Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 263: He should have been mine

After settling everything around the shop, Elena handed over the list of items the military wanted to procure.

Jessa and Lydia were the ones in charge this time, coordinating directly with the officers.

This not only eased Elena’s workload but also served as a test for the two women— to see how well they could manage orders with their leadership.

Normally, Oslo and Xander took on this responsibility, but Elena had a different plan now.

She wanted to train Jessa and Lydia, slowly shaping them into reliable managers for Paradise.

With the water receding sooner and trade routes slowly opening, she envisioned the Paradise shop growing into a golden merchant stronghold in the midst of the apocalypse.

"Alright, they’ll be taking the items here. Just prepare everything accordingly," Elena instructed, her hand gently brushing against her belly.

Jessa nodded and looked at the list they requested.

"They need a large amount of purification tablets and some cooling devices. Oh—and they also requested electric generators and gasoline," she reported, her eyes narrowing slightly as she calculated how much they could reasonably sell.

"Give them at least 20 of each," Elena replied without hesitation.

She was aware that ability users would soon rise—individuals whose bodies would undergo drastic changes, at the same time gaining strength and strange abilities that could defy common sense.

They would not need too many of these items, and besides, the stock was limited.

Elena couldn’t afford to sell everything they had carefully hoarded.

Most machinery had already been destroyed by floods or frozen solid during the extreme cold, and what little remained was hoarded by those with the means.

Well, unless the military wished to repair these broken devices, they would need the help of an expert in machine repair or a Techno ability user.

Speaking of Technomancers, Elena’s thoughts drifted back to Lila—her trusted subordinate from five hundred years in the future.

She remembered the woman speaking proudly of her ancestor, who had originally come from City G.

If her memory was correct, there was indeed a base there dedicated to advanced technology, housing creations that seemed almost magical compared to the standards of this time.

’Should I recruit them if I have the time?’ Elena wondered, her gaze distant as she gently tapped her fingers against the counter.

Such an ability was too valuable to ignore.

’Well, maybe cooperation might work if they refrain from recruitment.’

Seeing that Elena was lost in thought, Jessa and Lydia chose not to disturb her and quietly continued handling the items.

Before long, they busied themselves with the help of several youngsters from Paradise Homes.

The children worked diligently, treating their tasks with care. For them, the shop was more than just work—it was a lifeline.

It provided them with food, shelter, and a sense of security.

In these chaotic times, where moral standards had crumbled and people’s desperation often turned cruel, such security was rare.

Without adults like those from Paradise, children like them would have little chance of survival.

Once everything was settled at the military evacuation center, Elena excused herself and entered the space, leaving Ethan behind to monitor the situation for a while longer.

It was then that General Mason strode into the shop, his face tight with tension.

News of the earlier conflict had reached him, and the weight of it pressed heavily on his mind.

Without wasting time, he approached the shop manager, his tone clipped but polite.

"Hello, comrade. I need to speak with your leader," he said, his voice carrying both urgency and restraint.

******

While conditions in the Camel Tower area were somewhat manageable, the situation in other regions was far worse.

As the searing heat intensified, countless people collapsed from thirst.

In desperation, some even resorted to drinking water from hastily melted chunks of ice.

Yet in City D, the military fared better.

They had prepared extensively before the disasters struck, and while those measures allowed the higher-ups to maintain some order, life grew harder each passing day for the people seeking refuge.

It was as if the military sheltered them; however, they had to find their own food—something they struggled with due to the extreme disaster.

But right now, the Heather family had finally seized control of the military’s core command, granting them the authority to issue directives to the higher-ups with confidence.

Inside one of the military quarters, Trexie lay curled on her bed, her scattered belongings showing the unrest of her days.

Anger simmered within her as memories of her journey to City A resurfaced.

That trip had been pure hell—endless days without proper food, dangers lurking at every turn, and never once a place that felt truly safe.

Nearly a month had passed since she returned, and the memories still haunted her.

It had taken them two grueling weeks to make it back during the extreme cold, and every day she regretted her decision.

She cursed herself for ignoring her grandfather’s warnings.

Why had she been so stubborn, leaving the safety of City D just to throw herself into the chaos of City A?

All of it boiled down to one reason—him.

The man who should have been hers. Her grandfather had approved of him, and she had been so sure of their future together.

But when she finally laid eyes on him again, her heart shattered. He already belonged to another.

"No, no, no... it’s that woman’s fault," Trexie muttered, her voice trembling with anger as her nails dug into the bedsheet.

"If she were out of the picture, Ethan would be mine. He should have been mine."

Her pitiful state made Jack Heather’s temples throb with rage.

Already burdened by the chaos of the ongoing disaster and with Troy still missing, the last thing he needed was his granddaughter spiraling into madness.

Now, seeing her breaking down and lashing out, his patience snapped.

"Enough!" Jack barked, his voice sharp and commanding.

"Are you still not done with this useless drama? Tell me clearly—what really happened in City A?"