Read Novel Full Chapter 449: Reunion
Chapter 449: Chapter 449: Reunion
It felt less like background verification and more like an unexpected vacation.
The comfort unsettled them more than hunger ever could.
When food was handed out, Mia frowned the moment she saw tomatoes mixed in.
Without hesitation, she began picking them out. Ava helped her, sliding the tomatoes neatly to the side.
A woman nearby, Nia, noticed and scoffed. "Why are you wasting food?" she snapped, her eyes filled with disdain.
"This is the apocalypse. You don’t get to be picky anymore."
Ava and Mia were about to ignore her, but then they noticed the guard stationed in the room, his sharp gaze flicking toward them.
Not wanting to leave a bad impression, Ava spoke calmly. "She’s allergic to tomatoes."
The moment those words left Ava’s mouth, Nia rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Some people really live like princesses even during the apocalypse," she scoffed. "So what if it’s an allergy? Food is rare. If it were me, I’d eat it anyway."
Mia stared at her, disdain flickering in her eyes.
She was about to respond when footsteps approached. The guard moved forward, his expression grim as his shadow fell over them.
He looked at Mia and Ava for a moment before speaking.
"Both of you," he said firmly. "Follow me."
At the guard’s words, Mia and Ava couldn’t help but grow uneasy.
A faint chill slid down Mia’s spine, and Ava’s fingers curled tightly against her palm.
Meanwhile, another girl named Nia nearby immediately broke into a bright smile, secretly convinced that she must have caught the guard’s attention or perhaps even Ivy’s favor.
’Otherwise,’ she thought smugly, ’why would the guard single us out?’
The guard led Mia and Ava up to the second floor.
As they stepped out, they realized that there were nearly twenty women gathered there.
Even so, compared to the tenth floor, the number was almost ninety percent less.
Without much pause, the guard continued forward, guiding them toward a room where loud music thumped relentlessly.
The bass vibrated through the floor, rattling their bones. Instantly, Ava clutched her head and frowned, stopping at the doorway.
"I can’t go in there," she said firmly, her voice tight with discomfort. "Loud music triggers my migraine."
The guard’s eyes flickered with a strange shine as he looked between Mia and Ava.
For a moment, it seemed as though he wanted to insist, but he didn’t dare.
Instead, he turned and led them away, guiding them up to the third floor.
When they arrived, Mia and Ava froze. The entire floor was empty.
For a terrifying moment, they wondered if they were about to be forced into something unspeakable.
Their eyes filled with wariness as they tensed, but the female staff member there merely gestured toward two chairs. "Sit."
They obeyed, their movements stiff. As soon as they sat down, the woman turned and left without another word.
Mia and Ava exchanged a glance, unease settling heavily between them.
"Do you have any weapons?" Mia whispered, her voice barely audible.
Ava shook her head. "They took everything when we entered the base."
Mia frowned deeply. "If someone plans to hurt us... or kill us..." She swallowed. "We might really die here."
Ava opened her mouth, ready to tell Mia to think positively, when they noticed movement outside.
One by one, all the women in the building were escorted out. The echoing footsteps faded, leaving behind an oppressive silence.
Panic surged through them.
’This feels wrong,’ Ava thought, her heartbeat thunderous in her ears. ’This is too wrong.’
They were drowning in fear, desperately wondering what to do next, when the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence.
Both of them stiffened, sharing a wary glance before turning toward the sound.
A woman with pink hair tied into messy buns walked into view.
The moment they saw her, the tension drained from their bodies as if someone had cut a string.
Without thinking, both Mia and Ava rushed forward at the same time.
Ivy, meanwhile, stood frozen in disbelief. She rubbed her eyes again and again, as if afraid they were playing tricks on her.
’No... this can’t be real,’ she thought. But it was real.
Standing right in front of her were Mia and Ava... the best friends who had pulled her through the darkest days of her previous life, when she had been blind and helpless.
Without hesitation, Ivy ran to them and wrapped her arms around them tightly. "I finally found you," she breathed.
Mia and Ava broke down instantly, tears streaming down their faces as they hugged her back.
"We thought we’d never get to meet you in this life," Mia sobbed. "It was so hard to find you."
Ivy laughed softly, though her own eyes glistened.
"I’m right here now," she said gently. "There’s no need to be so dramatic." Even as she spoke, she knew they were telling the truth.
In her previous life, she had survived even after Henry, Silas, and the rest of the team had died because Mia and Ava had found her in time.
They had taken her in, cared for her, and protected her. Later, a sudden, unexplained teleportation had torn her away from them.
Even now, she hadn’t fully unraveled that mystery... though she already had a suspect in mind.
For the moment, however, she pushed those thoughts aside and savored the reunion.
Mia and Ava finally relaxed when they realized Ivy wasn’t distant at all.
She was still the same Ivy they knew from college... warm, familiar, and real. Relief flooded their hearts, and they smiled through lingering tears. To them, Ivy wasn’t just a friend; she was family.
Pulling back slightly, Mia and Ava immediately began inspecting Ivy from head to toe. "You’ve lost so much weight," Ava said worriedly.
Ivy laughed and shook her head. "I haven’t lost anything. I actually gained three pounds."
Both Mia and Ava frowned, clearly unconvinced.
Before they could continue, Ivy tapped their hands lightly.
"I’ve already prepared an apartment for you," she said. "It’ll be better if we talk there."