Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 4: The Mad Dog Bites

Mariella first went to a rental company and rented a pickup truck, then drove to Celestine Ridge.

Even though the renovation company had a good reputation, she still had to see it for herself to feel reassured.

When she arrived at Celestine Ridge and drove around to the two townhouses at the northern end, the construction site was in full swing.

Mariella was pretty satisfied with their efficiency and called the project manager to give a few reminders. "I'm not short on money, so quality must be guaranteed. If you cut corners just to meet the schedule, I'll demand double compensation according to the contract."

"Don't worry, Ms. Townsend. Our company has a stellar reputation and never botches a project."

After hanging up, Mariella was about to get in her truck when suddenly a mastiff came lunging toward her, barking wildly.

Having honed extremely fast reflexes during the apocalypse, she immediately opened the car door and dodged inside.

Bang! The door closed just in time.

The mastiff missed. It raised its front paws to fiercely claw and bite the door, letting out sharp screeching noises.

Mariella broke out in a cold sweat.

Celestine Ridge was a wealthy neighborhood where law and order had always been excellent before the apocalypse. How could a fierce mastiff that attacked people suddenly appear here?

She grabbed a heavy-duty wrench from the truck's toolbox, holding it ready for combat.

Although fierce, the mastiff's sharp teeth and claws couldn't pierce the hard metal of the pickup truck. Meanwhile, a few onlookers had gathered.

"Whose dog is that? It's so fierce! What if it bites someone?"

"It's already trying to bite! Thank God she managed to get inside the car. That's scary as hell!"

"Where's security? Hurry and take it down! What if this mad dog hurts a resident?"

The wealthy residents treasured their safety above all else. Panic swept through them instantly.

Before the security guards even arrived, the dog's owner showed up.

Mariella glanced through the car window and couldn't help but laugh through her anger. So it was him.

The dog's owner was her half-brother, Kingston Shepherd. He was also Roxanna's younger brother and the only beloved son of their father.

Kingston had always felt that Mariella's return threatened Roxanna's position, so he constantly targeted Mariella and pulled pranks.

In her previous life, Mariella had tolerated this little tyrant at every turn just to fit into the family, but all she got in return was worse treatment.

A few security guards arrived, carrying tranquilizer guns and riot forks.

Kingston hurriedly held back the mastiff and declared, "This is my dog!"

The guards sized him up, forcing polite smiles. "So it's Mr. Kingston. Your dog is too big. You need to keep it leashed to avoid accidentally injuring other residents."

"Yeah, got it." Kingston tightened his grip on the leash, glaring resentfully at Mariella hiding in the pickup truck.

He hadn't expected her to react so quickly and dodge the mastiff's attack.

Hmph, she'd gotten lucky this time!

Mariella stepped out, holding a heavy wrench in one hand while pushing open the car door, her face dark.

The previously quiet mastiff immediately bared its teeth again, showing obvious aggression toward her.

Mariella could tell this dog had been trained by Kingston specifically to attack her.

Thinking of the humiliation and tragic ending she had suffered in her previous life, and knowing the Shepherds had all been accomplices, her eyes burned red with anger.

Today, she wanted to collect a little interest.

The mastiff's eyes were red as it struggled against the leash, trying to lunge and bite her.

It remembered her scent. Its owner had instructed it to attack her every time it saw her.

The onlookers gasped in panic.

"Gosh, this dog has gone mad again!"

"Security! Quick... Shoot the tranquilizer!"

Kingston let go of the leash, and the mastiff broke free. It first lunged at the guard holding a tranquilizer gun.

The guard panicked, dropped the gun, and fled, while the crowd screamed and scattered.

Kingston whistled, and the mastiff immediately returned to him, barking madly as it lunged at Mariella again.

She sidestepped and slammed the wrench hard onto the back of its head.

It happened in a flash. Ordinary people wouldn't have had time to react, but Mariella had spent four grueling years surviving the apocalypse and was already hardened by countless battles.

She knew exactly how to strike a deadly blow, and she was ruthless and never showed any mercy.

In the apocalypse, mercy toward enemies was cruelty toward oneself. She had mastered that truth.

"Awoo..." The mastiff was beaten until it saw stars and howled in pain.

But it was a giant dog, and its skull was harder than a normal dog's, so it still wasn't knocked out.

Seeing his beloved dog suffer a loss, Kingston instantly turned fierce. He pulled out a switchblade and lunged at Mariella.

Mariella spun around, kicked the knife from his hand, and then raised a wrench to strike his hand.

She wanted to kill him, but this wasn't the lawless apocalypse yet. She didn't want to end up in prison.

So today, she planned to break one of his hands in self-defense and reclaim a little interest from the Shepherds. As for the rest of the blood debt, she would make them pay it back double later.

Kingston hadn't expected Mariella to react so quickly and was taken aback.

Seizing the moment while he froze, she swung the heavy wrench.

The mastiff sensed his owner was in danger and immediately stopped howling, leaping at her from behind.

Its huge jaws opened wide, aiming for the delicate back of her neck.

The mastiff's bite was brutally powerful. If it managed to clamp down on her, it could kill her instantly.

Mariella smelled the stench of the dog's mouth behind her and knew it had lunged.

She immediately withdrew the wrench she had used to attack Kingston and swung it overhead at the dog.

The iron-hard wrench struck the dog's head. But in her haste, it glanced off and didn't land a lethal blow.

The mastiff took a heavy blow head-on, which only made it more vicious. It lunged at Mariella again madly.

Using a wrench as her weapon, she narrowly dodged its relentless attacks, but she couldn't finish the brute off right away.

If only she had a knife.

After four years in the apocalypse, she'd honed exceptional knife skills. But since her rebirth, she hadn't had the chance to get one that suited her.

Kingston, who had just escaped danger, stood there dumbfounded. He couldn't believe Mariella could take on a mastiff alone. When had she become this fierce and formidable?

The nearby residents, who had scattered in panic, were equally stunned. They were so shocked that they even forgot to call for security to save her.

The more Kingston watched, the more alarmed he became, and the more certain he was that Mariella couldn't be kept around.

He pulled a compact handgun from his waistband and chambered a round.

Click!

After countless brutal battles in the apocalypse, Mariella was extremely sensitive to the sound of a gun being cocked.

She immediately realized Kingston was trying to take her out. Unable to shake off the mastiff in time, she made a split-second decision and turned, throwing herself straight at him.

Kingston had already raised the gun. Before he could aim, Mariella was charging toward him.

Startled, he instinctively pulled the trigger.

Bang! The shot rang out, but the gun went flying.

A swift figure burst out from the crowd. A long leg lashed out, kicking the handgun from Kingston's grip and sending the bullet off course.

Before the weapon could hit the ground, it was caught midair.

Bang! Another shot rang out.

"Awooo..." The mastiff, which had been chasing Mariella, let out a miserable howl. Its massive body collapsed to the ground, twitching a few times before going completely still.

Blood poured from one of its eyes, winding across the ground in a shocking, gruesome sight.

Mariella blinked slightly, admiring that person's quick reflexes and deadly aim.

Seeing his beloved dog shot dead on the spot, Kingston was just about to lose his temper when the gun was pressed against his forehead.