Chapter 237 Did you eat my cookies.

Thomas’ group had finally been settled into the villa arranged for them at Hope Base. Only after making sure everyone had everything they needed did Ivy leave with Darren and Erick, who had accompanied them throughout the journey.

The truck drove quietly through the streets before entering the Hart family’s private estate.

Despite the ruined world outside, the villa remained standing in excellent condition. It was all thanks to Old Man Hart, who had always regarded Erick as one of his own. Long before the apocalypse, Erick had often visited the Hart family, and the old man had practically raised him alongside his own grandchildren.

On the way over, Erick had explained the reason he wanted to come.

"I haven’t seen Grandpa Hart in a long time," he had said with a faint smile. "I want to check on him myself."

Neither Ivy nor Darren had any reason to object.

As the heavy iron gates slowly opened, Ivy quietly gazed out the window at the familiar scenery. Neatly trimmed gardens stretched along both sides of the driveway, while several guards patrolled the estate with vigilant expressions.

Although the apocalypse had plunged the outside world into chaos, the Hart estate still maintained an air of order.

The truck eventually came to a stop in front of the main villa.

Just then, an elderly man walked out from one of the nearby buildings.

The moment Ivy saw his face, her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

Mr. Hart... Dustin?

No...not Dustin.

This was Hart himself.

Dustin Hart’s father.

The resemblance between father and son was astonishing. Their facial features were almost identical, though the old man’s face bore the marks of age and countless years of experience.

Ivy recognized him immediately. In her previous life, Dustin’s father had always stood firmly behind his son, using every connection and resource at his disposal to support Dustin’s rise to power.

Although the old man wasn’t an Evolver, his influence within the scientific and research community was immeasurable.

Many of the research institutes scattered across the country had once worked under his guidance.

He was also one of the people responsible for helping Dustin conceal countless illegal human experiments.

Every piece of evidence had been quietly erased under his orders and every witness had mysteriously disappeared.

The old man merely glanced at Ivy before looking away indifferently, clearly having no idea who she was.

Ivy’s expression remained perfectly calm.

Good. The less attention I attract, the better.

As they continued walking toward the villa, another familiar figure suddenly stormed through the entrance.

It was Minister Johnson.

His face was flushed with anger, and the veins bulging across his forehead made it obvious he had just finished arguing with someone.

"You’ll regret this, Old Man Hart!" he shouted furiously as he pointed toward the villa. "My base has done enough for you. Since you refuse to cooperate, don’t blame us for cutting all ties from this day forward!"

Without waiting for a response, he spun around, yanked open his car door, and slammed it shut with enough force to shake the entire vehicle.

A second later, the engine roared to life while the car sped out of the estate, disappearing through the gates in a cloud of dust.

Erick silently watched the departing vehicle until it vanished from sight only then did Ivy turn toward him.

"What happened?" she asked.

A trace of ridicule appeared on Erick’s face.

"They came to pressure Grandpa again."

He let out a quiet sigh before continuing.

"They want him to hand over Fiercehunter Base’s research authority which grandfather is incharge of. As you already know, I grew up with the Hart family before the apocalypse. Grandpa Hart practically raised me, so I’ve always treated him as my own grandfather."

He looked toward the villa with complicated emotions in his eyes.

"Ever since Minister Johnson’s Evolution Liquid had been exposed for having severe side effects, the government had desperately searched for another method to regain public trust and control over evolution research and unfortunately for them, the Hart family possessed research facilities, scientists, and experimental data that no other faction could easily replace."

"Without those resources, rebuilding their reputation would be nearly impossible." Erick explained making Ivy and Darren nodded their heads in understanding.

Without wasting any more time, Ivy, Darren, and Erick stepped out of the truck and walked toward the villa but before they even reached the entrance, an irritated voice suddenly echoed from inside the living room.

"Where are my cookies?"

A drawer was pulled open with a loud bang.

"I clearly left them here yesterday!"

Another cabinet door flew open.

The elderly voice grew even louder.

"Search properly! They can’t just disappear into thin air!"

One of the servants answered helplessly.

"Master, we’ve already searched the kitchen, the pantry, your study, and even your bedroom."

"Impossible!" the old man barked indignantly. "Someone must have eaten them!"

Another drawer slammed shut.

"My favorite butter cookies! Who dared touch them? Find them immediately! Nobody leaves until those cookies are found!"

Erick slowly rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Darren coughed lightly and looked away, clearly trying not to laugh.

Ivy blinked twice as this didn’t exactly match the dignified image she had imagined of the legendary head of the Hart family.

The powerful old man she remembered from her previous life had always appeared calm, wise, and almost untouchable.

She had never imagined him frantically searching an entire villa over a missing box of butter cookies.

The contrast was... rather unbelievable.

Erick noticed the strange expression on her face and couldn’t help letting out an awkward laugh.

"He..." Erick said, scratching the back of his head. "He’s always been like this."

Ivy couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

"I can see that."

The two exchanged a brief glance before Erick pushed open the front door.

Inside the spacious living room, an elderly man wearing nothing more than loose trousers and a plain white singlet was opening cabinet after cabinet with remarkable energy.

Several servants and securities stood nearby with helpless expressions, too frightened to interrupt their master’s determined search but the moment the door opened, the old man immediately looked up.

His sharp eyes landed on Erick first, the Darren and finally his gaze settled on Ivy.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully examined the young woman standing quietly beside the young man he considered his grandson.

The old man suddenly snorted.

"So..." he said slowly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You’re the girl who finally convinced my stubborn grandson to bring someone home."

"...Grandpa," Erick called helplessly, the tips of his ears turning noticeably red.

Old Man Hart completely ignored him as his attention never left Ivy.

After staring at her for another few seconds, he suddenly frowned as though something far more important had crossed his mind.

He folded his arms and spoke with complete seriousness.

"Answer me honestly..." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did you eat my cookies?"