Cassian had a presence like a magnet that there was something intensely alluring about him, and ... he was really good-looking. Natalie had seen her fair share of attractive guys growing up. Harold, for one, was definitely easy on the eyes. Even Braxton, who was always hanging around her, could score an eight or nine out of ten, looks-wise. But this was the first time a man's looks had actually caught her off guard like this. Cassian's beauty was just aggressively striking. At that moment, as if sensing her gaze, Cassian lifted his head slightly. His sharp, narrow eyes locked with Natalie's. Busted! Natalie immediately coughed awkwardly and looked away. Olivia and Harold were also staring at Cassian, completely stunned. Only Roderick seemed unfazed. Clearly, he was already used to his boss's overpowering looks. He responded to Natalie with a calm smile, "Thanks to you swooping in just in time, I'm totally fine now!" Natalie nodded and was just about to say something when suddenly, chaos broke out. Lucky, who had been quietly behaving until now, suddenly leapt onto Roderick's boat. The little dog pushed off with her short legs and, while she landed right where she aimed, she faceplanted—head-first into the deck. But Lucky didn't seem to feel a thing. She instantly shook it off and scrambled to her feet, then excitedly darted straight for Cassian, who was lounging nearby. Then ... she dove right into Cassian's arms. Lucky hadn't been fed all that dog food for nothing, she was nice and chubby, solidly built. Cassian let out a muffled grunt from the impact. He stared, stunned, at the little creature in his arms. Clearly, he hadn't expected the puppy to charge at him out of nowhere. Lucky didn't care in the slightest whether she was being rude. She snuggled into Cassian's chest with half-lidded eyes, rubbing her head all over him. Her paws scratched excitedly, and her tail wagged like crazy. ... Everyone was completely dumbfounded by Lucky's sudden burst of affection. Natalie was still holding the other end of the leash, frozen in place. Since she'd adopted Lucky, she had never seen her act this affectionate toward anyone. Was it possible that dogs really did judge people by their looks? Her big round eyes sparkled as she stared up at Cassian, letting out soft, whimpery coos like she was trying to act cute.If you needed a definition for a clingy lapdog—this was it. He chuckled a little, slipping his hands under Lucky's armpits to lift her up. He looked straight into the pup's eyes. "What are you up to, little girl?" Lucky's eyes went wide. Her tail wagged even harder. A line of drool slowly began to drip from the corner of her mouth ... Cassian, Roderick, Olivia, and Harold all fell completely silent. Natalie, meanwhile, was screaming on the inside. "Oh my god, I want to die of embarrassment!" "Lucky! Get over here!" There was already a hint of frustration in her voice. Lucky heard her and immediately wriggled free from Cassian's hands, scampering back in Natalie's direction.She ran a few steps, then turned her head and gave Cassian a couple of longing glances. Well ... she couldn't have the handsome guy and Natalie at the same time. With a pitiful look, Lucky jumped back onto Natalie's inflatable rescue boat. Roderick watched the whole thing unfold, lips twitching at the dog's dramatic expression. "Uh ... this your dog?" Natalie didn't respond. She didn't want to admit it. Thankfully, Roderick was quick to read the room and changed the subject right away. "This is my boss, Mr. Holland. Mr. Holland, this is Ms. Ashford, the one who saved my life." Natalie was still flustered from her lovestruck dog's antics and gave a distracted, awkward nod. Cassian, who had been calmly seated, stood up with an easy, unhurried grace. He walked to the front of the boat and slowly extended a hand toward her. "Cassian Holland." His hand was pale and elegant, the joints defined, nails clean and neatly trimmed. Almost without thinking, Natalie reached out and shook it. "Natalie Ashford." Their hands brushed lightly, and then both let go. Cassian's gaze shifted down to Lucky by her feet, and he gave a soft chuckle. "Your dog is pretty cute." His voice was deep and smooth, with a magnetic pull to it. "Arf! Arf! Arf!" Lucky barked excitedly again, as if to say, "Lucky! My name's Lucky!" Natalie clenched her jaw. This man was dangerously charming, he didn't look like any kind of corporate CEO. After over 20 years of being single, this was the first time Natalie had truly felt the impact of how lethal good looks could be. She couldn't help but think, "If I had a face like that, I could stall an enemy for at least five seconds before they realized I was up to no good." Introductions done, Natalie quickly turned to Roderick and motioned for him to get started on the supply exchange. All she wanted now was to get this over with and go home. This whole day had felt like one thing after another slipping out of her control, and she didn't like that feeling one bit. She made sure to tie Lucky tightly to the engine before the group began unloading crocodile meat and fertilizer. Besides the fertilizer, Roderick also brought along some gardening soil for Olivia, just like they'd agreed. Roderick was still injured, but Cassian didn't act like some pampered boss. He rolled up his sleeves and pitched in, helping him carry the goods. As the two groups moved around each other, Natalie's eyes instinctively caught something unusual—Cassian had a bulge at his waist, slightly hidden beneath his shirt. It looked like something was tucked underneath. She stared at it for a couple of seconds, unable to help herself. As if sensing her gaze, Cassian raised an eyebrow and shot her a sidelong glance with those sharp, fox-like eyes. Natalie quickly looked away, pretending she hadn't been staring. Judging by the shape and size, she thought to herself, that's definitely a handgun.