Chapter 230 I’m never going anywhere!

"Ivy!!!!" Antelope roared the moment he realized that all the soldiers who had accompanied him had been taken down by Ivy and Darren. "Die, you bitch!!!!" he screamed furiously.

He immediately raised his gun and began firing at Ivy, aiming directly for her head. However, despite his desperate attempts, every single bullet missed its target.

The loud sound of gunshots echoed through the surroundings as Antelope continued shooting recklessly, his face filled with pure hatred but then his heart sank when he realized that the situation was completely against him.

He couldn’t stay any longer the moment he realized Ivy and Darren were getting closer hence without wasting another second, Antelope quickly ran and jumped into the truck.

He hurriedly started the engine and was just about to drive away when....

Slash!!!!

A bright blue light suddenly shot through the air at terrifying speed and the next second, it slashed cleanly through Antelope’s right hand. His hand was severed smoothly from his arm, and blood immediately splashed everywhere.

"Arrrrgh!!!!" Antelope screamed in agony.

His face instantly filled with pain as he stared at his missing hand in shock. However, despite the excruciating pain and the blood pouring from his injured arm, Antelope didn’t waste too much time dwelling on what had happened.

He knew he had to leave hence using his remaining left hand, Antelope quickly grabbed the steering wheel and stepped hard on the accelerator.

The truck roared to life and sped away at full speed, leaving behind the corpses of his men lying scattered across the ground in pools of blood.

Soon, Ivy and Darren parked the truck outside Hope Villa and immediately made their way into the villa’s compound. The moment they approached the entrance, the system removed the protective barrier that had been surrounding the entire villa.

"Captain Ivy!!!"

"The Captain is back!!!"

"Captain Ivy and Captain Darren are back!!!"

The survivors immediately chorused in excitement the moment they caught sight of Ivy and Darren. Their relieved voices echoed throughout the compound as everyone rushed forward to welcome them.

"My babies!" Ivy’s voice trembled with emotion as she quickly ran toward her children ignoring the chat of the other survivors.

Aria and Lila immediately recognized their mother’s voice and turned toward her. However, before their eyes could catch sight of the dead soldiers scattered outside the villa, Ivy quickly knelt down to their height and pulled both children against her chest.

She pressed their little heads firmly against her body, shielding their eyes from the horrifying sight behind her.

"Mommy missed you both so much," Ivy whispered emotionally, her voice breaking slightly as she hugged them tightly.

"Bad men were everywhere, Mommy!" Aria cried, her small body trembling as tears rolled down her cheeks. "They were shooting guns at us, Mommy!"

"We thought something bad had happened to you," Lila added, choking on her tears as she clung tightly to Ivy. "You didn’t come back on the same day you left. We missed you so much, Mommy!"

"It’s okay, darling. Mommy is back now," Ivy reassured them immediately, her own tears beginning to fall as she could feel her children bodies still trembling with fear. "There’s no need to be scared anymore. No one is going to harm you. Do you understand?"

She planted several gentle kisses on their foreheads, hoping to calm them down but even her kisses and comforting words weren’t enough to completely erase the fear that had settled deep inside their hearts.

After hugging them for what felt like forever, Ivy finally pulled away and stood up to her full height, her children head still pressed against her lap.

She turned her attention toward little Hope, whom Mr. Smith was holding in his arms.

"My little darling," Ivy whispered softly as she reached out and took Hope into her arms, immediately planting several gentle kisses on the little girl’s cheeks.

Hope recognized her mother’s voice almost instantly and smiled brightly, her tiny hands reaching up to touch Ivy’s face.

Ivy’s eyes softened at the sight.

"I know you missed Mama," she whispered lovingly, rubbing her daughter’s cheek with her thumb. "Mama missed you too. So, so much."

Hope continued smiling as she touched Ivy’s face, seemingly reassured by the familiar warmth of her mother’s presence.

Ivy held her for another moment before finally turning toward Mrs. Smith and carefully handed little Hope over to her.

"Please take them inside," Ivy instructed gently. "I want to talk to everyone."

Mrs. Smith immediately stepped forward and took Hope into her arms.

Pearl also moved closer, and Ivy couldn’t resist planting a few soft kisses on her cheeks before bending down to the children’s height once again.

"Mommy has some adult matters to take care of, okay?" Ivy explained gently, forcing a small smile despite the heaviness in her heart. "Just follow Mrs. Smith inside and get some rest. I’ll come and see you as soon as I’m done."

But instead of answering her, both Aria and Lila suddenly threw themselves back into Ivy’s arms.

"Don’t go anywhere again, Mommy!" Aria cried as she wrapped her arms tightly around Ivy’s lap. "The outside world is dangerous! We don’t want to lose you!"

"Yes, Mommy!" Lila chimed in immediately, her voice trembling with fear. "We really don’t want to lose you!"

Ivy’s heart clenched painfully.

She tightened her arms around both children, pulling them closer.

Then Lila’s next words shattered the little strength Ivy had left.

"Daddy is no longer in our lives. We don’t want you to leave our lives too."

The words pierced straight through Ivy already shattered heart. She could feel her chest tightening as tears gathered in her eyes once again.

"Mommy is never leaving you, darling," Ivy promised immediately, her voice trembling with emotion. She gently pulled the children back enough to look directly into their eyes. "Do you hear me? I’m never leaving you. I just need to talk to the adults for a little while, okay?"

She wiped the tears from their cheeks with her fingers.

"You two will always have me in your lives," Ivy continued firmly. "Always. I’m never going anywhere. Now, please follow Mrs. Smith inside for me, okay?"