Celina still had no idea where Theodore was. She sighed heavily. "I just wish I knew when Theo would come home." Then she turned on Dave with frustration. "And you—how could you not know where his base is? Now we can't even figure out where to start looking for him!" Dave shot her a look. "We'll talk about this at home." On the other side of the garden, the performance by the three little ones had just ended, marking the close of the wedding ceremony. Though the sequence of events had been unconventional, the happiness on the faces of the bride and groom was genuine. As Natalie had said, it was their wedding. As long as it meant something to them, that was all that mattered. When the ceremony was over, she cheerfully ushered everyone to the banquet tables. The guests ate heartily, laughing and chatting. Dominic and the three little ones nearly burst from overeating. In the three years since the apocalypse began, it was rare to see such warmth and ease. Ghania, flushed from the wine, sighed with a laugh. "I swear, I've never seen a wedding like this in my entire life." Olivia laughed beside her. "Right? Every part of it was a surprise." Nadia leaned toward Natalie. "How did you even come up with the idea of having a ceremony in your wedding dress? It's so unique." Natalie spread her hands. "Because I didn't have another dress for the reception." Everyone froze. They had all assumed she was just being playful. Beautiful people could make anything look fashionable, and Natalie, with her flair for individuality, had always seemed like the type to invent her own trends. They never expected such a simple reason. Nadia slapped her forehead. "Of course! What was I thinking? It's the apocalypse—where would you even find another fancy wedding dress these days?" She had momentarily forgotten that no matter how wealthy Cassian once was, in this world, just getting hold of a white dress was already a miracle. Before the world fell apart, Cassian and Natalie's wedding might have looked plain for a family of the Hollands' stature. Their wealth had once ranked among the nation's top tiers. But in the age of ruin, this was a lavish, once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Not another table in all of Northlorn could match it. Every dish was perfectly made, every bottle of wine a treasure. By the end, all ten guests were delightfully drunk—even Dominic staggered away, hiccupping from the alcohol. When the banquet finally ended and the guests drifted off, only the slightly tipsy newlyweds remained, leaning into each other on the couch. Natalie let out a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm actually married." They had already shared everything a couple could, yet marriage still felt entirely different from love. Cassian mimicked her tone. "And I finally got my wife." She turned toward him sharply. "I wonder who you were married to in your last life." "I was single," he said without hesitation. "Liar," Natalie muttered. "You're all sweet talk and smooth tongue." Cassian only smiled.If it were that easy for him to marry anyone, he wouldn't have gone his whole life before falling in love for the first time. In any lifetime, Cassian was still Cassian—his nature and choices never changed. After a few moments of teasing and quiet laughter, Natalie stood and went to the entryway to unwrap the wedding gifts. She had told everyone repeatedly that in the apocalypse there was no such thing as "wedding money." They were only invited to witness the moment, not to bring anything. But they had all shown up with gifts anyway. After much back-and-forth, Olivia had finally insisted, "If you don't take them, we'll feel too awkward to eat." So Natalie had accepted them with a helpless laugh. Of course, she didn't take without giving back. Along with the feast, Cassian sent each guest home with a fine bottle of wine as a return gift. In her excitement, Natalie even declared that if any of them ever ran into danger, they could come to her for help. Everyone was delighted—except Bruno, who sat apart, silent and hollow-eyed. After all, Natalie was the woman who had single-handedly taken down a gang of five hundred armed men. Having her owe you a favor was a big deal. Even Dave stood and toasted the couple with a grin. Cassian took the drink, hiding a smile. If only Dave knew that the biggest thing his little bride excelled at was talking big and breaking promises. Natalie, meanwhile, was cheerfully unpacking the gifts and storing them in her personal space. Every present had been chosen with care—practical, thoughtful, or sentimental. Even Iris, who didn't know her well, had clearly put effort into hers. By the next morning, the fog had finally lifted. After saying their goodbyes to Olivia and the others, Natalie and Cassian handed a few matters over to Roderick, then set off with the three little ones. Lucky was so large that if Cassian's helicopter hadn't been the fifteen-passenger AW139, there was no way it could have fit aboard. Roderick craned his neck as the helicopter rose into the bright sky, its blades slicing through the air. He couldn't help but sigh.