If she really let them move into the 14th floor, there would be no way to sort out who owned what supplies. Over time, it'd be all too easy for them to just take over the place for themselves. Natalie had seen way too many cases like this in her previous life. Olivia felt the same. She explained, "I would never let them into the 14th floor. I only gave them the key to Unit 1301, so at least they have a place to stay. "Daniel treated me well when he was alive. For his sake, I couldn't just watch his family die homeless on the streets. That's why I packed up two boxes of crackers and a box of water for them. "If they ration what I gave them, that'll last them a month." Natalie nodded. If it were her, she would have done the same. A month's worth of food gave them a chance to get settled. After that, they'd have to figure things out on their own. In a world like this, nobody could count on being taken care of forever. Besides, Brandon was about the same age as Natalie. If Dorothy needed to rely on someone, it should be her own son, not Olivia. There was no reason for her to keep burdening Olivia. Olivia went on, "But to my surprise, it only took them 5 days to burn through all the food and water I gave them. Then they came back asking for more. I gave them a reminder and a little extra food, but before long, she showed up again, asking for more!" Olivia could see it clearly now—Dorothy and Brandon were a bottomless pit of greed. In the apocalypse, every crumb of food and every drop of water was precious. But by Olivia's account, Dorothy actually used drinking water to soak Brandon's feet. "The worst part is, she actually ... she actually ... " Olivia faltered, unable to bring herself to say it.Natalie looked at her. "What happened?" Olivia clenched her teeth. "She said I should have a child with Brandon so the Huxleys could carry on their family line!" Natalie's eyes widened. "What?" Now she was truly stunned. It was the end of the world. Medicine and doctors were scarce, and pregnancy could easily be fatal. Even if things were normal, how could Olivia possibly have a child with her own brother-in-law? That was just completely against all moral boundaries. Natalie asked, "So what are you planning to do?" Olivia seemed to have already made up her mind. "I told Dorothy straight up that I wouldn't be giving them anything else. That's why she's been shouting at me around the building and in the halls every day lately." Natalie nodded. Olivia looked at her. "Nat, sorry for dragging you and Lucky into this today. If she says anything nasty to you, you don't have to hold back on my account. Just do whatever you need to put her in her place." She paused, then added, "But please, try not to hurt her. She's still Daniel's family, after all." Natalie nodded, fully understanding what Olivia meant. Olivia's point was clear. Life in the apocalypse was hard enough. There were a million ways to die, but Olivia absolutely could not let her mother-in-law die by her hands. The two of them chatted a while longer, until Natalie suddenly heard a banging noise coming from the spare bedroom. Natalie asked, "What's going on in there?"Olivia replied, "Oh no! I was so caught up in talking to you that I almost forgot about Cash!" With that, she rushed over to open the door. That's when Natalie remembered, Oh right, I haven't brought Cash home yet! So the banging on the door was coming from Cash? As soon as Olivia opened the door, a blur of color shot out and raced straight to Natalie. Natalie stared, surprised. Is this really Cash? When she'd left, Cash hadn't fully grown into a rooster yet. He was still a mix of down and feathers, looking awkward and half-grown. But now, he was a fully grown rooster. His feathers were glossy and beautiful, and even his tail and wings looked more magnificent than those of most roosters. At first glance, he almost looked like one of those phoenixes in fairy tales. Of course, he wasn't quite as dazzling as a real phoenix, but he definitely seemed like something between a rooster and a phoenix. Seeing the stunned look on Natalie's face, Olivia grinned. "Surprised, aren't you? I was, too. He's growing much faster than my hens. And he's smart, too—it's almost like he can understand what people are saying." Cash was already fluttering his wings and hopping onto Natalie's lap. Natalie scooped him up, watching as he burrowed his head into her arms, almost like he was being affectionate. His beady little eyes darted around, full of life. Olivia watched in amazement. "Hey, look at that—he actually recognizes you as his owner!"She went on, "He's never like that with me. He's always strutting around with his head held high, acting all proud. He only comes near me when it's time to eat ... Otherwise, he ignores me." Natalie took in the beautiful, clever rooster and found herself marveling again at just how amazing the spring water from her storage space was. She hadn't expected Cash to keep growing so well, even without drinking the spring water for a while. I'll make sure to give Lucky and Cash the spring water regularly from now on. After chatting with Olivia for a bit longer, Natalie took Cash home. As soon as they stepped inside, the feud between Cash and Lucky was back on. Cash puffed up his chest while Lucky bared her teeth, and the tension in the air was thick. Natalie didn't have the energy to deal with them. After running around all night, she still hadn't eaten. She went to the kitchen and whipped up a simple beef burger for herself.