"In this timeline," he whispered, "Matthew died during that mission."

The moment those words landed, realization flashed across Ivy’s eyes.

Asher had personally conducted the burial afterward.

Ivy herself looked slightly stunned.

She truly never expected things to change in such a strange direction.

Originally, she wanted to warn Asher about Matthew’s future betrayal.

However, because she had already interfered with history repeatedly, events had shifted completely.

In her previous life, she never sought Silas’s help early on. Because of that, Matthew survived long enough to eventually betray Asher later.

But now... Matthew had died long before that betrayal could ever happen.

Which meant the person who eventually betrayed Asher in this timeline had become Garrett instead.

Thinking about that, Ivy slowly exhaled in relief.

At the very least, things no longer seemed to be moving toward the exact same disastrous future.

Perhaps fate itself was slowly changing.

From that day onward, life gradually became far more peaceful.

Not long after, Ivy received another piece of wonderful news... Ember was pregnant.

The moment the reports confirmed that Ember’s body was completely stable and capable of carrying the child safely, Ivy became overjoyed immediately.

Unfortunately, Jay did not seem nearly as excited outwardly.

It was not because he disliked the child.

Rather... the mere thought that Ember would soon have to divide her attention between him and someone else filled him with indescribable jealousy.

As a result, Jay became absurdly clingy.

He practically stopped going to the research center entirely and spent most of his time hovering around Ember like an overprotective guard dog.

Meanwhile, Ember herself seemed to be enjoying life thoroughly.

Since communication systems and entertainment networks had slowly recovered again, many people had begun producing small films, short dramas, and online programs to entertain others during the post-apocalypse.

Whenever Jay followed her around possessively, Ember would casually drag him outside to watch movies or wander through the entertainment districts together.

Compared to the chaos from before, life had become much more peaceful and enjoyable.

Especially for someone like Ember, who possessed enormous wealth and resources.

Naturally, she did not waste that advantage.

Using her influence constantly, Ember continued collecting massive amounts of gold, platinum, diamonds, and other precious metals.

After all, nobody knew when those resources would become invaluable in the future.

Meanwhile, the mud coins currently circulating through society remained temporary currency. Everyone understood that eventually they would lose value completely.

However, until that day arrived, they still remained extremely useful.

As for Ivy, the moment she learned Ember was pregnant, she became ridiculously excited.

Without hesitation, she directly gifted ten entire real estate properties to her future niece or nephew.

At the same time, she also felt strangely emotional.

A deep longing quietly filled her heart whenever she imagined the future child.

As a result, Ivy started visiting Ember almost every day.

Sometimes, she would even place both hands gently against Ember’s still-flat stomach while speaking seriously,

"Baby, can you hear me already?"

Seeing her little sister behaving so adorably made Ember laugh endlessly.

Ivy looked so earnest every single time that Ember could barely hold back her amusement.

Naturally, Jay noticed all of this immediately.

The moment Ivy moved away briefly one afternoon, Jay quickly leaned closer and gently touched Ember’s stomach possessively as well.

Seeing that childish behavior, Ember instantly slapped him lightly across the face.

Smack.

Jay immediately held his cheek dramatically while staring at her in disbelief.

"Why do I get slapped," he complained pitifully, "while Ivy gets loving smiles and affection?"

Ember rolled her eyes playfully.

"Because you’re annoying," she replied without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Ivy stood nearby while laughing uncontrollably.

Jay instantly looked even more offended.

"So now you’re openly favoring your sister over your husband?" he muttered dramatically.

Ember folded her arms calmly.

"Yes," she answered shamelessly.

Hearing that direct reply, Jay looked completely devastated.

"Fine then," he muttered while walking toward a nearby corner dramatically. "You love your sister more anyway. I understand my place now."

Watching him sulk alone so seriously made Ivy feel slightly guilty.

"Is this because of me?" Ivy asked awkwardly.

Ember simply waved her hand dismissively.

"Ignore him," she replied calmly. "He’ll recover within a few hours."

However, what neither of them noticed was the dangerous glint already appearing inside Jay’s eyes.

’Just wait until nighttime arrives,’ he thought smugly. ’I’ll cling to my wife so much that nobody else will even get close.’

The more he imagined it, the more satisfied he became.

However... not everyone was living peacefully.

At that exact moment, someone else was preparing for a major life decision.

And that person was Felix.

Ever since his older brother became engaged, Felix had become increasingly restless.

Watching couples everywhere had completely destroyed his mental peace.

In fact, he had even begun suspecting that his brother was intentionally flaunting his relationship just to remind him how painfully single he remained.

Because of that, Felix started visiting Annie repeatedly every single day.

At first, Annie still tolerated him.

However, after endless messages, dramatic complaints, and nonstop whining, she eventually became so frustrated that she directly kicked him out and ordered him to calm down somewhere else.

Initially, Felix still retained a little shame.

For two or three days, he genuinely stayed away.

Unfortunately... that shame disappeared quickly.

Soon afterward, Felix shamelessly moved directly into Annie’s residence instead.

Naturally, Annie became furious.

More than once, she physically kicked him out of rooms whenever he annoyed her too much.

Yet Felix merely grinned from ear to ear every single time.

Rather than getting angry, he realized something terrifying: he was falling for Annie more and more each day.

She was free-spirited, straightforward, sharp-tongued, and occasionally overbearing.

Yet at the same time, she was also lively, amusing, warm-hearted, and impossible to ignore.

And before Felix even realized it properly, he had already become completely addicted to her presence.

However, that peace did not last long.

A shocking piece of news suddenly spread throughout several bases, leaving countless people stunned.

Someone from a neighboring country had successfully managed to fly an airplane across the infected regions.