Two weeks passed quickly. Quicker than anyone could expect. Before he knew it, it was the night before the collapse.

Using his master level skills of persuasion, he convinced Amelia to let him go to the warehouses of the Hartwell family. He didn’t empty them, but he took a portion of the supplies.

He supervised the reinforcement of the apartments. He ensured the strongest possible security gates were added. All five floors were insulated, trapping sound and scent.

In the final preparations, it was decided that everyone would meet at the Hartwell mansion. He was not thrilled about the prospect, but he was willing to go. The area would be safe, for the time being.

Running around and gathering supplies didn’t leave him with much time to spend with the children. Most of their time was spent with the maids. It was only the previous day that Kain gave them a severance and a small warning.

Whether they took the warning to heart was none of his business.

Now, in the villa, there was only him, the three children, and Jake. Jake was an orphan, so he had no one else to rely on. And after what happened in the past, Kain had no intention of leaving the man to struggle. He valued his loyalty.

Noel disappeared some time ago. When Kain remembered him, he couldn’t find him anywhere. This had not happened in the previous life. But Kain also hadn’t given him the cold shoulder before.

He had no time to dwell on the reason. Before he knew it, it was the day he went to the Hartwell’s.

The children sat across from him and Jake. They still hadn’t spoken a word to him. If not for the system telling him their affection had gone up, he wouldn’t know. There was still the same wariness in their eyes.

"We’ll be visiting your grandparents today. We might stay for a while. Tell me if there’s anything you want to bring with you."

They wouldn’t talk to him, and he did not expect them to. He asked their opinion simply because he noticed he received a point to his power level if he did. Not everything gave him a point, but he went from 15 to 19, so he would try occasionally.

He gave them the time to look for whatever they wanted. He had given each of them a small backpack they could use to carry their things in. He hadn’t told them about the nurturing station.

Currently, it is being used for storage. Only after the collapse would he think of telling them anything.

When they arrived at the Hartwell’s mansion, the first person to step out was Amelia. She made her way to Avery, a small smile on her lips. She took her hand and walked ahead of them.

The two had gotten closer in the past two weeks. Though Amelia was not around often. Because of their love of fighting, the two grew closer. Even so, Avery’s bond level was only 10%.

Kain held the boys hands, a feat he had only achieved two days ago, and led them inside.

Seeing the slack-jawed faces of the Hartwell’s when he entered the foyer with the children. Kain couldn’t help chuckling. It was clear Amelia did not mention the children to anyone.

Coughing, he caught their attention. "This is Dominic, Ashton, and Avery. They are mine and Amelia’s children."

The collective silence spoke volumes. Their eyes darted between Kain and Amelia, then back at the children. He caught the twitching of lips and eyebrows. Chuckling inwardly, he brought the children to sit down.

When they were settled, he talked to the others.

"Let’s get into it. You still don’t believe everything I say, but according to Amy, you’ve started to notice various government forces making strange moves. I can only assure you that after tonight, the world will change.

Tonight, everyone should go to bed early. Tomorrow, there will be a show to watch."

The rest of the day went smoothly. Everyone ate and laughed together in harmony.

Kain saw numerous people in the Hartwell mansion. He had told them to keep only the people they trust. Seeing the number of people, he wondered if so many people were completely loyal to the Hartwell’s.

Would they still be loyal when money was useless?

Night came quickly. Most went to bed. The exceptions of which were the bodyguards. He didn’t advise the Hartwell’s to let them sleep. Tomorrow was only the beginning, not the worst of it.

The lights of the city stretched as far as the eye could see. They were so numerous, they almost eclipsed the stars. It would be a long time before he could see a scene like this again. Sighing, he touched the window with his finger, tracing the lights.

His eyes trembled, and he turned away from the window. Coming face-to-face with Amelia, he smoothed his breathing. Her green eyes lingered on him. A soft curling smile at the corner of her mouth.

His pulse quickened. His heart pounded. His memories of the previous life were affecting his mood. He knew that. It was precisely because of this that he had been keeping away from Amelia.

The previous two encounters were not as visceral for him as this. Possibly because he knew what tomorrow was. The way she looked at him reminded him of that night. He inhaled, his breathing ragged. He walked towards the door.

Just as he walked past her, she grabbed his wrist. He looked down at the small hand holding his wrist. He knew he should walk away. He wanted her, but his mind was lost in the woman from the apocalypse.

He stared at her hand, at her wrist. He could almost see the blood mark from that day. He let her lead him to bed. She stood in front of him, waiting for his decision.

He clenched his jaw, eyes trailing down her neck. A sliver of light caught her neck at just the right angle, just like that night. He could almost see the crimson flowing from her neck.

He clenched his teeth. This was not that night. She wanted him, and he could see it. He had no reason to deny her or himself.

He pulled her dress over her head in one swift motion. She gasped, not in protest but as someone who was finally getting what she longed for.

He kissed her, unwilling to fight with himself anymore. It wasn’t gentle. He bit her lower lip hard enough to taste blood. She didn’t pull away; she wrapped her arms around him.

The taste of blood brought back a flash of memory. ’Easy,’ he told himself. ’This isn’t that night.’

But he felt the rush of cold air. She had sliced her own forearm and held it to his lips. She had fed him with her own flesh to keep him alive. She smiled while she did it. She told him that there would always be a part of her that’s with him.

He pulled back, breathing ragged. He looked down at her, her eyes half-lidded. Completely unaware of what was going on in his head. He pressed his forehead to her collarbone, feeling her pulse against his lips.

In the last life, he had pressed his ear to her chest, listening to her heartbeat slow into nothingness.

He gripped her hips, heard enough to bruise. She slid her fingers into his hair.

"Don’t hold back," she breathed.

He looked at her. He knew she didn’t remember, but whether in the last life or this, once she decides something, no one can stop her.

He didn’t take his time. Clothes lay strewn across the room. He had her on her back, wrists pinned above her head. She struggled, as if testing him, and when she realized she couldn’t move, she let out what sounded like a sigh of relief.

Biting the curve of her neck, she arched under him.

The rational part of his mind screamed at him not to break her. But she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. The last shred of rationality disappeared.