Natalie asked in confusion, "What do you mean?" Cassian pressed his lips together. "I'm not the worst when it comes to being clueless around romance." Natalie blinked, confused. Not the worst? He had just brushed off a beautiful woman like it was nothing. Who could be more clueless than him? Cassian didn't explain. He just gave her a quiet look and kept walking. Natalie's attention drifted to those men rushing past. They were dragging women along, stumbling home like they couldn't wait another second. Some were already getting handsy right there on the street. She snorted. "It's blazing hot out here. They're not worry about passing out?" Honestly, those guys let their desire do all the thinking. Compared to them, Cassian seemed like he was on a whole other level. The two of them, with Lucky trotting at their side, soon made it back to the villa. After a day of fighting and traveling and then sitting through a victory party without touching a single bite, everyone was hungry. Cassian glanced at her. "Let's go to my place. I've got frozen gnocchi in the fridge." Natalie brightened. "Sounds good." Gnocchi cooked fast. In no time, dinner would be ready. Once inside, Lucky wiped her paws on the mat like she owned the place and hopped onto the couch. Natalie cleaned her hands with a disinfecting wipe and headed for the kitchen.But Cassian stopped her. "Take a break. I'll cook." She eyed his injured arm. Gnocchi didn't need much stirring anyway. She agreed easily and asked with interest, "What brand are they?" Cassian shook his head. "Not store-bought. I made them myself and froze a bunch." Back when he was stuck at home with nothing to do, he made a big batch of gnocchi to kill time. Natalie's eyes lit up. The last few days she had been the one cooking. Finally, she'd get to taste Chef Cassian's skills again. That tomato pasta he made before had been unforgettable. Cassian didn't try to hide anything. He opened the fridge and started looking for the gnocchi. Natalie glanced inside and saw it packed full of food. If this stash were out on the street, people would be fighting each other for it. She raised a brow. "Aren't you afraid I'll get greedy and rob you?" Cassian's lips curved. "If you want food, I'll make it for you. Why kill me over it?" Natalie thought about it. Fair point. She sat on the couch with Lucky, watching Cassian stand tall and focused at the stove. To anyone else, he looked like he was painting instead of cooking. He was too good-looking—just making dinner seemed like art. When he turned around with the plate, he saw Natalie and Lucky curled up together on the couch, both staring at him with the same wide-eyed look.He almost laughed. "What are you staring at?" Neither blinked. Same intense gaze. Natalie cleared her throat and looked away. The gnocchi was soon on the table, with a big bowl set aside just for Lucky. Steam rose from the beef-and-onion-filled gnocchi, paired with a crisp, refreshing salad. Natalie couldn't wait. She grabbed a fork and tasted one. The filling was rich, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes lit up. "Cassian, how did you season this? It's amazing! And these were frozen? I can't imagine how good the fresh ones must be." Cassian watched her eat with a smile. Hard to believe this cheerful foodie was the same woman once feared as a cold, deadly Medusa. She really did have a thousand faces. "I'll make them fresh for you next time," he said. Natalie nodded, stuffing another in her mouth. He was swept up by her excitement, and soon his own appetite kicked in. Cassian picked up his fork, and soon the two of them were eating side by side, fork after fork, until the gnocchi was gone. Even the salad was wiped clean. After eating her fill, Natalie thought back to what she had seen earlier that day at Ironclaw Base."Cassian, did you notice Kelvin's skills?" she asked. Cassian paused, then said, "He's no weaker than you." Natalie nodded seriously. "Exactly." In truth, he might even be stronger. Without her rifle and her Blink ability, she wasn't sure she could beat him at all. But Cassian looked relaxed. "Doesn't matter. Weren't you planning to outsmart him anyway?" The heavy mood broke. Natalie laughed. "You're right!" Strength didn't matter. Outsmarting him was enough. They talked a little longer before Natalie finally took Lucky upstairs to rest. The next morning, as soon as she got up, she heard a lot of noise downstairs. She pulled back the curtains and saw people moving luggage into the villa. It looked like the first floor was getting new tenants. Natalie didn't think much of it. Someone was bound to move in sooner or later. As long as it didn't affect her, it didn't matter who it was. After washing up and getting dressed, she found Lucky already waiting at the door, tongue out, eyes shining with excitement. Natalie couldn't help but laugh. Ever since they had started having meals with Cassian, Lucky had been eager to go downstairs every day. No more laziness. No more sleeping in.