Cassian couldn't hold back a laugh. "I don't see anything wrong with what they said." He paused, then added, "Oh wait, except I'm not flashy." Natalie was mad. "Is that the point here?" She was supposed to be the cold, heartless psycho—definitely not some fragile, helpless girl clinging to a dominant CEO's arm. The pervert reputation she'd built in the neighborhood was slipping, thanks to him. Now she was starting to look like the heroine of a cheesy romance drama. Cassian leaned closer, his tall frame blocking her in. "Nattie, don't be mad. They weren't entirely wrong." He lowered his head, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite name. His voice softened as he whispered, "Because right now, I'm definitely a little crazy." He spoke so gently that she could feel his breath brush across her lips. Natalie's lashes trembled as she stared at his face inches away from her. Unable to stop herself, she asked, "Crazy how?" Cassian's gaze locked on hers. "Crazy in every way." The air seemed to grow hotter between them. For a long time, neither moved. Then Natalie blinked, like she'd woken from a dream, and gasped for air. She quickly stepped back. "Just go home! Don't come here again." Cassian noticed the flush on her cheeks. Instead of leaving, he stepped forward, cornering her against the wall. Natalie's sense of safety vanished. She shoved at him, but he was heavy as a mountain; he wouldn't budge.They stood locked in place until Cassian chuckled, his voice low and coaxing. "Nattie, I'm thirsty. Let me come in for a cup of tea." Natalie crossed her arms and teased, "Tea leaves are worth a fortune now. You think I'll just let you have that for free?" Cassian smirked. "Not for free. I'll pay." She scoffed. "Your money's worthless in the apocalypse. My tea's worth more than gold." "I'll trade you something else," Cassian said. "Doesn't matter what you offer. It won't work," Natalie replied firmly. Cassian lowered his head, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small, polished jewelry box. He held it out. "Take a look. See if you like it." Natalie froze when she saw the little square box in his hand. Wait a second—is that a ring box? What on earth is he trying to do?! She instantly stepped back again. Is he crazy? Is this guy actually proposing to me? Cassian noticed her reaction and almost burst out laughing. "Aren't you going to open it?" Natalie waved her hands fast. "No! I don't want to see it!" Since she kept backing away, Cassian sighed and opened the box himself. Inside was a pair of emerald earrings, each about half an inch wide. Natalie let out a huge sigh of relief. That box looked far too much like a ring box—almost gave her a heart attack!Still, she couldn't help but check the earrings. They were real emeralds, no doubt about it. Not huge, but the color was striking, a rare deep green. With a shade that pure, they had to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. If she used them to upgrade her storage space, she'd hit the jackpot. Natalie's face lit up as she grabbed the jewelry box with both hands. "Come in and have some tea!" she said quickly. An emerald that fine could buy any kind of tea—she'd gladly serve him a pot. Cassian saw how happy she was and couldn't help but smile. I had chosen well. It was worth searching through several warehouses to find this piece. The corner of his mouth curved up. She really is a little money-grubber. Luckily, I have plenty. Natalie led him inside but warned him as she walked, "Tea only. Don't get too close. Or I'll break your arm." Cassian chuckled, his chest shaking with laughter. "Alright." The pets already knew him well. Lucky padded over, wagging her tail, Baron hopped close, and Cash strutted in proudly, all welcoming him. Cassian sat down on the couch like he belonged there and watched Natalie brew the tea. The living room grew quiet. Natalie felt his eyes on her and quickly searched for something to say."How much do you think this emerald set is worth?" she asked, holding up the earrings. "Five million," Cassian answered honestly. Natalie froze. "How much?" "Five million." "Five million," he repeated. Her mind went blank. She had underestimated the value; she thought it was worth six digits at most, but it turned out to be seven. A tiny pair of earrings worth that much? The quality had to be flawless. Of course. The best jewelry always sat hidden in the private collections of the rich. She pressed her lips together, said nothing more, and set the steaming pot of tea on the table. Then she quietly put on the earrings. Before she upgraded her storage with the emerald, she was going to enjoy them herself. Wearing a pair of jewelry that cost as much as a house on her ears, her mood couldn't stay low. She sipped her tea and chatted with Cassian cheerfully. For a gift worth five million, she was even willing to sit and talk with him for an hour. And when he finally stood to leave, she packed up some tea leaves for him to take home. Cassian held the packet as he rose, his eyes thoughtful. He had seen this before. Wasn't this the same premium tea he'd bought at a high-end auction two years back? He had left it in his top-floor office. Cassian smirked at this. "The tea is excellent," he said to Natalie. "If you have more of this, I can keep trading emeralds for it."