Read Novel Full Chapter 578: Apology
Chapter 578: Chapter 578: Apology
Not because they understood... But because she laughed.
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Meanwhile... a week later Ivy remained completely unaware of Isla’s rebirth.
She was busy managing the overwhelming influx of people.
Thousands. Tens of thousands. All needing shelter. Food. Stability.
Her base was reaching its limits.
"...We don’t have enough space," she muttered, rubbing her temples.
Fatigue lingered in her eyes. Even with all the success... She couldn’t feel joy.
Not yet. There was too much to handle. Just as her thoughts spiraled...
A loud sound echoed across the base. A deep mechanical rumble, followed by a sharp signal tone.
Her head snapped up. ’That sound ...’
It was the announcement. The signal for someone returning...
Her heart skipped a beat.
Without wasting a second, she rushed toward the entrance.
And there... She saw him. Silas.
Standing at the gate, along with his subordinates.
For a brief moment... She just stood there.
It had been a long time since she had last seen him.
As the door flung open, Silas stepped forward without hesitation and pulled Ivy into a tight embrace.
The force of it caught her off guard.
For a brief moment, Ivy felt as if her entire body would melt into his arms, the warmth, the familiarity, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat pressing against her cheek.
"I really missed you," Silas murmured, his voice low and sincere.
Ivy let out a soft chuckle, her lips curving slightly.
"You’re lying," she said lightly. "If you truly missed me, I would have at least gotten hiccups."
Silas pulled back just enough to look at her, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Oh?" he said, a playful smile forming. "If you don’t believe me... then I guess I’ll just have to prove it."
Before he could lean in any closer... "Ahem."
Scarlett’s voice cut through the moment sharply.
She stood a short distance away, arms crossed, her expression unimpressed.
"Enough," she said flatly. "If you two want to do... whatever this is, at least look around first."
Chloe rolled her eyes immediately. "What? Are you jealous?" she shot back.
Scarlett smirked, her gaze shifting briefly toward Ivy before returning to Chloe. "Not at all."
Ivy raised an eyebrow slightly. ’That’s... new.’
In all the time she had known Scarlett, such a calm response was rare, almost unnatural.
Before Ivy could say anything... Scarlett stepped forward, grabbed her wrist firmly, and pulled her away.
"Come with me."
The sudden movement startled Silas. He instinctively stepped forward, his expression sharpening.
"Hey!"
But Ivy shook her head gently, signaling him to stop.
Silas hesitated for a moment before stepping back, though his gaze remained fixed on them.
Scarlett, noticing this, rolled her eyes again and continued dragging Ivy along until they reached a quiet, isolated corner.
The noise of the others faded into the background. Silence settled between them.
Scarlett turned to face her.
"To be honest," she said, her tone blunt, "I’m surprised you had the guts to choose Silas."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Were you that confident I wouldn’t slap you out of jealousy?"
Ivy chuckled softly, completely unbothered.
"As far as I know," she replied calmly, "you’re someone who was raised well. You have self-respect."
She met Scarlett’s gaze steadily. "You wouldn’t throw that away for a man."
Scarlett paused. Then she smiled.
"...You’re still the same," she said, shaking her head slightly. "Just as infuriating as ever."
Ivy fell silent. A faint guilt stirred in her chest.
’In my past life... I really did wrong by her...’
For a moment, she wondered... ’Does she remember...?’
But what came next shattered that thought. "I’m giving up on him," Scarlett said.
Ivy blinked. "...What?"
Scarlett let out a small, almost self-deprecating chuckle.
"What? Didn’t expect that?" she said. "A girl giving up on someone who would never return her feelings?"
Ivy shook her head slightly. "It’s just... your feelings for him were strong."
Scarlett’s smile turned bitter. "They were," she admitted.
Her gaze drifted away for a moment. "I even imagined... that one day, he would give up on you."
Her voice softened. "Because I thought... you would never choose him."
She paused. Then looked back at Ivy. "But you did."
A quiet silence followed. Then...
"...Thank you," Scarlett said softly.
Ivy’s expression froze. That was the last thing she expected.
Scarlett continued, her tone steady now. "Thank you for accepting his confession."
She took a slow breath. "In that way... I can finally let go."
She hesitated briefly before adding, "Back then... I might have said things that hurt you."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I always spoke from his perspective... not yours. I am sorry."
She let out a faint sigh. "I was immature."
Before Ivy could respond... Scarlett stepped forward and hugged her.
Ivy stiffened in surprise. Then... Warm tears soaked into her shoulder.
"I..." Ivy began softly.
But Scarlett interrupted, her voice slightly shaky.
"Don’t say anything," she murmured. "I can’t... bring myself to say more nice things to you."
A weak laugh escaped her. "Honestly... you’ve done me a huge favor."
She pulled back slightly. "You gave me clarity."
Her eyes flickered briefly.
"And... this place... this base... yet you provided me with the logging and even gave me a building to my parents knowing that their old age won’t allow them to earn anything you created a path for them. Thank you."
She glanced around faintly. "I know how valuable it is."
Her voice steadied again. "This is something I won’t forget."
She stepped back completely. "As for Silas..." she added, her tone calm now, "I accept my loss."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Ivy stood there for a moment, watching her retreating figure.
A strange emptiness lingered in her chest. Then... A small, genuine smile appeared on her lips.
"...Thank you," she whispered softly.
’In my past life... you tried so many times to show me the truth... But I was too blind to see it. This time... at least... I could make things right.’
It wasn’t just helping Scarlett. It was... Helping the version of herself that once failed.
When Scarlett returned, everyone’s gaze shifted toward her.