Aaron Reynard kept his promise to accompany Natasha to the lake. He half-ran to the bookstore where he worked, which was right behind his room.

"Hi! Have you been waiting long?" Aaron asked. Natasha had arrived earlier and looked beautiful with her long hair flowing down.

"Not really, I just got here about five minutes ago," Natasha replied.

"We'll be walking quite a distance. Are you up for it?"

"Of course, I'm used to jogging and doing other exercises." Natasha was eager.

"Great, let's head out now," Aaron said.

They walked side by side, gazing at the row of trees along the path as the wind brushed against their faces.

"The view is even more beautiful than I imagined," Natasha said.

"Yes, it really is." Aaron looked at the girl's face.

"Would you like me to take a picture of your face?" Natasha offered, holding up her camera.

Aaron turned his face away.

"No. My face might look scary if it turns out badly." Aaron shifted away.

"It's okay, it's just for the memories." Natasha moved closer to Aaron.

"If you don't want a selfie, we can take a picture together," she suggested, and they managed to capture a photo together.

"The picture is nice, I like it. Do you want to see?"

"No, that's okay." Aaron turned his face away.

Natasha just smiled, and they continued their walk.

"I just realized I haven't introduced myself. My name is Natasha. What's yours?" Natasha extended her hand.

Aaron took the girl's hand.

"Reynard, just call me Rey." Aaron gave his last name because he didn't want Natasha to know his first name.

"Rey, that's a nice name."

"Thank you. But aren't you afraid of me?" Aaron asked.

"Afraid of what?"

"Maybe that I might do something bad to you," Aaron said.

Natasha laughed.

"If I were afraid, I wouldn't have asked you to come with me. But if you really were a bad person, I would shoot you." Natasha pulled a revolver from her backpack and pointed it straight at Aaron's head.

Aaron immediately stepped back.

"I'm not a bad person," Aaron said, and that made Natasha laugh again.

"I know," the girl said, then put the gun away.

They walked for an hour and had already finished more than two bottles of water. Finally, they arrived at the lake.

Natasha immediately sat down on the grass, gazing at the clear lake. Her face looked calm and peaceful. Meanwhile, Aaron scanned the surroundings, searching for the path to Grandpa Hans' lodge.

"What are you looking for?" Natasha asked.

"I'm looking for the path to the lodge I once stayed at. The owner was very kind."

"Is there really a lodge in a forest like this?" Natasha asked, surprised.

"Yes, the only old lodge around here."

They sat side by side, talking about many things, though it was mostly Natasha who did the talking. Aaron now knew that the girl was the daughter of a conglomerate named Mr. Alexander, a wealthy man with giant businesses in various fields, including banking and smartphones.

But Natasha chose to build her own company rather than take over her father's, and that made Aaron admire her even more.

"What industry is your company in?" Aaron asked.

"Real estate. I enjoy the work and am proud that I built it without my father's help," Natasha explained.

The sky suddenly darkened, and the wind began to blow strongly.

"It looks like it’s going to rain soon; we should head back," Aaron said, rising from his seat. Natasha held onto his hand.

"Don't go yet, we haven't even sat here for long," Natasha pleaded.

Aaron thought for a moment, looking at the sky, which was getting darker.

"Alright, but only for ten minutes, then we head back." Aaron relented.

"How about fifteen minutes?" Natasha bargained.

Aaron smiled. "You're good at negotiating. Fine… fine."

They eventually walked around the lake, occasionally taking pictures of the surroundings. However, Natasha wasn't paying attention and walked too close to the edge, causing her to slip and fall into the lake.

"Natasha!" Aaron shouted.

Natasha started to panic as she nearly sank completely because she couldn't swim. Aaron immediately jumped in and tried to help Natasha.

They surfaced together. Natasha coughed as her airway suddenly felt constricted.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked.

"I was shocked and scared," Natasha said, holding back tears.

Aaron was momentarily confused about how to comfort the girl.

"Don't worry, you're safe. Here, wear my jacket." Aaron took off his jacket and wrapped it around Natasha's shoulders just as the rain began to pour heavily.

"We can't go back in this condition, especially with the weather suddenly turning bad. I'll take you to Grandpa Hans' lodge," Aaron added.

"The lodge you mentioned earlier?" Natasha asked.

"Yes, let me help you walk." Aaron put his arm around Natasha and supported her.

As they walked, Natasha was shivering, and her lips turned blue, making Aaron hold her closer.

"We're almost there, you just have to hold on," Aaron said.

They finally arrived at Grandpa Hans' lodge. Aaron knocked on the door three times. Soon, the old man opened it.

"Aaron?" Grandpa Hans was surprised.

"How are you, Grandpa?"

"Good, what brings you here?" Grandpa Hans asked again.

"My friend fell into the lake, and we couldn’t go back to the village because of the heavy rain, so I remembered this place," Aaron explained.

"Come in, it’s very cold outside." Grandpa Hans invited them in, and Aaron laid Natasha down on a wooden chair.

Grandpa Hans went into his room and came out with some clothes.

"These belonged to my late wife. They’re not much, but see if there’s something suitable for the girl," Grandpa Hans said.

"Thank you very much, Grandpa." Aaron gently shook Natasha’s shoulder.

"Miss Natasha, wake up… wake up…," Aaron said softly.

Natasha opened her eyes, still shivering from the cold.

"Change your clothes and go into the guest room," Aaron said.

Natasha just nodded and walked unsteadily to the room.

"Your friend seems very cold; I’ll make her some warm tea while you check on her," Grandpa Hans said.

"Alright, Grandpa," Aaron replied.