Cassian said calmly, "Don't worry. I'll just take the couch." Natalie raised a brow. "A guy who spent 80 million can't sleep on the couch." That was just too ridiculous. Cassian chuckled. "You really are the most practical woman I've ever met." Natalie rolled her eyes. "Then you should give up already." He shook his head. "No. That only makes me more determined." "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. "I have plenty of money. If you love money, doesn't that mean you love me?" Natalie stared at him. Unbelievable. This guy has no shame. No wonder the neighbors called him the flashy tycoon. The nickname fit him perfectly. She reminded him, "Money's worthless now." Cassian only smiled. "I've got plenty of supplies too." Natalie sighed. "You're showing off way too much. Aren't you worried someone will kidnap you for ransom?" "Kidnap me?" Cassian tilted his head. "You? Be my guest." Natalie was wordless. She realized her first impression of him had been way off. At first glance, he looked cold and untouchable, but deep down he was a fake gentleman.Too tired to argue, Natalie headed straight for the guest room. Cassian stood up to follow. "I'll help you." She stopped him quickly. "Nope. I'll do it myself." If he followed her into the room, how was she supposed to use her storage space? Cassian assumed she had private things to put away, so he didn't push. "Alright, go ahead. Leave the heavy lifting to me." Natalie nodded. She slipped into the guest room and locked the door behind her. The room already had a bed. She pulled out fresh bedding, then laid a few sets of clean clothes in the closet for him. To cover up her secret storage space, she stacked supplies in every corner of the room. After that, she went to another room and placed enough goods for them to last a month. She made sure everything came from a normal source. By the time she finished, it was late. Natalie came out and froze. Cassian was in the kitchen, busy cooking. She lifted a brow. She had left him with the TV—how did he end up at the stove? What kind of tenant is he? Spend 80 million on rent and cook dinner for the landlord. Cassian was chopping meat. There was a bowl of ready-mixed dough sitting on the counter. The pets crowded next to him inside the kitchen, lifting their heads curiously to watch him. Natalie leaned over to peek, and her eyes lit up. "You're making ... ?"Cassian smiled. "The gnocchi I promised you." Natalie's heart skipped. "You actually remembered?" Back at the base, she had praised his frozen gnocchi. Cassian promised he'd cook fresh ones for her someday. She didn't expect it to happen on his very first day of staying at her place. Cassian didn't answer. He dropped the chopped meat into a big bowl, then poured in other seasonings. Natalie stood at his side, watching carefully and trying to memorize every step. Cassian gave her an amused glance. "Think you can remember all that?" Natalie nodded. "I can." She knew how to cook. She just needed to remember what seasonings he used differently. But then she thought of something and sighed in defeat. "Even if I remember, it's useless. I once followed your burger recipe exactly. The recipe is correct, but the taste still wasn't the same." Cassian stirred the pot, lips curling. "Then don't bother learning. I'll just cook for you." Natalie pouted. "If I learn, it's a recipe I mastered. You can't cook for me forever." The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it. Lately Cassian had been overly sensitive. If he caught onto this, he'd surely say something sweet and corny. Sure enough, she looked up and saw him grinning wide, ready to speak. Natalie quickly covered his mouth. "Don't say a word! Just keep cooking!"Cassian held an innocent look. On the floor, Lucky let out a small whine. They'd been talking forever, and she hadn't smelled the aroma of food drifting out. She was getting impatient. Natalie pulled her hand back. "See? Lucky's hungry. Get moving!" Cassian chuckled. He carried the marinated meat and dough to the dining table, ready to cut the dough into pieces. Natalie sat beside him to help. By now the sky outside was dark. Natalie switched on the dining room light. The warm yellow glow fell over them. Cassian rolled out the dough while Natalie shaped it. Every now and then, she had to stop Lucky from sneaking raw gnocchi. Cash and Baron stayed put on a chair nearby, behaving themselves. Neither of them spoke. Cassian pressed another round of dough flat, then turned his head to glance at Natalie and the pets huddled around the table. He remembered how he used to fly his helicopter in circles above this very house, staring quietly at the windows glowing with light. Now he was sitting inside that same glow. He lifted his mouth, wishing time would slow down. He was secretly hoping that the rain outside would never end. Out in the hallway, voices echoed. "Dang it! When is this rain going to stop?" "Seriously, it's been pouring all afternoon! Enough already!"