He rose from his seat and turned toward the children.

"Alright, girls!"

His voice carried across the compound.

"Time to go!"

Aria and Lila looked up simultaneously.

The girls had been playing with Pearl practically the entire day.

A look of disappointment immediately appeared on both their faces.

Nearby, Mrs. Smith approached while carrying little Hope in her arms.

The baby was completely asleep.

A soft chuckle escaped Mrs. Smith.

"She fell asleep again."

Ivy laughed.

Mrs. Smith carefully handed Hope over.

"Honestly, all she does is eat and then immediately go back to sleep."

Ivy gently accepted the sleeping baby and adjusted her comfortably against her chest.

At that moment, Mr. Smith laughed.

"What exactly do you expect her to do?"

Everyone turned toward him.

"She’s a baby."

His grin widened.

"They have the best lives."

Several people chuckled.

"No responsibilities."

"No jobs."

"No bills."

"Nothing."

The survivors laughed harder.

Mr. Smith continued dramatically.

"They eat, sleep, wake up, cry for food, eat again, and then sleep like they’ve been working twelve-hour shifts."

This time, everyone burst into laughter.

Even Ivy couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

Meanwhile, Aria and Lila slowly approached her.

Their heads were lowered.

Sadness was written all over their faces.

"Mommy..."

The girls spoke in unison.

"Can we sleep here tonight?"

Ivy immediately knew where this was going.

Both girls looked up at her with pleading eyes.

Aria pouted.

"I still want to play with Pearl."

"Me too," Lila added sadly.

"We barely got enough time together."

Pearl herself looked disappointed.

The three girls had spent the entire day laughing, talking, and playing games.

Now none of them wanted the fun to end.

Ivy couldn’t help chuckling.

"You girls have been playing since morning."

The girls exchanged glances.

Neither of them could deny it.

"You’ve spent almost the entire day together. You can come back tomorrow and play with Pearl again."

"Really?"

The girls’ eyes brightened instantly.

"Of course."

Although they were still reluctant to leave, they knew there was no changing Ivy’s mind once she made a decision.

The girls hurried over to Darren, who was already heading toward the truck.

"Come on, little troublemakers," Darren teased with a grin. "Let’s get everyone home."

Meanwhile, the survivors gathered near the villa gates as Ivy, Darren, Aria, Lila, and little Hope prepared to leave.

"Goodbye, Captain Ivy!"

The survivors chorused loudly.

Several waved enthusiastically while others bowed respectfully.

A warm smile spread across Ivy’s face.

"Take care of yourselves," she called back.

"I’ll visit again soon."

Near the front of the crowd stood Pearl.

Unlike everyone else, she looked genuinely heartbroken.

The young girl’s shoulders drooped as she stared at Aria and Lila.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Ivy," Pearl said softly, lowering her head.

Her voice carried obvious sadness.

"Will Aria and Lila come over tomorrow?"

She hesitated briefly before adding,

"Or... can I come over instead?"

The hopeful look in her eyes immediately melted Ivy’s heart.

"Don’t worry, Pearl," Ivy replied warmly.

She walked over and gently patted the girl’s head.

"I’ll either bring the girls here tomorrow or arrange for you to come visit us."

Pearl’s face immediately brightened.

"Really?"

"Of course."

A relieved smile spread across the young girl’s face.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ivy."

Ivy chuckled softly.

"You’re welcome, darling."

Pearl then turned toward the girls.

"Goodbye, Aria! Goodbye, Lila!"

"Goodbye, Pearl!"

The girls replied simultaneously.

"We’ll see you tomorrow!"

With that, everyone climbed into the truck.

Slowly, the vehicle rolled through the villa gates and onto the dark road beyond.

The survivors remained standing outside, waving until the truck disappeared into the night.