You're correct that's how speculative execution works: it picks one branch, it does not pick both branches. But that's the Spectre vulnerability, while this art

You're correct that's how speculative execution works: it picks one branch, it does not pick both branches. But that's the Spectre vulnerability, while this article is trying to explain Meltdown, and Meltdown does not involve speculative execution. (See my other comment in this thread for a full explanation.)