Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Abandon Hospital

."...Without crystals, people’s levels won’t increase. And if levels stagnate while zombies keep evolving... humanity will lose. Completely."

She pressed her lips together and added, "Not to mention... crops won’t grow. Food supplies will collapse."

Silas pressed a hand against his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

"I’ll think of a solution. For now, let’s focus on the Blackthorn family. The military has already collapsed in everything but name."

Talia stared at him, stunned. Then she shook her head firmly. "I can’t let people suffer."

Compared to Silas... who always had a sharp, strategic mind and approached problems with calculation... Talia was straightforward and had joined the military solely to serve the people.

Watching them suffer made her chest ache with helpless pity. But instead of rushing out to help blindly, she forced herself to think logically.

’There must be a way to ease their suffering,’ she thought. ’There must be something I can do... something bigger than temporary help.’

Silas clicked his tongue lightly.

"Instead of trying to save everyone, sometimes it’s more important to think about yourself first."

Talia didn’t agree, but she kept quiet. She knew her brother well... arguing would only lead to another lecture she wasn’t prepared for.

Both siblings sank into their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Ivy was walking toward her office when she suddenly caught sight of a familiar face... one she had never expected to see again.

Angelina.

Ivy instantly froze. Her instinct screamed at her to leave, to avoid the woman entirely.

Her earlier suspicion rose again... what if Angelina was reborn?

Ivy had never been certain, but she had been wary of the possibility.

If Angelina truly had memories of a past life, then she definitely knew about Ivy’s power. And if she knew... she could expose Ivy at any moment.

’If she reveals anything, my fate will be the same as last time,’ Ivy thought, a cold shiver creeping down her spine.

What terrified her even more was the fact that Angelina had been able to enter the base so easily.

Ivy hadn’t expected her to show up at all. ’If Angelina is here... is her family here too?’

Without hesitation, Ivy made up her mind.

She was no naive protagonist who kept threats nearby. If something was a danger, it needed to be eliminated. Immediately.

She marched straight to Martha’s office.

Inside, Martha was buried under a stack of documents. When she saw Ivy enter, she stood respectfully and asked,

"What can I do for you?"

Though surprised by Ivy’s sudden visit, Martha knew that something must be bugging Ivy; otherwise, Ivy wouldn’t have made a personal trip to Martha’s office.

Ivy replied calmly, "I want Angelina out of the base. Don’t allow her to stay."

Martha didn’t question it.

She was Ivy’s assistant; as long as Ivy orders her, she needs to do it.

However, to say that she wasn’t curious would be a lie. After all, there were only a few times when she had seen Ivy acting so ruthless... It was completely different from Ivy’s usual self.

From her perspective Ivy was a calm woman with a rational thought process.

"There are many Angelinas here. Any specifics?"

"Her mother is Kate. Her brother is Arthur. Her father... I don’t remember his name," Ivy said coldly.

Martha immediately sifted through the digital records, her fingers moving quickly. Within seconds, she identified the right family, nodded, and said, "I’ll bring security and have them removed."

Ivy nodded.

Martha paused. "What about the deposit?"

"Return it to Angelina," Ivy said.

Martha turned to leave but then glanced back. "Any final message for her?"

Ivy thought for a moment before replying, "Just tell her she shouldn’t interfere in things she isn’t capable of dealing with."

Martha agreed without hesitation and soon left the room.

Watching her retreating figure disappear down the hallway, Ivy finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

She lowered herself into Martha’s chair, her fingertips brushing against the wooden armrest as she tried to steady the unease swirling in her chest.

Even she didn’t fully understand why her body felt so cold.

’Is it fear that someone might learn about my power? Or fear that Angelina already knows more than she should?’

The uncertainty gnawed at her. Removing Angelina from the base might solve one problem, but Ivy knew that if Angelina truly had been reborn, then simply kicking her out would not be enough.

The root of the threat would remain. ’If she really remembers everything from before... I’ll need to erase her completely.’

But to act, she needed proof... absolute proof. She couldn’t simply kill someone based on suspicion alone.

With that thought, Ivy leaned back and began sorting through the memories of her past life, sifting through events one by one.

After several minutes, something clicked. Her eyes suddenly brightened.

Her suspicion had originally begun when Angelina somehow obtained the ring... the very ring that would have belonged to Ivy.

Not only that, but Angelina had delivered it directly to Damien with perfect timing.

It made no sense in this life unless she knew the ring’s hidden value.

’If she knew the ring contained power... and if she knew Damien would trust her because of it... then she must have remembered everything from the past.’

In her previous life, Damien had been a powerful figure, someone many women sought after.

Angelina had regretted many of her decisions back then.

So it wasn’t unreasonable to assume that in this life, she would seize every chance to secure a higher position... starting with finding the ring early and presenting herself as loyal.

’That must have been her plan,’ Ivy thought. And to test the truth, Ivy needed to recreate a situation from the past... something Angelina should recognize only if she had memories of her previous life.

She pressed her palms against the desk and closed her eyes, focusing.

After a long moment, another forgotten event resurfaced, and her eyes opened with a spark of clarity.

In her previous life, someone had retrieved a huge stockpile of food from an abandoned hospital.

The hospital had secretly hoarded food meant for patients, but because the apocalypse came so suddenly, no one had known.

Some refugees accidentally discovered the stash and bragged about their luck for years.