"But tell this... Father doesn’t hesitate to raise taxes, even when it’s immoral. So why is pursuing Ivy illegal in your eyes?"
Frank clenched his fists. "Breaking a marriage is nothing to be proud of," he snapped.
"Even if you sohow convince her, she doesn’t love you now. And even if she agrees, what then? How can you guarantee she won’t divorce you later, cheat on you, or be taken away by soone else?"
A dangerous gleam flashed in Jade’s eyes.
"There has been no one born," he said coldly, "who can take Ivy away from ."
Frank fell silent.
He truly wondered what kind of girl Ivy was to make both Jade and Silas obsess over her so deeply.
Yet, when he thought carefully, it made sense.
She was beautiful, resourceful, intelligent, and strong enough to establish her own base.
She might even possess a power capable of keeping zombies away entirely.
For a brief mont, a strange thought crossed his mind.
’Perhaps... it wouldn’t be so bad if Jade beca her second husband.’
Not because he believed Jade could break the marriage, but because if he couldn’t, it would an Ivy was loyal.
And if one day Ivy herself chose divorce, then, only then, he would humbly allow her to marry Jade.
After all, his son did not have a long lifespan.
As long as he remained alive and well, Frank was determined to protect Jade.
There were high chances that his son would survive the apocalypse this way, and the more Frank thought about it, the more feasible it felt.
In a world like this, only soone with overwhelming potential could truly keep Jade safe.
With that realization settling heavily in his chest, Frank fell silent when Jade stated that he would continue pursuing Ivy.
When Jade noticed that his father was no longer resisting, he released a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. .
Relief washed over him, quickly followed by disbelief. ’I was sure he would oppose fiercely.’
His father had always been overprotective, far more than most, yet in the end, he was the one who understood him best.
The realization stirred sothing warm and complicated in his heart.
After a brief pause, Jade glanced at his father and asked casually,
"Do you know Ivy’s preferences when it cos to food?"
Frank frowned, clearly confused.
"I agreed to let you pursue her," he replied slowly, "but I’ve never pursued her myself. How would I know what she likes or dislikes?"
Hearing that, Jade was left montarily speechless before shaking his head with a helpless smile.
"You really know how to joke sotis."
The father and son laughed together, their voices filling the room as they chatted lightly, both unaware of what the future had waiting for them.
anwhile, Ivy spent her day fixing loopholes in the base and reorganizing future plans.
Yet, no matter what she focused on, she couldn’t shake the feeling that soone was watching her, their gaze lingering just out of reach.
At first, she ignored it, dismissing it as paranoia, but when the sensation abruptly vanished, she narrowed her eyes.
’Soone was definitely watching .’
Her thoughts imdiately landed on Raya. Her fingers curled into a tight fist.
’If she really wants to stir trouble in my base,’ Ivy thought coldly, ’then I’ll make sure the one pulling the strings regrets it.’
A faint smile tugged at her lips. ’Since they love milky fragrances so much, I’ll make sure it becos their downfall.’
With that thought, she turned and headed ho.
As she returned, she noticed Vlad stepping out of her house.
When he saw Ivy, sha flickered briefly in his eyes.
He nodded stiffly and hurried past her as if sothing monstrous were chasing him.
Ivy didn’t spare him a second glance. Right now, Silas was all she cared about.
She entered her room and found Silas deep in thought, his brows drawn together.
"What’s wrong?" she asked softly. "What are you thinking about that you didn’t even notice ?"
Silas looked up and smiled warmly.
He extended his hand, and the mont Ivy placed hers in it, he pulled her onto his lap.
"I was thinking about how I should surprise my wife today."
Ivy rolled her eyes lightly. "You really know how to sweet-talk." Then she paused. "Why was Vlad here?"
Silas smirked. "He ca to apologize for the mistake his sister was about to make."
Ivy’s eyes narrowed. "You know sothing?"
Silas mirrored her expression. "Do you?"
She chuckled softly.
"There are many things I know. And so things I haven’t told you yet."
With that she told him everything.
She paused before eting his gaze. "What do you think we should do?"
Silas grew serious.
"Sotis," he said slowly, "to lure a snake out of its hole, you need to make it feel safer outside than inside."
Understanding dawned instantly. Ivy smiled and leaned forward, placing a gentle peck on his cheek.
"That’s exactly what I was thinking."
While the husband and wife remained lost in their shared world, soone else’s world was quietly falling apart.
Angelina.
After wearing the ring and gaining the ability to turn invisible, she stood just outside Ivy’s base, her heart pounding erratically.
’This is ridiculous,’ she thought as doubt crept in. The more she reflected, the more she felt she had made a foolish decision.
Yet, having co this far, there was no clear path back.
She had already committed an unforgivable act, even though she still liked to think of herself as righteous.
Steeling herself, she stepped forward and entered the base effortlessly.
What she didn’t know was that Ivy had designed a special barrier for people like her.
Even invisibility couldn’t escape Ivy’s perception.
The entire base functioned as her domain, connected through temporal storage, allowing her to sense any intrusion instantly.
Still, Angelina never expected what happened next.
The mont she crossed the threshold, the ground beneath her vanished.
She was abruptly teleported out of the base.
Realizing what had happened, Angelina let out a short, bitter laugh.
"This really is strange," she muttered.
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