CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER 154: HIRING

Her own words startled her. She suddenly froze and turned her gaze to Silas, her eyes wide. "Wait... do you have any military mission assigned to you right now?"

Silas blinked, caught off guard. "How did you know?"

Ivy’s hands curled into fists. A cold shiver ran through her.

She spoke quickly, her voice trembling. "Silas... I have a terrifying thought in my mind."

Silas leaned closer, his tone low and serious. "Tell me."

Ivy swallowed hard and explained, "In the future I saw, Talia was supposed to be... she was supposed to be brutally harmed by the Black Vultures while she went to meet her fiancé."

Silas’s face darkened. His whole body went cold.

But Ivy didn’t stop. "And it’s already known that the Black Vultures and the military were secretly working together. This means someone in the military was supporting them. Maybe they even had a hidden deal."

Silas’s expression grew grimmer by the second. He understood immediately what she was implying.

Ivy’s voice turned sharp, her anger mixing with fear. "It was planned, Silas. Everything was planned. What happened to her wasn’t random. It was meant to happen."

Silas’s face turned completely cold, like stone. He clenched his fists and asked in a deep voice, "Then what about Talia’s fiancé? What happened to him after that?"

Ivy’s chest ached as she remembered. Her nails dug into her palms.

"At first... he was kind. He stayed with her for a few years. But later, he found another girl who devoted herself to him. In the end, he broke the engagement with Talia. He betrayed her. He left her for someone else."

The temperature around Silas seemed to drop. His eyes were terrifying, filled with rage.

’So that man abandoned her... after everything she suffered?’

He couldn’t calm himself, but he still forced his mind to think. After a long pause, he asked,

"Then tell me... in the future, were the accusations against my father connected to the Black Vultures too? Or that... General Frank?"

Ivy shook her head slowly. "Not exactly. They were connected to events that would happen later."

Silas frowned deeply. "What do you mean?"

Ivy bit her lip, her eyes lowering.

"In the future, someone from the higher-ups accused your father of... horrible things. They said he did unspeakable things to young girls. They said he was mixed up with the black market, where humans were trafficked during the apocalypse."

Silas’s voice was sharp. "That’s impossible. My father would never do that. He’s too strict. Too straight."

Ivy nodded at once.

"I know. I don’t believe it either. That’s why I think it was false. He was accused, not guilty. There were other accusations too, but... I can’t remember them all right now."

Silas let out a slow breath, his fists loosening a little. He nodded. "That’s enough. You’ve told me enough already."

Ivy nodded too, but in her heart, a storm was brewing.

’In my last life, I barely paid attention to any of this. When Silas died, my whole world shattered. I couldn’t think about anything else. By the time I came back to myself, the Blackthorn family was gone. His father’s name was ruined forever. He was remembered in history as the man with the darkest heart.’

Her eyes dimmed as guilt weighed her down.

’Back then, I ignored the signs. I thought nothing mattered except surviving the zombie waves. But now... now I have another chance. And I realize everything has a reason. Every event has a plan behind it. How could I have been so blind before?’

The next morning, Ivy woke up early. Her mind was already set. She had to start moving people away before it was too late.

Her first stop was Edward’s place. When he opened the door, he looked surprised but quickly smiled at her.

"Ivy, you’re here so early. What’s going on?" he asked.

Ivy got straight to the point.

"Edward, the old boss uploaded a shopkeeper job. They’re looking for someone to run a grocery store. I was wondering if you wanted to become the shopkeeper."

Edward’s eyes lit up at once. "Really? That sounds good. Which base is it? Where’s the grocery store?"

Ivy nodded, pretending to think.

"It’s near Elro Hills." She paused, then gave a small chuckle.

"Actually... I don’t really remember the exact name. But I know it’s there."

Edward didn’t think too much about it. He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. "If that’s the case, then I’ll go there and see."

Ivy shook her head quickly. "Not yet. Until now, the boss has asked me to act as a representative and speak to others first. If you are really interested, I’ll bring you there myself."

Edward was stunned for a second. Then his face softened and he smiled gratefully. "Ivy, thank you. You always look out for people. I really appreciate it."

Ivy smiled lightly. "Don’t thank me. Just be ready when the time comes." With that, she left.

Her next stop was Aunt June’s apartment. Ivy rang the bell and soon the door opened. Aunt June’s face lit up at the sight of her.

"Ivy! You’re here. Come in, come in," Aunt June said, pulling her inside warmly.

Inside, Ivy noticed the area was a lot quieter. The number of zombies had gone down. She guessed Edward must have been fighting them nonstop.

’That’s why the neighborhood feels empty now,’ she thought. ’But if the zombies are gone, then the Black Vultures will come sooner. They will not waste time.’

She quickly sat with Aunt June.

"Aunt June, I came because I know of a base near Elro Hills. They’re looking for someone to handle real estate matters, like taking care of apartments. I wanted to ask if you’re interested."

Aunt June looked troubled.

"Oh, Ivy... but I don’t have any superpowers. My husband only has a little super strength, and even after absorbing crystals for so long, he is still level zero. I don’t think they would want us."

Ivy shook her head. "It doesn’t matter. You just need to protect yourself. If danger comes, you can hide in an apartment. The base will handle the rest."