside, Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Peter Zhou?
They worked at the same warehouse, sure, but they were far from friends. And both had chased Claire at one point—which had left them on less-than-good terms.
In a world like this, someone showing up unannounced was never a good thing.
Ethan didn't move to open the door. Instead, he casually switched on the monitor linked to his security cameras.
And there it was.
Two women lurking on either side of his door, armed with knives and a steel rod. Eyes glinting with malice.
Ethan narrowed his eyes, and an icy smirk spread across his face.
"Trying to kill me?" he muttered. "You really think you can?"
A slow breath escaped his lips, misting in the warm air.
His gaze turned cold, steely.
"If it's a fight you want…"
"Let's see who survives."