Amber cried out in pain. "Ouch!" Magnus loosened his grip and looked down at her tear-streaked face. Then he asked, "Amber, between me and Kash, who's more attractive?" Amber rolled her eyes inwardly. Is that even a question? One man stood well over six feet, broad-shouldered and handsome. The other wasn't even five-seven, dark-skinned, with a narrow face and pointy features. There was no contest at all. But of course, she would never say that out loud. She put on a sweet, fragile voice and said, "Of course it's you! You're the leader of Cassiland Base. You command so many strong fighters. How could Kash compare to you?" Magnus grinned with satisfaction. Yes—Kash is nothing more than a pretty boy. What could he possibly offer in comparison? Sure, Kash have some supplies, but compare to the stockpiles of a whole base, it's barely a drop in the bucket. Puffed up with pride, Magnus thought it was time to show Bonnie what kind of wealth and power he really had. With his resources, there wasn't a woman alive he couldn't win over. He ordered Amber, "When you get back, bring Bonnie to me." Amber nodded and started to leave, but Magnus suddenly yanked her back. "No rush. Keep me company for a while."Amber froze, cursing him in her head, but on her face she forced a shy smile and leaned closer to him. After walking Lucky, Natalie returned to the villa and went straight to the second floor to train. In a few days, Magnus's birthday party would take place. Once she and Cassian finished their mission, they would leave this place. She wasn't sure if she'd ever see him again, so she cherished every chance to learn from him. Natalie had solid basics, but her moves were too scattered. With Cassian's guidance, she made rapid progress. If his arms weren't still injured, she would've challenged him to another spar. She was drenched in sweat when someone knocked on the door. She opened it, and once again, it was Amber. Her clothes were a mess, her forehead damp with sweat even more than Natalie's, her makeup smudged, and her lipstick smeared. The hem of her skirt was torn, like it had been pulled on. Amber opened her mouth to speak but stopped short when she saw Natalie also sweaty and out of breath. A sly smile tugged at her lips. "So ... what were you two doing in here?" Natalie was about to answer, but Cassian stepped in, frowning. "What do you want?" Amber already feared this cold, sharp man. Seeing his annoyed look, she quickly said the real reason she came. "Bonnie, Magnus wants to see you. He said to come right away." She passed on the message, then walked off without waiting for a response. Natalie noticed her rubbing her lower back, her walk a little off. She raised a brow, suspicious. She hadn't done it herself, but she'd seen the signs before. Back in college, one of her roommates would return from dates looking just like Amber had—only not nearly as wild. What Amber had been up to in Magnus's villa was obvious. As soon as the door closed, Cassian frowned. "Magnus is up to no good." Natalie shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He can't beat me." It wasn't easy to get inside his villa, and she wasn't about to waste the chance. Cassian was still frowning. She added, "Just think about the way Amber looked just now. That means it's perfectly safe for me to go there. Magnus is probably too worn out to try anything else." Natalie handed Lucky over to Cassian and headed out. When she reached the iron gate again, this time the guards didn't stop her. They opened the gate right away, their tone far more polite than before. "Ms. Bonnie, please come in." She nodded, then pointed to the villa in the center. "That one, right?" She remembered seeing Amber walk into that house earlier. When both guards nodded, Natalie walked straight over. The front door wasn't locked. She pushed it open and stepped inside. The spacious living room was empty, its only occupants plush couchs and a glittering crystal chandelier. Truly worthy of belonging to the leader of the base. Of course Magnus's villa looked better than hers. It was still nothing compared to the villa on the hillside, but in this neighborhood, it was the best house around. Natalie glanced around and called out, "Magnus?""Ms. Bonnie, you're here?" Magnus appeared on the staircase, wearing a silk robe and carrying two glasses of red wine. He came down slowly, smiling as he handed one to her. "Try this. The guys brought it back from a vineyard. It's a fine bottle." Natalie had her own stash of good wine. She wasn't about to drink anything from him. Who knew what he might have slipped into it? She didn't even reach for the glass. "Sorry, Magnus. You must've forgotten—I'm allergic to alcohol." He set the glass down on the coffee table right away. "Oh, my mistake. Can't believe I forgot you can't drink." With an apologetic smile, he turned toward the kitchen. "Wait here a moment. I'll get you some juice instead."