Whispers buzzed like flies around a carcass, thick with doubt.
But the majority did not dare raise their voices too loudly. Their survival depended on this base.
Even so, many looked at Hannah with narrowed eyes.
"She's lying."
"Obviously she's lying."
"That fake pitiful expression... classic greedy survivor behavior."
"Anyone can kneel and cry if it benefits them."
Their skepticism wasn't without any reason. The apocalypse had stripped them of naivety.
They had witnessed enough betrayals to recognize manipulation when they saw it.
Hannah's gaze darted nervously through the crowd.
More and more people were siding with Ivy, and desperation flickered behind Hannah's lashes.
She quickly continued her farce, her voice dipping into theatrical sorrow.
"Even when Ivy kicked out the Evans family, I didn't question her judgment!" she wailed.
