"You know ... you don't have to be this formal with me." After all, they were together now. What was the point of keeping score? Cassian curved his lips. "Can't let myself live off my wife. If I do, she might run away." Natalie laughed and gave him a playful punch. "What a smooth talker." Then, she sniffed the air. "We're doing fondue tonight?" Cassian replied, "Mm. Roderick asked me to bring you some fresh vegetables." Natalie asked, "How's he been lately?" Cassian said, "Good. He spends every day experimenting with indoor planting." Natalie eyed the pile of greens. "Looks like he's had success." Cassian chuckled. "Perfect for fondue." Then, he added, "Water's already boiling, meat's sliced, and the vegetables will be ready in a minute. Go change and we'll eat." The heavy fondue addict lit up and dashed off to change clothes. When she came back out, Natalie turned the AC lower and sat at the table. The fondue was split—one side a buttery red broth, the other a clear mushroom base. She hummed a tune and swished a strip of lamb in the spicy side. Cassian mixed her dipping sauce. "You're in a good mood today?" Natalie took the sauce. "Mm." Cassian commented, "Looks like things went smoothly."Natalie nodded. "Smooth like butter!" It was more than smooth—her storage space had just leveled up a lot. Seeing her happy, Cassian's mood lifted. He was about to pull out the gift he'd prepared when his eyes caught on her wrist. "Nattie, did you switch bracelets?" "Huh?" She blinked, then realized—the one on her wrist had a deeper shade of green than before. She nodded. "Yeah. I got bored of the old one, so I changed it." Cassian's gaze slid to her neck. "And you're not wearing your necklace today?" She usually wore it every day. Natalie shifted, uneasy. "Mm. Got bored of that too." Cassian's lips tugged. "Perfect. Then here—this is for you." He handed over the box. Natalie blinked. "What is it?" Cassian simply said, "Open it." She set down her chopsticks, lifted the lid—inside lay a dazzling diamond necklace. The centerpiece was a one-hundred-carat, heart-shaped blue diamond. The chain glittered with flawless one-carat diamonds, the blue stone perched like a jewel cradled in snowflakes. Natalie's breath caught. It was stunning.She'd emptied every jewelry store in the city and still had never seen anything this beautiful. Cassian rose and walked over. "Try it on." As he clasped it around her neck, he explained, "This piece is called the Heart of Winter. I bought it at a jewelry expo years ago as an investment. It turns out it finally found its real owner." He stepped back, took her in. "It's beautiful." The necklace made her skin look even more flawless, her whole presence elegant and radiant. Natalie touched the chain at her throat, then stood in front of the mirror. Her eyes lit up. "This necklace is gorgeous." Heart of Winter. The name fit perfectly. From behind, Cassian slipped an arm around her waist. "As long as you like it. It suits you." It was the kind of piece that could easily outshine its wearer, turning anyone else into nothing more than its backdrop. But on Natalie, it only elevated her. She smiled, in high spirits, and accepted the gift without hesitation. "Thanks, boyfriend." Cassian smiled back. "Anytime, girlfriend." They returned to the table and kept dipping into the fondue. As Natalie swirled vegetables in the broth, she said casually, "This necklace doesn't look cheaper than that emerald one." Cassian laid two slices of lamb into her bowl. "It isn't."Curious, she asked, "Also 80 million?" Cassian replied, "It's about the same." She nodded, popped the lamb into her mouth—then he added, "This one's 180 million." Natalie nearly choked. "How much? "One hundred and eighty million?" Cassian nodded. "Yep." She stared at him, mouth twitching. Eighty million and one-eighty weren't "about the same." They were off by an entire hundred million! Her neck suddenly felt heavy. How many houses' worth was she hanging from her collarbone right now? She frowned slightly. "That's ... way too extravagant." Cassian shook his head. "Not extravagant." She shot back, "It's not?" He explained evenly, "Before the world fell apart, maybe it was worth something. But now? You can't eat it, can't drink it, and you couldn't trade it for a month of rations." After a pause, he added, "The only value it has is if it makes you happy wearing it." Natalie's face warmed. "You really have a way with words." Cassian pressed his lips together. "It's what I truly think." She studied him for a moment, then asked, "Why the gift out of nowhere? It's not a holiday or anything."His gaze lingered on her. "To make you smile."