Read Novel Full Chapter 426: Tangled Mess
Chapter 426: Chapter 426: Tangled Mess
Alice shot Dante one last disdainful glance before turning on her heel and walking away, her back straight and unyielding.
’I won’t waste another word on him,’ she thought, her footsteps firm against the floor.
Dante froze where he stood.
That single look hit harder than any argument ever could. He watched Alice leave, then slowly shifted his gaze toward Victor, who was laughing softly while talking to his wife and daughter.
The warmth between them was unmistakable, almost tangible, and envy surged up Dante’s chest before he could stop it.
’So this is what a family looks like,’ he thought bitterly.
Outwardly, Dante always acted like a man who only cared about profit and loss, about gains and calculations.
But deep down, he craved warmth just as much as anyone else.
He wanted laughter at the table, conversations that weren’t laced with tension, a home that didn’t feel hollow.
Yet looking at his life now, it seemed he was never destined to have such things.
’Maybe I’m too rigid,’ he admitted silently. ’Too cold to be loved.’
With a faint disappointment lingering in his eyes, Dante turned and walked away.
For the first time, he allowed himself to reflect honestly.
He had been a failure.
He had never openly shown affection to his wife. He had always weighed profit against loss, never once realizing that his children needed his time more than his duty.
By the time he finally looked their way, they were already grown, their hearts distant.
Talia was the closest to him, yet even she kept him at arm’s length. Silas outright hated him.
Asher remained completely indifferent, as if Dante were nothing more than a stranger sharing the same bloodline. And Alice... she no longer even spared him a glance.
Only now did he realize just how much his own personality had pushed everyone away.
If the apocalypse hadn’t arrived, perhaps this realization would have come too late, striking him down in his old age when regret was all that remained. Now, he was forced to face it early.
The truth frightened him.
And it made him unbearably sad.
..................................
Far away from him, chaos erupted as another group battled a swarm of zombies.
A red-haired woman struggled desperately, flames flickering around her hands as she tried to hold the horde back.
"Mia!" Ava shouted, her voice strained. "Help!"
Mia glanced in Ava’s direction, her brows knit tightly. "I’m tied up with something else!" she yelled back.
Before the zombies could close in further, Lily reacted on instinct.
A blazing fireball shot past Mia and exploded near Ava, instantly reducing the pressure around her.
At the same time, Mia screamed, a powerful, resonating cry that echoed through the battlefield. The sound itself forced the zombies back, their movements faltering as if struck by an invisible wall.
Thunder cracked overhead as James unleashed bolt after bolt, lightning tearing through decayed bodies.
Caleb activated his ability whenever danger crept too close, slowing time just enough to keep the group safe.
Grace flickered in and out of sight, teleporting constantly as she struck and retreated, leaving the zombies disoriented.
This was a well-trained team.
They moved with practiced coordination, each covering the others’ blind spots. In the apocalypse, a group like this had a high chance of survival.
If Ivy had been there, she would have recognized them instantly.
They were her best friends, the same people who had taken care of her after Silas’s subordinates died in her previous life.
Once the last zombie fell, the group collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Sweat mixed with dust and blood, and exhaustion weighed heavily on every limb.
"Why are there so many lately?" Ava muttered, staring at the sky.
After a moment, she turned toward Mia. "What about Ivy? We’ve been looking everywhere, but we still haven’t run into her."
Mia sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "I don’t know. I just hope she’s alive."
Nearby, Grace looked at Caleb with unmistakable longing. "Do you want to eat something?" she asked softly. "I can make it for you."
Caleb didn’t even glance at her. "I’m not interested," he replied coldly. "Stop trying to seduce me."
Grace’s face went pale. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him. "I don’t understand," she whispered. "Why do you hate me so much?"
Ava and Mia exchanged tired looks and massaged their temples.
Truthfully, they had never wanted to join this group.
But Lily, who was part of James, Caleb, and Grace’s team, had insisted. The benefits were tempting enough that they had stayed despite the constant drama that seemed to resurface every two days.
Now, they were seriously reconsidering that decision.
Ignoring the tension, Lily turned toward Mia, curiosity clear in her eyes. "You keep talking about Ivy," she said. "Who is she?"
Mia smiled faintly. "She’s our best friend. From high school to college, she was always with us. Some of the best moments of our lives were spent with her."
Ava laughed softly, memories surfacing.
"Once, during a part-time job, I couldn’t gather enough money for my tuition. Ivy helped me. She even got beaten for it, and still acted like nothing happened. That was one of the few times she truly fought back with everything she had."
Mia’s expression darkened. "The Ravencraft family probably beat her again. The apocalypse didn’t make things any better."
Ava frowned, worry settling in her chest.
Lily listened quietly, her curiosity deepening.
She already knew Mia and Ava were orphans, and how Ivy had helped them throughout their school years.
It was clear Ivy had protected them when they were young.
Now, it was their turn to find her.
’What a friendship,’ Lily thought. ’So rare... especially after the apocalypse.’
Grace sat down beside Lily, dejected, and tugged lightly at her sleeve. Lily turned immediately. "What’s wrong?"
Grace looked at her with teary eyes. "Caleb ignored me again."
Lily sighed softly. "Grace... what else can I do?"
The relationships between Lily, James, Caleb, and Grace were a tangled mess.
Lily and Grace had once been best friends. Both had fallen for James.