Cassian, who hadn't said much, suddenly spoke up, "It's good to be smart. I like clever kids." Lottie's eyes sparkled. "Really?" He nodded. After that, the usually quiet Cassian turned surprisingly chatty and talked with Lottie for a long time. She was thrilled, tilting her head and answering every question with excitement. Natalie watched with interest, then leaned toward Olivia. "Lottie seems way more outgoing than before, huh?" Olivia chuckled. "Exactly! She's been way more talkative lately, and she's gotten bolder too." Natalie agreed. "She knows so much. I don't even get half of what Cassian's saying. Are all elementary kids this sharp now?" Without thinking, Olivia said, "When the apocalypse hit, she was only in first grade. How much could she have learned ... " She suddenly stopped, realizing what she'd said. Her eyes darted to the little girl still chatting. Over there, Lottie and Cassian had already shifted to the apocalypse. "I've never seen heat like this," he said. "It rains nonstop, but the temperature barely drops. It doesn't add up." Lottie chimed in, "Yeah, the acid rain just showed up outta nowhere. Feels like sulfuric acid." Olivia asked curiously, "You know sulfuric acid?" Lottie shrugged like it was nothing. "It's just a strong acid!"Then, like she suddenly recalled something, she curled into Olivia's arms, trying to act cute. "Didn't you tell me about that before?" Olivia was baffled. "I did?" She couldn't remember ever explaining it to Lottie. "I don't think I said anything like that." Lottie muttered, "Maybe the last Mom told me." Olivia frowned a little. Isn't she always mixing up her mom? Before Olivia could process it, Lottie wriggled free and skipped back over to Cassian, starting up the conversation again. Natalie smirked. Now she was certain. This little girl wasn't just strange. She was definitely plotting something. Natalie glanced at Olivia, then tried sliding into the talk. But each time, Lottie brushed her off and steered things elsewhere. Olivia sat watching, her frown deepening. She glanced at Cassian and Lottie, who were chatting, then at Natalie, sitting off to the side. The whole thing felt off. So, she called, "Lottie, come back and sit with me." Lottie pouted. "But Mom, I wanna sit by Cass!" Olivia's patience was wearing thin, but Natalie grabbed her arm. "Olivia, I think Lottie likes us. Why don't you let me raise her?" "What?"Olivia was stunned. Natalie hated hassle and didn't even want kids of her own. Why would she offer to raise someone else's? Before Olivia could even react, Lottie, who'd been ignoring Natalie, suddenly perked up. "Really?" Natalie smiled. "Yeah. I think Cassian also likes you. Want to come live with us?" Lottie lit up, unable to hide her excitement. "I do!" Olivia was completely baffled. Once she realized what was happening, her chest ached a little. The girl she'd poured her heart into adopting wanted to leave her that easily. Natalie caught Olivia's expression and flicked a look at Cassian. He was something else. With just a few words, Lottie was already hooked. Cassian raised an eyebrow at her. If he wanted someone to slip, he had to let her get cocky first. Lottie was practically glowing, ready to agree. But when she caught Olivia's unhappy face, reality hit. She only had a place here because of Olivia. People treated her well because of Olivia. She knew that very well. So, she quickly shifted gears. "Natalie, I can't leave Mom. I gotta stay with her. How about I come over to your place a few days a week?" Natalie smirked. It was Lottie's wishful thinking to keep both sides happy. "Sure."She mostly wanted Olivia to notice how off Lottie was. Now that her goal was achieved, she let it drop. She left Lottie chatting away with Cassian, while Olivia sat there lost in thought. Natalie tried to cut in a few more times. But aside from the adoption thing, Lottie ignored her completely. She leaned closer to Olivia, her voice tinged with amusement. "Olivia, looks like Lottie doesn't like me." Olivia wanted to deny it, but seeing how lively Lottie was with the others, she couldn't. Her frown deepened, voice low. "Nat, I feel like there's something strange about this kid." Natalie glanced at her. "What do you mean?" Olivia said, "I don't know how to describe it ... " Right then, a laugh burst out. "Hehe, Cass, you're awesome!"