Natalie snapped back to herself. Right—she was here to collect everything. She rubbed her hands together, staring at the endless piles of goods, suddenly not sure where to start. So this is what it feels like to marry into wealth. Too many riches, too many choices. There were so many categories that if she just dumped everything randomly into her storage space, she wouldn't even know what she had later, much less where to find anything. After thinking it through, she decided to collect things row by row from south to north, keeping them in their original order. Inside her storage space, she placed each type under its proper category, matching them with the items already there. By the time she finished packing up and was ready to leave, Cassian said, "There's more." More? Natalie looked around the now-empty cavern. Every last thing—including Cassian's antique collection—was gone, tucked neatly into her storage space. Only a few feathers from Cash's earlier commotion lay on the ground. "What more?" she asked. Cassian led her toward the entrance. Before stepping out, he stopped, reached into a recess beside the door, and gave it a hard pull. A low rumble shook the walls as the northern side of the cave slowly opened. So there was another hidden chamber. Natalie hurried toward it. Inside, lined up in perfect rows, were massive oil tanks stretching as far as she could see. "Is this fuel?" Cassian nodded. "All the fuel in the northern region. Everything not requisitioned by the authorities is stored here."Natalie's eyes widened. "Right—I almost forgot you had fuel too." "It was too dangerous to keep with everything else," Cassian explained. "So I stored it separately." Natalie nodded. She remembered the time she'd dug up oil tanks from an abandoned gas station on the outskirts—and ran into Cassian's fuel-recovery team. She'd been thrilled then, hauling off a dozen tanks and hundreds of tons of oil, thinking it would last her a lifetime. Cassian, as it turned out, had gone far beyond that. He had stripped every district, urban and rural alike, until the entire northern region was dry. As if reading her thoughts, Cassian said calmly, "It wasn't greed. It was about control." Natalie nodded again. "I get it." If he hadn't monopolized the fuel supply, the officials would never have treated him so carefully, or allowed him to carve out an autonomous zone within their base. Otherwise, he would have ended up like the Mervyns—guarding his hoard until someone stronger took it away. Without allies, even the largest stockpile meant nothing. She had to admit, Cassian's strategic thinking was sharp. Looking out at the endless rows of fuel tanks, she sighed. "Didn't think you'd stash so much behind their backs." Cassian smiled faintly. "You can't put all your eggs in one basket." If the officials ever went back on their word or turned on him, he needed leverage to survive. With these supplies and this fuel, he could live comfortably anywhere. Handing everything over to someone stronger and praying for protection was something only the weak would do. Natalie shook her head in admiration. "You really do make backup plans wherever you go." Then, tilting her head at him, she teased, "And yet when it comes to love, you leave yourself no way out? Or is there one I don't know about?" Cassian laughed and tapped her lightly on the head. "What's going on in that mind of yours?" She clutched her head, pretending to wince. "See? You hit me! Must mean you do have an escape plan." He laughed for a moment, then said seriously, "With you, I don't need one." Natalie raised a brow. "That confident?" He nodded. "I'm going for moral leverage." "Huh?" She blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?" Cassian spread his hands. "I've given you everything—no backup, no retreat. If you've got even a shred of conscience, you'll never abandon me." Natalie grinned. "And if I don't?" He leaned back, looking completely shameless. "Then so be it. Let me starve." Natalie burst out laughing at the sight of the mighty executive playing the rogue. As she began collecting the fuel tanks, she said, "In that case, this stash of yours feels like a pretty hot potato." Cassian's lips curved. "Hot? You don't look like someone who's hesitate to take it." She snorted. "Why leave it behind if it's free?" Cassian chuckled softly. "As long as you're happy." He stood quietly nearby, watching as Natalie moved from east to west, storing each tank one by one. Beside them, Lucky tilted her head, watching the pair with suspicion. There it was again—that strange pink haze between them.Harold called it flirting in public. Lucky had no idea what that had to do with anything, but right now, she really felt like finding a snack and chewing on it just to cope.