Chapter 203: Chapter 203 Goodbye my darlings!
Ivy remained silent for several seconds.
A multi-base alliance.
The risks would be much higher.
But so would the rewards.
"We’ll be splitting all the rewards equally," Erick continued. "No funny business. In fact, you’ll also receive thirty percent of the supplies from my own haul as repayment for the favor you did me before."
After carefully considering everything she had learned, Ivy finally gave a firm nod.
"I’m in."
"Good."
"Albert should arrive within the hour."
The transmission ended shortly afterward.
Ivy lowered the radio before turning toward Darren, who had been standing nearby and listening quietly to the entire conversation.
"We’re making a trip to Erick Base."
Darren nodded without hesitation.
"I’ll get ready," he replied. "But what about the children? I’m certain this mission won’t be easy, and it’s definitely not something we’ll finish in a single day. Do you still think we should leave them here by themselves?"
Ivy immediately shook her head.
"No."
She glanced toward the bunker where the children were.
"I’ll be taking them to the villa. There’s no way I’m leaving them here alone."
Her voice was calm but resolute.
"The villa is protected by my System Protection Shield, so it’ll be the safest place for them. The base itself will also remain secure, but I still don’t want to leave them on their own. It’s better if they’re surrounded by people. Mrs. Smith will be there, and they’ll get to spend time playing with Pearl."
Darren smiled in approval.
"Good," he said with a satisfied nod. "I was hoping you’d say that. Go and get them ready. Explain everything to them. We only have an hour before Albert arrives."
Ivy nodded once before making her way into the bunker.
A few minutes later, she emerged once again with Aria and Lila walking beside her while little Hope rested peacefully in her arms.
The girls had obviously been told to pack because each of them carried a tiny backpack filled with their belongings.
"Where are we going, Mommy?" Aria asked curiously. "You only told us to take our baths and pack our things. You never said where we’re going."
Ivy smiled gently before kneeling until she was eye level with both girls.
"Mommy and Uncle Darren have somewhere important to go," she explained softly. "We’ll be away for a little while, so you two will be staying at the villa with Mrs. Smith."
She gently brushed a few loose strands of hair away from Aria’s face.
"Mrs. Smith will take good care of all three of you, and you’ll also get to play with Pearl every day."
Lila’s little smile slowly disappeared.
"For a little while?" she repeated quietly.
Her tiny fingers instinctively wrapped around Ivy’s sleeve.
"Does that mean you’ll be gone for a long time? Where exactly are you going, Mommy?"
Her voice became increasingly anxious.
"We want to come with you."
Ivy’s heart tightened.
She shifted Hope slightly in one arm before wrapping her free arm around both girls, pulling them into a warm embrace.
"I’ll be back very soon, my darlings," she whispered reassuringly. "Mommy will come back before you even realize I’ve been gone."
She smiled lovingly, though the sadness hidden deep within her eyes remained impossible to conceal.
"You only have to promise me one thing."
Both girls looked up at her.
"Promise me you’ll be good girls while I’m away."
She gently tapped each of them on the nose before glancing down at the sleeping baby in her arms.
"And help Mrs. Smith take good care of your little sister, Hope."
"I know you can do that."
She kissed each of them on their foreheads.
"Mommy loves you both very, very much."
Neither Aria nor Lila spoke immediately.
Instead, they threw themselves into Ivy’s embrace, hugging her tightly as though refusing to let go.
They already knew.
Whenever their mother had to leave like this, it usually meant another dangerous mission involving monsters.
They both know about the apocalypse now anyways.
Every time Ivy or Darren left the base, fear quietly settled inside their little hearts.
What if they didn’t return?
What if something terrible happened?
Yet neither of them dared voice those fears aloud.
They trusted their mother more than anyone else.
She always made the best decisions for them.
And the last thing they wanted was to make her worry even more or force her to choose between them and a mission that countless lives might depend on.
Finally, Aria slowly loosened her grip and looked up with watery eyes.
"We’ll be good girls, Mommy," she promised with a brave little smile. "You have to take good care of yourself too."
Lila nodded vigorously.
"Yes, Mommy," she added before standing on her tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on Ivy’s cheek. "Please be careful. Don’t get hurt."
Aria quickly followed, planting another kiss on Ivy’s other cheek.
The simple gestures nearly melted Ivy’s heart.
She chuckled softly despite the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
"Thank you, sweethearts."
She returned their affection by kissing each of them on the forehead before standing to her full height once more.
Turning toward Darren, she spoke decisively.
"Quickly take them to the villa before Albert gets here. He said he’d arrive within the hour, but since he hasn’t shown up yet, we should use this opportunity to get the children settled first."
Darren gave a firm nod.
"Agreed."
He walked over and carefully took little Hope from Ivy while helping Aria and Lila into the vehicle.
"I’ll be back as soon as I’ve dropped them off."
After making sure all three children were safely seated, with Hope securely fastened into her child seat, Darren started the engine.
The girls rolled down the window and leaned out as far as they safely could.
"Goodbye, Mommy!" they shouted together, waving excitedly despite the sadness in their eyes.
Ivy smiled warmly and waved back until the vehicle slowly disappeared down the road.
"Goodbye, my darlings," she whispered softly.
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