Jacob was so mad his teeth almost cracked under the pressure. "Fine! You win! Forget the gold and the collectibles. I don't care anymore. Just give me back the supplies!" He had no way to back out now. "Nat, we're still family. I've spoiled you for 22 years. Are you truly gonna watch me starve? Even if I tossed you out, I never wanted you dead!" When he kicked Natalie out, he hadn't cut her allowance. To him, that meant the ties weren't fully severed. But she just stared back with no expression. "Who said you didn't?" Her words threw Jacob off. Cassian's eyes flicked toward Natalie, his face serious. The tension stretched for a few seconds before Natalie finally snapped, "I didn't take your stuff. Leave now." She spun on her heel and went back inside. Cassian gave Jacob one last look, shut the gate, and followed her in. "Mr. Holland!" Jacob shouted through the gate. "Natalie couldn't have hauled off all my supplies alone. You helped her, didn't you?" When Cassian turned around, Jacob paused. "I'm not here to fight. Just give me my things back." He tried again, this time mixing begging with warning. "Nat is just pissed off right now, but we're still father and daughter. She won't stay angry forever." Cassian said nothing, so Jacob rambled on. "Once we make up, you'll be my son-in-law. We'll all be family. Why make this ugly—" Cassian cut him off. "I never touched your supplies." He meant it—he hadn't been part of it.Jacob didn't buy it. "No way!" Cassian's face stayed blank. "I didn't." Then, as if a thought had just struck him, a mischievous glint flashed in Cassian's eyes. "Mr. Ashford, rather than running after thieves outside, maybe you should check if there's a traitor inside." Without another word, he turned away and shut the door. Jacob stood there, stunned. What was that supposed to mean? He smacked his lips. Cassian didn't look like he was lying. Maybe it truly wasn't them. Jacob started thinking about the weird things happening at home. Indeed, it would've been hard for strangers to pull it off. The locks in the villa were top-notch. There was no possibly way anyone could sneak in without breaking them. But what if someone inside drugged him, opened the door, and let thieves walk right in? The idea hit Jacob like a thunderbolt. He slapped his forehead and stormed off toward home furiously. He didn't care about his aching body and never noticed a shadow following behind. Each stomp back sent pain twisting through his gut. "That ungrateful brat! How much force did she use? That kick could've caused internal injuries!" Still, the pain wasn't the worst part. He hadn't eaten since morning, and running around under the blazing sun left him starving.It was the first time since he met Scarlett that he felt what real hunger was. Back when he was a kid, his family was dirt poor, and he rarely had a full stomach. But after more than 20 years of easy living, he couldn't stand the hunger anymore. So, even while complaining, he sped up, wishing he could just blink and be home. But just before he reached it, a low growl rumbled from behind him. Startled, he jolted and instinctively looked back, only to see a hefty white figure panting and charging straight at him. Whose pig got loose? Jacob squinted. Nope, that wasn't a pig. It was a massive, mean-looking dog! Panic hit him like a wave. He spun to run, but the big white dog was already close! Drool was spilling from its mouth. His eyes darted around for a weapon, but the street was bare and empty. The dog lunged, and Jacob's heart jumped. He stumbled backward to run, but the road was chewed up by acid rain, full of holes. He caught his foot on the first step and went tumbling forward. The next moment, the dog clamped down on his right leg. "Aaaahhh!" Jacob shrieked in agony. "Help! Somebody! This dog is trying to kill me!" He flailed his arms and kicked wildly with his free leg, desperate to pull his right one free. But the dog was too strong, and his struggle was useless. It ripped a piece of flesh straight from his leg. His thrashing only made it madder. It let go of his calf and sank its teeth straight into his knee. Jacob heard the crack of his kneecap."Ahhh—" His body convulsed. The pain was so intense that his vision started to fade.