Roderick had grown up an orphan, so now having a home with a kind wife and sweet little boy meant everything to him. He would never let them step anywhere near danger. Seeing Nadia hesitating to say more, he leaned in and whispered, "Don't forget that Mr. Holland has weapons." He even made a little gun gesture with his hand. Nadia nodded at last. "Just be careful, okay? Dominic and I will be waiting at home." "Got it!" The next morning, Maplecourt. Natalie was up early as usual. After finishing her morning Pilates and breakfast, she got ready to head out. Lucky saw Natalie moving around and sprang up from her bed instantly. "Ow, ow, ow!"What the heck, human? You go out every day to have fun without me? She stretched her neck, whining and pawing at Natalie's leg, refusing to let her leave. She tried to calm Lucky down. "Be good. Wait at home, okay? I'll be back soon." But Lucky didn't want to stay at home anymore. "Ow, ow, ow! Ow, ow, ow!" Her chubby face scrunched up, letting out a pitiful cry as if she had been horribly wronged. Natalie sighed. "It's dangerous out there. Stay home. I'll bring you something yummy when I return." But Lucky planted herself by the door, chest out, not moving an inch. She whimpered pitifully, looking pathetic. Natalie thought for a moment and decided to take it along. Lucky hadn't been outside for a long time. She must feel suffocating. But she'd gotten so big that Natalie couldn't shove her dog in her backpack anymore. So, she clipped on a leash and gave Lucky a serious talk. "Stay close to me. Don't wander off. Got it?" Lucky blinked, letting Natalie leash her without protest. Harold and Olivia couldn't resist giving her head some love when they saw Lucky. Olivia, especially, smothered Lucky's round face with kisses. Lucky lifted her head with a huff, turning away in disgust. Girl, we're both ladies—show some respect! Olivia laughed. "Natalie, is your dog giving me attitude?" Natalie chuckled. "It's normal. Lucky has a short fuse. She's been scolding me all morning at home."People said dogs reflected their owners. But honestly, Natalie thought Lucky's temper was worse than hers. If Lucky didn't get her way, she'd twist her mouth and bark nonstop. It was fine if she barked, but her voice was loud as hell, like a street-corner shrew. ... The three of them, along with Lucky, climbed into an inflatable rescue boat, towing a kayak loaded with over 100 pounds of crocodile meat behind them. The boat zipped forward, wind whipping across their faces. Lucky hadn't been outside for a long time, so she was loving the breeze and the taste of freedom. The water smelled awful, but she didn't care, sniffing everywhere like crazy. Natalie held the leash tightly so Lucky wouldn't get too excited and tumble in. She steered their boat toward Pharmville District.Today's mission was to trade for fertilizer. After splitting from Roderick yesterday, she'd avoided the packed Centralview District market and picked the quieter Pharmville District instead. That was the same place Natalie had cleared out an entire mall and office building before. Now, the mall was mostly underwater—just the top floor sticking out. The windows were smashed by scavengers. There was nothing useful left, though. The best stuff from the boss' floor was safely stashed in her storage space. Natalie glided past like nothing had ever happened here. Soon, they reached the meeting spot. She killed the engine, and the water became still. It was dead quiet—no other boats in sight. Most boats and even the robbers had gathered at Centralview market.So, even hauling a huge load of crocodile meat, they stayed safe. They waited quietly for a while, then the distant roar of another engine caught their attention. The three of them and Lucky instantly snapped to attention. Another inflatable rescue boat appeared, towing a kayak. Two people were on it, too far away to make out clearly. But soon, a familiar voice called, "Hey, it's me! I'm here!" Roderick was steering, waving enthusiastically. He drove the boat and quickly came over. Natalie noticed he took her suggestion. He didn't come alone today and had a companion with him. "You're looking well! Is your injury feeling better?" Natalie called, checking his companion out instinctively. Then, she froze. The man lounged casually on the boat. His features were sharp and striking, with narrow eyes glinting from messy bangs.