In truth, James Lone had noticed the two of them as soon as they entered the 27th floor.

He watched with amused interest as they climbed to the 33rd floor, eventually stopping outside his door.

The man hid behind the stairwell door, seemingly holding a knife.

Judging by their silhouettes, the man was fat and bloated, while the woman was slender and curvaceous.

From James Lone's perception, their bodies emitted a blood-red glow, signaling strong hostility.

The peephole in Shirley's door was a smart peephole connected to a small monitor inside.

Through it, James could clearly see their faces.

It was Fatty Eric and his beautiful fiancée, Monroe Anne.

Monroe Anne stood by James Lon's door, sideways to Shirley's door.

Meanwhile, Fatty Eric lurked in the stairwell, holding a kitchen knife.

They thought they had avoided James Lon's peephole, unaware that Shirley's peephole captured everything.

James Lone sneered.

"Just as I thought, up to no good."

Shirley lnr Won looked at the screen in shock.

"Master, he's holding a knife! What is he planning to do?"

She wasn't overly nervous; James Lone's strength gave her immense confidence.

The man with the kitchen knife might as well have been delivering food.

Still, she was a bit surprised by how quickly order had collapsed. Were people already resorting to robbery?

James Lone replied calmly,

"I'll get you a new sister."

Shirley froze, her emotions a mix of schadenfreude, jealousy at the thought of another slave girl, and even a strange sense of relief.

Having another slave to share the burden might not be so bad.

James Lon picked up his phone and called Monroe Anne, deliberately teasing them.

"Fatty Eric isn't with you, is he?"

Monroe Anne replied without a flicker of emotion,

"No, he's not."

Behind the stairwell door, Fatty Eric tightened his grip on the kitchen knife.

James Lon didn't expose her lie. Instead, he said,

"Step back a bit and turn around so I can check if you're carrying any weapons."

Monroe Anne nervously pressed on her handbag, took a step back, and slowly turned around.

James Lon observed her every move, guessing there was something in her bag.

The system displayed an automatic prompt:

[Monroe Anne]

[Age: 23]

[Quality: 8.5] (Beautiful Wife)

[Virtue: 9] (Virgin, Engaged)

*[Overall Score: 8.5]

*[Ding! Meets System Requirements!]

A virgin? Fatty Eric, you had your chance, and you blew it!

James Lon laughed.

"Tsk, tsk. Those black stockings and beautiful legs—impressive. I'm very pleased."

Fatty Eric felt a surge of blood rush to his head. His hands turned white from gripping the knife so tightly.

All he wanted was to rush inside, kick James Lon out, and claim the house and its supplies for himself and Monroe Anne.

Feigning impatience, Monroe Anne said,

"Is that enough? I'm just a slave. What are you so afraid of?"

She felt a bit uneasy. Why was this guy so cautious?

James Lon chuckled.

"I can't see your shoes clearly. Step back a little more so I can check if they're high heels."

Monroe Anne's face flushed with anger, but she had no choice. She stepped back further, now standing in front of Shirley lnr Won's door.

Fatty Eric clenched his teeth so hard they almost cracked, glaring at James Lon's door.

The farther Monroe Anne got, the lower James Lon's guard would be, increasing their chances of success...

Just open the door, and I'll kill you!

Bang!

At that moment, another door suddenly flew open.

The security door swept past Monroe Anne's face, nearly taking her hair with it.

Monroe Anne screamed in fright.

"Ah!"

Before she could finish, James Lon grabbed her collar and yanked her inside.

With James Lon's immense strength, Monroe Anne had no time to resist. Like a ragdoll, she was dragged into the room.

With a casual toss, Monroe Anne stumbled and fell to the floor, crying out in pain.

"Ah!"

Bang!

James Lone slammed the security door shut and locked it with a loud click.

Fatty Eric, still focused on James Lon's door, was caught completely off guard. By the time he reacted, he was left facing nothing but a cold, locked door.

His wife had been snatched away right in front of him!

Fatty Eric's rage boiled over. He slammed the door furiously.

"You bastard! Open up!"

Inside the room, James Lon wasted no time. He pinned Monroe Anne to the ground, grabbed her handbag, and quickly searched it.

As expected, he found a can of pepper spray.

"Bitch! What were you planning to do?" James Lon sneered, slapping her hard across the face.

Smack!

The slap left Monroe Anne too terrified to speak. Trembling, she tried to explain.

"It's... it's for self-defense!"

James Lone ignored her excuses. He took out some wide clear tape, quickly tied her hands behind her back, ripped her stockings, and used them to bind her ankles.

Then, he stuffed the stockings into her mouth and taped it shut.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Monroe Anne was terrified, her mind blank. She struggled helplessly on the ground.

Her planned seduction had no chance to unfold. In the blink of an eye, she was subdued.

James Lone thoroughly searched her body for hidden weapons, flipping her over in the process. Once satisfied, he punched her hard in the stomach.

Thud!

Monroe Anne's eyes bulged. She curled into a ball, retching silently.

Watching from the side, Shirley shuddered.

Thank goodness I didn't resist...

This man was too violent.

At the same time, she felt a strange sense of security. In such a chaotic world, only a man like him could ensure survival.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fatty Eric was still outside, pounding on the door. It was no use; the security door wouldn't budge.

Desperate, he shouted,

"Holy Shit!James ! Give me back my wife!"

Inside, James Lone chuckled as he responded,

"Thanks for the gift, boss. You're too generous!"

Generous, my ass! Fatty Eric was about to explode with anger.

"Let her go, or I'll call the cops!"

James Lon scoffed.

"You still owe me a month's salary. Consider your wife as payment."

Through his spatial ability, James Lon saw a mutated husky approaching from the 28th floor. It glowed bright red and was moving fast.

Oblivious to the danger, Fatty Eric continued cursing.

"Let her go, or I'll make you regret it!"

James Lone laughed.

"Fatty Eric, I don't know if I'll regret it, but I do know this—you're definitely dying today."

Panting heavily, Fatty Eric paused, leaning on his knees and gripping his knife.

"If you've got guts, come out and face me!"

James Lone's voice was calm.

"Big idiot, turn around and take a look."

Fatty Eric froze.

What did that mean?

At that moment, heavy, raspy breathing echoed from the stairwell.