No matter how fierce the wind or heavy the snow, Cassian felt that as long as Natalie was by his side, everything would be fine. Natalie looked up and pretended to be confused. "Honeymoon?" Cassian stared at her for a few seconds. "You're not backing out now, are you? Because it's way too late for that." Natalie met his eyes and smiled. "I'd never back out." A small grin tugged at his lips. "Good." She pressed a hand against his chest, teasing, "I just love seeing you look nervous like that." Cassian stared at her for a moment, then stood up and pulled the curtains shut again. Natalie's instincts screamed uh-oh. She jumped to her feet. "Hey, it's early morning, don't you dare ... " Before she could finish, Cassian grabbed her and pulled her back onto the bed. "Changed your mind so soon?" He leaned down, his lips brushing close to hers. "Because I like this side of you, too." Natalie's cheeks burned. "You're ridiculous! Get off me! I'm starving, I need breakfast!" Cassian smirked. "Don't worry, you won't stay hungry for long." Natalie was dumbfounded. And just like that, their wedding—originally planned for next month—got moved up early. While the fog still hung over the hills, everyone gathered again at Villa 1 to witness one of the most unusual weddings ever held in the apocalypse.Natalie had always loved traditional ceremonies, so she insisted on keeping things that way. But since their storage space didn't have any fancy wedding decorations, only a gown she'd grabbed from a boutique before everything fell apart, she decided to wear that instead. It wasn't perfect, but she didn't mind. She got to have her traditional ceremony and wear a real wedding dress—good enough for her. They hadn't hired any event planners either. She and Cassian decorated the villa themselves, piece by piece. It wasn't glamorous, but it was cozy and warm—just like them. Their little reception only had one table of guests. Luckily, the couple were both great cooks, and they'd stocked plenty of dishes in their storage space. When they reheated them, they still tasted as fresh as if they'd just been cooked. The plan was simple. A short ceremony followed by a small party. No long speeches, no complicated traditions. On the big day, Olivia, Harold, and Roderick's family arrived early—but found the place already spotless and fully prepared. No cooking, no decorating. All they had to do was sit back and enjoy. Since there was still time before the ceremony began, everyone gathered in the living room to chat. After a while, Olivia glanced at Natalie—barefaced, in a comfy home outfit, totally calm—and gasped. "Nat, it's almost time! Are you seriously getting married like this?" "Huh?" Natalie blinked. "Is there supposed to be something else? It's my first wedding, you know. I've got no experience." Cassian cleared his throat. "Planning on a second one, then?" Natalie grinned. "Maybe."He gave her a side look. "Fine by me. As long as I'm the groom, you can get married 100 times." But if it wasn't me ... His eyes narrowed slightly at the thought. Natalie caught the look and shot one right back. Harold groaned. "Can you two not flirt every two seconds? Some of us are still single, you know! Have mercy!" Flirting? Lucky, who'd been lying nearby, perked her ears and strutted over proudly like she wanted in on the attention. What are you guys even talking about? Why's nobody including me? Lucky had been dressed up specially for the occasion—in a pink-purple "princess dress" Natalie had sewn from an oversized women's outfit. The result was an odd mix of cute, fashionable, and absolutely hilarious. Everyone burst into laughter watching her prance around in her little dress. Olivia, realizing the conversation had gone off track, quickly pulled it back. "No, I didn't mean the ceremony steps! I mean—aren't you going to get ready? You're the bride!" She pointed toward Roderick, who was fiddling with a phone camera. "You even asked him to record it! You're just gonna let him film you like this?" Roderick looked up and nodded. "Yeah, come on! Even a natural beauty should still look the part." He waved the phone he'd been using as a camera. "This is your big day, you know!" It was Natalie's own phone—not professional gear, but during the apocalypse, it was a miracle it even worked. And it was the latest model, with a camera that could rival a pro setup. Still, if she wanted to capture her most beautiful moment ... she should probably put in a little effort.Natalie nodded. "Don't worry. I've got the dress ready—I'll change right before the ceremony." Nadia jumped in. "What about makeup? You're gonna do that too, right?" "Of course," Natalie said with a grin. She didn't wear makeup often, but this was her only wedding. She was definitely going to look her best.