If someone from outside suddenly walked in, they'd think they had stepped back to the world before the apocalypse. Out there, people were lucky just to get a pack of ramen. Meat and drinks were a dream for the rich. But here, the room was full of food, and everyone rushed to grab seats, cheering as they dug in. Natalie and Cassian shared a look and quietly slipped into a corner. She whispered, "Magnus must be pretty confident. The fight isn't even over, and he's already got the party ready." Cassian nodded. "Last battle, they figured out everything about Ironclaw Base. This time, they came well prepared." Natalie glanced at the inner wall residents stuffing their mouths with greasy meat.She sighed. "Pity the outer wall resident. They're just cannon fodder. No feast for them." Cassian shrugged. "That's survival of the fittest." Natalie leaned close to his ear and murmured, "If I'd known there'd be a party tonight, we should've hit the water well earlier. Slip something in there before they cooked, and they'd all be on the ground by now." Cassian's voice was low. "No rush. There's another chance." "What chance?" she asked. "Magnus's birthday party." "Birthday party?" Natalie blinked. "How do you know when his birthday is?" "Yesterday, when I went to pick up food, one of the ladies told me." Natalie nodded.These past days she'd been cooking while Cassian went downstairs to collect the meals. The older women always lingered around him, eager to chat with a good-looking guy. "Did she say when the party is?" Natalie asked. "Nine days from now." "Are you sure?" "Yeah." Cassian frowned. "She kept complaining that with only ten days left, a lot of her homegrown vegetables won't be ready." Natalie tried not to laugh. She could picture him forcing himself to stand there and listen to the ladies' grumbling. Then she glanced at the table loaded with stews, fried meat, and roasts. "What vegetables? It's all meat."Cassian snorted. "Vegetables are too valuable. They won't waste them on the lower ranks." Just then, Magnus's voice boomed from the front. "Ms. Bonnie! Kash! Why are you sitting so far away? Come up here!" The two exchanged a quick look, then slowly moved forward. Magnus watched them walking side by side—handsome man, beautiful woman—and for some reason, the sight annoyed him. He narrowed his eyes, but his warmth quickly returned; he greeted them with enthusiasm. "I heard from Kelvin that the hero this time wasn't you two," Magnus said cheerfully. "It was Ms. Bonnie's dog?" He glanced down at Lucky, standing proudly by Natalie's side.Not bad, he thought. Strong body, sharp teeth, smart too. If only this dog belonged to him. Lucky turned her head away in disgust. Ugly monkey. Don't look at me. You stung my eyes! Natalie stepped in front of her dog. "You give her too much credit, Magnus. Lucky doesn't know anything. She was just protecting me." Magnus shifted his eyes back to her. "I also heard you killed Nigel Castillo's younger brother, Harding Castillo. That's what forced Nigel out of hiding, right?" "Nigel's brother?" Natalie shot a quick glance at Kelvin. What is this? Am I some kind of brother-killer now? Why was it always someone's little brother? Natalie tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I didn't know that guy was his brother. I didn't even know he was from Ironclaw Base." Magnus nodded. He had heard from Kelvin that Harding had suddenly rushed out of the crowd and attacked Bonnie. Curious, Magnus asked, "You got a grudge with Harding?" "Not really," Natalie replied. "We just had a small fight over supplies once." Magnus chuckled. "Then he was a fool, trying to mess with Ms. Bonnie. Died for nothing." He had heard the story—this stunning woman snapped Harding's neck with her bare hands. One move, and the man was gone. Magnus looked at Natalie with satisfaction. Only a strong woman like her was worthy of him.This woman and her dog—he would have them both. He smiled and waved her on. "Come on, eat. Why aren't you touching your food? Don't you like the taste?" Natalie glanced at the meat on the table. I don't have the stomach for whatever mystery meat you're serving. Out loud she said casually, "Thanks for the meal, Magnus, but I just killed someone. Kinda lost my appetite." Magnus laughed. "Fair enough. Then drink!" Natalie shifted her eyes to the bottles on the table. The liquor was homemade, reeking with a strange smell. "I'm allergic to alcohol," she said flatly. Magnus forced a smile and said embarrassingly, "My mistake. I didn't prepare well enough, leaving Ms. Bonnie here with an empty stomach." Natalie gave a polite reply. "No, Magnus. You're generous, giving your men so much good food. I'm just not able to enjoy it myself."