And it wasn't just anyone, it was the Hollands. Lillian's gaze slowly shifted toward Theodore, the eldest son of the Mervyns. Now that things had gone off the rails, the Mervyns were her last hope. No one else had the guts to go up against the Hollands. And wasn't Theodore always at odds with Cassian? Seeing Cassian act so smug, shouldn't he be stepping in to take him down a notch? She stared at Theodore intently. Come on already! Stop stuffing your face with popcorn and do something! Theodore, sensitive as ever to being watched, felt the stare and turned his head—only to lock eyes with Lillian, who was looking at him like he was her last chance. He immediately got goosebumps. Lady, seriously? You're old enough to be someone's grandma. Your husband's literally standing right next to you, and you're ogling me like I'm some young stud here to rescue the day? Gross. Lillian blinked, thrown off by the look of pure disgust Theodore shot her way. What was that supposed to mean? But Theodore had already turned his gaze elsewhere. I mean, of course she's staring. I'm charming, gorgeous, totally irresistible. I'm used to it. He gave his signature blond hair a little shake. Being this good-looking was a full-time job. Then he looked around. Almost everyone was now kissing up to Cassian. He pouted slightly, annoyed. Tch. Boring. They all gave in so fast. Not a single one of them has any spine. He glanced at Cassian's shotgun and asked curiously, "You said the feral ... Natalie gave that to you? Where'd she even get a gun?" He had always assumed the gun Natalie used was one Cassian had given her. Never expected it to be the other way around. How could a girl who'd been kicked out of her own family have that much power? It wasn't just Theodore wondering, everyone else in the room was thinking the same thing. If they could figure out where she got a gun, maybe they could get some too. Didn't matter how much food it cost, they'd pay. The room went dead silent again, every person holding their breath, waiting for an answer. Cassian seemed amused. He smirked, then spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear, "She wiped out a base. Took the guns from the spoils." Theodore, who'd been slouched on the couch, immediately sat bolt upright. "What?" She wiped out a base?! Everyone else reacted even more dramatically. Jacob and his family, the ones with a history with Natalie, looked like their eyes were about to pop out of their heads. The hall was so quiet, you could hear every breath. Natalie ... took out an entire base? People were stunned, and before they could stop themselves, many turned to stare at Jacob. You kicked out a daughter like that and kept the whiny illegitimate one? One of the suck-ups, eager to score points with Cassian, immediately piled on, "Mr. Ashford, gotta say, your daughter really doesn't seem like she's yours." Way more guts than you ever had. Jacob was already stunned, and the comment made him even more uncomfortable. He forced out a dry laugh and tried to play it down, "Come on. Like she could take down a whole base by herself? She must've been using Mr. Holland's name to scare people."Cassian had come here for exactly this reason—to make a statement and put pressure on these people. So of course, he leaned into the moment. "She didn't use my name. Had nothing to do with me. We weren't even together back then. She did it all on her own." She did it herself? Jacob's jaw dropped. Everyone else looked equally shocked. They'd all assumed Natalie just latched onto a powerful man and found a protector, but now it turned out ... she and Cassian were both powerful. A force joining with another force. No, hold on. What if it wasn't Natalie clinging to Cassian, but Cassian who'd gone after her? Maybe he saw how capable she was and went chasing after her like a man desperate for talent. On the couch, Theodore was suddenly fidgeting, restless. If he'd known there was someone like that in the city, he would've made the trip down himself a lot more often! How the hell did Cassian get there first? He couldn't beat him in business, and now he was losing at romance too? Unacceptable. Theodore shoved the popcorn aside, he had no interest in watching the show anymore. His mind flashed to Raven's face—pretty, sure, but no matter how much he trained her, there was no way she could take down an armed base. Hell, he couldn't even do that. Maybe the simple answer was best—just go down there and steal Natalie for himself. Back in the hall, the silence after Cassian's statement had only grown heavier.Some people believed him. They mentally tagged Natalie as "dangerous" and made a note to stay far, far away. Others weren't convinced at all. They figured Cassian was just hyping up his girlfriend, making her sound more badass than she really was. She wiped out a base? Yeah, right. Lillian was firmly in the "not buying it" camp. She was convinced no one knew Scarlett and Natalie better than she did. Natalie had taken some boxing classes, sure, but Lillian could believe she could outfight Rosalie. But a full base, with guns and trained fighters? Come on. That was just too much. She was just a girl, not some kind of supernatural killing machine. Still, even if she didn't believe the story, Cassian's public and aggressive defense of Natalie made her tread more carefully. How the hell did that little brat manage to land someone like Cassian? Lillian bit back a curse full of regret. If she'd known the two of them were a couple, she never would've posted that notice on the gates of Villa One, and maybe by now, the plan to pool food and hire a hitman would've already been locked in.