Roderick rubbed his eyes. Has my boss lost his mind too? Cassian gave a short laugh, more from anger than amusement. Natalie, huh? Fine. Very well. Excellent. Meanwhile, outside, Tiffany had already been fooled by Natalie so badly that she didn't know what was going on. Government aid, ten times the rent, compensation for property damage, the admiration of a company president, Natalie's jealousy, a billion-dollar inheritance ... Tiffany felt like she had struck gold. She was convinced she was a lucky heroine of some grand story. Her future was about to shine brighter than ever! Natalie saw she had led Tiffany far enough, then added fuel to the fire. "If the apocalypse hadn't hit, you'd already be living as the wife of a wealthy man. The Holland Group is one of the most prestigious families around. Even I would have to show you respect. Now the apocalypse is over, I'm sure Mr. Holland will show up to look for you soon. Your future couldn't look brighter." Tiffany's eyes lit up with desire. She could already picture her glamorous life ahead. Her mouth opened in excitement. "In the future, I'll be—" She never finished the sentence. A flash of cold light cut the air, and a thin red line appeared across her neck. Tiffany's eyes widened in shock as she collapsed slowly to the ground. "Y-you—!" Natalie's lips curved upward. "The world can be beautiful, but sadly, you won't be around to enjoy it."Tiffany's hands trembled as she tried desperately to grab onto something—anything—but found only empty air. Her throat made broken, muffled sounds. Her eyes shone with nothing but longing. I don't want to die. I have never wanted to live so badly. The apocalypse had finally ended. My suffering is supposed to be over. I'm on the verge of marrying into wealth, ready to enjoy a life of luxury. Everything is so perfect, like a dream. Damn you, Natalie. Why now? Why does Natalie have to take it away now? Her fingers clawed at the air with every ounce of strength left in her. Finally, they dropped heavily to the floor. Tiffany's breath stopped. Natalie looked down at her. Even in death, Tiffany's eyes were still wide open, full of unwillingness. Natalie chuckled softly. The truth was, the world ahead wasn't wonderful at all. One apocalypse would follow another, and the earth would turn into a living hell. For Tiffany, death should have been an easy way out. But Natalie had stolen that peace, leaving her to die with her eyes open. Not willing to die, huh? Fitting, isn't it? When you betrayed me in my past life, I was just as unwilling. Now, I'd returned the favor—twice over. Natalie stepped over Tiffany's body, picked up the keys from the floor, and unlocked the door to unit 701. Next door, in 702, Cassian's earlier chill had faded. Instead, a faint smile curved at his lips.Natalie. What a ruthless yet fascinating woman. She paints her victim with a picture of the perfect future, then rips it away and ends them. Leaving her victim to die with nothing but regret. If ghosts were real, Tiffany would surely become one of the most vengeful. Beside him, Roderick couldn't help whispering, "Boss, that woman died so terribly." Cassian gave him a sidelong glance and spoke in his usual calm voice. "She probably brought it upon herself." Roderick nodded quickly. "True. For Ms. Ashford, such a beautiful and kind person, to put her through that—Tiffany must have been rotten to the core." Kind and beautiful? Cassian thought, a touch of amusement flickering in his eyes. He couldn't even count how many times he'd heard that phrase from Roderick. Beautiful, yes—there's no denying Natalie's looks. But kind? Hardly. If anything, she is a sharp-tongued little reaper. Inside unit 701, Natalie looked around, scanning the surroundings. The place had clearly been broken into during the floods—the front door showed obvious signs of repair. Dust covered the floor and most of the furniture, yet the bedroom was tidy, as if someone had recently stayed there. Braxton had probably slept here last night. On the dining table she spotted a note. "Tiffany, I went out to take care of something. I'll be back tonight. Wait here for me. "This place has everything we need, and I had fixed the door. It's perfect for laying low. Stay put. Once Natalie gets caught, we can go home. "I'll go with you to visit her in jail." Visit me in jail? Natalie arched a brow. These two surely love their fantasies. She lingered in the house for a while, but Braxton never showed. It looks like he wouldn't be back until evening. Natalie moved to the window. The sun outside burned an unnatural shade of red. She couldn't wait any longer. In just over an hour, the temperature would spike from 60°F straight up to 95°F—and it would keep climbing. Natalie had rushed out without her climate suit. If she stayed outside during such a sudden change, her body would take serious damage. But the real problem was Lucky. Her dog was still home alone.Her breed made her extremely vulnerable to heatstroke. If the temperature spiked and the air conditioning wasn't running, Lucky could be in real danger—and there were no vets left to help. Natalie made her decision at once. She had to go back. As for Braxton? He could run for now, but there was nowhere he could hide. Once the heat hit, he'd be the first to suffer heatstroke. She could always come back and finish him off later.