Natalie's eyes lit up. "Yes!" She had plenty of good tea stored away, boxes of it she'd hauled back from Cassiland Base. But fine emeralds? Those were rare. She'd cleaned out every jewelry shop in town. Cassian nodded. "Good. Then, see you next time." Natalie smiled. "See you next time." With a small grin at the corner of his lips, Cassian walked away, his steps light. After he left, Natalie quickly took off the earrings and tucked them into her storage space. At once, the bracelet on her wrist changed. The transparent, crystal-like stone turned into something as clear as glass. Natalie stared at her bracelet in shock. How much of her storage space had just leveled up with such huge changes? She hurried out the door, left Maplecourt, and found a quiet empty spot to test it. This time, the distance she could use her storage space jumped from 160 feet to 215 feet! As expected, quality mattered more than quantity. She had taken in plenty of emeralds before, each giving her just a small boost. But this one had upgraded her space by a giant leap. She couldn't help but feel a rush of joy. Even thinking about the man who gave it to her put her in a good mood. A few days later, at the hillside villa. Roderick rushed into the villa.Inside, his boss was standing before a mirror, carefully fixing his appearance. Roderick held back from interrupting him and waited quietly from the side. Time passed, and Cassian still didn't turn around. He stayed focused on the mirror, adjusting his hair, his clothes, and even down to his fingernails. He was hell-bent on making sure every detail was flawless. Roderick's mouth twitched. His cool and refined boss had never been this flashy. Was falling in love making him act like someone else? Natalie wasn't the type of woman to judge a man by his looks. So why was his boss suddenly so obsessed with his appearance? When Cassian was finally ready to leave the house, Roderick finally found an opportunity to speak up. "Mr. Holland, the necklace you wanted—I found it." Cassian took the box, opened it, and checked carefully. After that, he slipped it into a bag. He grabbed his car keys, ready to go. "You're not taking the helicopter today?" Roderick asked, surprised. Cassian shook his head. "Too flashy. She doesn't like that." He looked down at the Hummer's car key in his hand. Cassian decided to change into a vehicle that Natalie was fond of. As he walked off, he suddenly remembered the Knight XV armored truck that had vanished along with the mall supplies. He smirked. No doubt that little fox had hidden it somewhere. He thought again. Besides the Knight XV, I remember I had bought another armored SUV?Cassian stopped and asked, "Where's the Overlord?" Roderick pondered a little and answered. "In the southern warehouse. Would you like me to bring it over?" Cassian paused, then shook his head. "Not yet." He climbed into his car and headed out in a hurry. Maplecourt, Building 6, 14th floor. Natalie opened the stairwell door. She was surprised when she saw the man standing there. "So soon? You couldn't stay home for long, could you?" Cassian pressed his lips together, blunt as ever. "There's no one I want to see at home." Natalie's cheeks burned. "Since when did you get so shameless?" Cassian replied smoothly, "A man who cares too much about his pride won't get a wife." Natalie had no words. Just as Natalie didn't know how to answer, Olivia's loud voice came from next door. "Well said! No woman can win against a persistent man!" Natalie almost choked on her spit. She steadied herself, ready to respond, when a sudden shout came from outside. "It's raining! It's raining!" "Oh my God! The apocalypse is finally over!" "Hurry, grab some buckets! We can finally drink all we want!" Rain?Natalie frowned, a knot of unease rising in her chest. She turned to Cassian. "Where did you park your car?" She hadn't heard the helicopter today, so she guessed he had driven. "In the underground garage," Cassian replied quickly, though he didn't understand why she asked. Natalie nodded. Good. At least it has a cover. But no—the world isn't going back to normal. Not yet. She remembered clearly. During the Great Heat, there had only been one rain. And it hadn't been normal rain. It had been acid rain. Outside, the noise grew louder. Neighbors pressed against their windows, staring at the drizzle falling from the sky. Then, with cheers, they rushed outside excitedly. The rain was light, but to people who had suffered from scorching heat and thirst for weeks, it felt like salvation. Even Olivia charged out from her house, holding two big basins. "Pause the romance!" she shouted thrillingly. "Come on, help me catch some water downstairs!" Natalie grabbed her arm. "Wait." Olivia blinked in confusion. "What's wrong?" She shifted anxiously. "The rain isn't heavy. It might stop any second. We need to hurry!" It was true—though they had stored water at home, supplies never lasted forever. Water was life. No one could ever have too much. Natalie understood Olivia's urgency. But she couldn't just blurt out the truth—that this rain would soon turn to acid.