Read Novel Full Chapter 446: Confirmation
Chapter 446: Chapter 446: Confirmation
(A/n: Read Chapter 429 before reading this Chapter.)
Grace, realizing that everything had been exposed, broke down completely.
"I didn’t mean it," she sobbed. "I just liked you too much, Caleb..."
No one listened.
Caleb grabbed Lily’s wrist and pulled her away. Mia and Ava exchanged glances, the same thought passing through both their minds.
’If Grace were ever our best friend, she’d be nothing but a disgrace.’ Without another word, they followed.
James hurried after Mia, and soon the group dispersed, leaving Grace standing alone.
Grace clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she lowered her head.
’Why...’ she thought bitterly. ’Why do all the men like Lily?’ Jealousy burned her chest. ’I should be the one they look at. I’m prettier than her. I deserve it.’
She stood there for a long time before finally moving. When she went searching for Caleb and Lily, the sight she stumbled upon shattered what little control she had left. They were kissing.
Rage flooded her veins, but she did not dare step forward. She knew she was in the wrong. If she acted righteously now, there was a good chance she would be beaten on the spot. Gritting her teeth, she turned away.
’I’ll find James,’ she decided. ’Even if he hates me, he’ll still agree to a FWB.’ Right now, she desperately needed an outlet.
As she thought this, she spotted James trailing behind Mia. Fury surged again. ’Why is his attention on someone else now?’
She waited for a moment, but when James showed no sign of stopping, she rushed forward and blocked their path.
"Mia," she said hurriedly, "I need James. I need him for a while."
Mia burst out laughing.
"I don’t want James," she replied mockingly. "If you want him, ask him yourself. Don’t bother me."
Grace’s face turned pale. She turned to James, tears shimmering in her eyes, her expression soft and pitiful.
James’s heart wavered. He frowned at Mia. "You’re being too harsh," he said. "You should apologize."
Ava’s anger exploded. ’So this is what a blind man looks like in real life,’ she thought coldly. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and raised her hand.
James stiffened and immediately backed away.
Mia’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. She stared at James, warning blazing in her eyes.
"If you ever dare say such disgusting words to me again," she said coldly, "I’ll make sure you regret even being born on this earth."
The group moved on fast pace from their onward, gradually slowing as they made their way toward the SiIvy Base.
With every step closer, the air seemed to change, less dust, less heat, and less chaos.
By the time they reached the outer perimeter, they were already rehearsing how they would ask for information about Ivy.
However, before they could speak, voices from the line ahead drifted back to them.
"The representative here has pink hair," someone murmured casually, as if they were discussing the weather.
In that instant, Mia’s breath caught, and Ava’s fingers tightened unconsciously at her side.
Their eyes lit up at the same time, a spark of recognition flashing between them. ’It’s her,’
Mia thought, her chest filling with a rush of warmth and disbelief.
’She’s really here.’ Ava swallowed, her heart pounding with excitement and relief. ’Ivy made it. She’s safe... more than safe.’
For a fleeting moment, both of them almost stepped out of line, the urge to rush inside and confront Ivy overwhelming them.
They wanted to see her, touch her, confirm that she was real and alive. But before either of them could act, Grace’s soft voice slipped into the conversation ahead of them.
"Who is this Ivy everyone’s talking about?" Grace spoke sweetly, her tone gentle and curious. "She sounds important. Could you tell me a little more about her?"
The people in front of them immediately warmed to her, clearly taken in by her innocent expression and polite smile.
They began talking eagerly, sharing bits and pieces as if Grace were an old friend. Mia and Ava exchanged a glance, their earlier excitement dimming.
’She’s fishing for information,’ Ava thought grimly. ’And she’s good at it.’
Mia’s jaw tightened. ’She always is.’
Sure enough, Grace continued, her questions growing more detailed. "What does Ivy like? Does she have any habits? Is she strict, or kind?"
The more Mia and Ava listened, the heavier their hearts felt.
Each word made it clearer that if they went to Ivy now, Grace would almost certainly use them as a bridge, a connection point to get closer to Ivy and exploit her position.
Slowly, the excitement that had filled them drained away, replaced by a bitter sense of caution. They fell silent, standing still as the line crept forward inch by inch.
Even so, the mere knowledge that Ivy was so close, breathing the same air, existing behind those walls, gave them an odd, quiet satisfaction.
’At least she’s here,’ Mia told herself. ’At least she survived.’
After standing in line for two entire days, Mia and Ava began to understand just how high Ivy’s position in the base truly was.
She was the representative... someone with immense authority, someone almost untouchable, rivaled only by the base leader herself.
That realization stirred unease in their hearts. In this apocalypse, even loved ones could turn away from each other out of fear... fear of scarcity, fear of having to feed one more mouth.
’How are we supposed to meet her now?’ Ava wondered, a knot forming in her stomach.
’Would she even be allowed to see us?’ In the end, they could only suppress their longing to find Ivy, burying it beneath patience and caution.
Yet, despite everything, life in the line was unexpectedly relaxed.
The extreme heat that plagued the outside world seemed almost nonexistent near the base; the air was cool against their skin, soothing in a way they had nearly forgotten.
Food was provided once a day, simple but filling, and there was even the option to buy more using crystals.
What pleased them most were the public bathrooms and the free water bottles, small comforts that felt like luxuries after everything they had endured.