Chapter 343: The Breakfast

A broad, warm body slid into the bed behind her, a heavy arm wrapping tightly around her waist to pull her back against a broad chest.

Before she could process the sudden heat, the scent of expensive cologne and crisp cedar enveloped her. A pair of lips pressed a slow, agonizingly tender kiss into the crook of her neck.

"Did you really think you could run away from me so easily, sweetheart?" Nat’s low, gravelly rasp vibrated directly against her skin, his thumb tracing a slow, burning path up her ribcage.

"You’re far too slippery for your own good, April," Xavier’s deep, velvety voice murmured from her other side. He reached out, his long fingers threading through her brown hair, tilting her face up just enough to capture her lips in a deep, possessive kiss that left her breathless.

Across the silk sheets, Alexander’s silhouette leaned over her, his cool hands sliding up the length of her bare calves.

"You left us behind," he whispered, his dark eyes burning with an intense, unyielding devotion as he pressed a lingering kiss against the arch of her foot, right where the heel had sat hours before. "A mistake you won’t be allowed to repeat tonight."

The room grew thick with the heavy hum of raw affection, desperate murmurs of adoration, and hands that refused to let her go.

Their heat was suffocating, overwhelming, and utterly hypnotic, pulling her under as their touches began to grow increasingly fervent, promising a long, endless night of absolute devotion...

April’s eyes snapped open.

Warm morning sunlight was streaming through her floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the grand bedroom in a soft, golden glow.

The bed was completely empty.

No arms wrapped around her waist. No deep, possessive murmurs echoing in her ear. Just the quiet rustle of the silk sheets as she sat up, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird, her skin still tingling as if those fiery, demanding touches had been real.

April sat frozen in the middle of her massive bed, a slow, horrified realization dawning over her face as she pressed a hand against her forehead.

She had dreamed it. Every single agonizingly hot, chaotic second of it.

Ugh, April groaned inwardly, burying her face in her hands with a quiet, irritated huff. Did one night with them really have me craving them even in my sleep?!

April decided it must just be a normal reaction. And besides, she liked them so it was probably her longing for them.

Whatever.

...

April smoothed down the fabric of her rich, wine-colored dress before taking the final step off the grand staircase. The deep red fabric clung effortlessly to her frame, contrasting sharply with the clear, invisible line of the acrylic heels that made her legs look endlessly sleek.

As she entered the sunlit dining room, the heavy, suffocating tension hit her like a wall.

They were all there.

Alexander sat at the far end, impeccably dressed, nursing a cup of black coffee with a sharp, cool air that barely hid his annoyance.

Xavier looked up from a document, his dark eyes tracking her entrance with a quiet, simmering intensity.

Even Oliver was present, sitting rigidly in a tailored gray suit, his analytical gaze immediately dropping to observe her stride before rising back to her face.

And then there was Nat.

He was practically sprawling in his chair, his arms crossed tightly over his broad chest, a deep, thunderous scowl carved into his handsome face. He was sulking, pure and simple.

The moment April stepped into view, Nat’s eyes flared. His gaze swept over her—taking in the wine-colored dress, brushing over the glint of his own ruby-encrusted necklace resting against her collarbone—before landing straight on the acrylic heels Oliver had fitted for her.

Even with his mark resting around her neck, he was completely dissatisfied. He hadn’t forgotten the humiliating realization of finding an empty corridor last night while she slipped away into the dark.

"Morning," April said smoothly, keeping her voice light and perfectly unbothered as she glided toward the head of the table.

"Good morning, April," Emily responded cheerfully, even if the pressure in the dining hall was a tad bit gloomy.

Nat let out a low, irritated scoff, turning his head away with a sharp huff, though his eyes remained firmly locked on her reflection in the glass cabinet across the room.

"You look well rested, April," Alexander noted, his voice smooth as silk, though the thin edge was impossible to miss. "It seems a quiet, sudden departure agrees with you."

"Exceptionally well," April replied, taking her seat as Samuel seamlessly appeared at her side, pouring a fresh cup of tea with flawless, unflappable precision.

From across the table, Nat’s jaw twitched. He leaned forward, resting his heavy forearms on the table as he glared directly at her.

"Glad you slept so well," Nat growled out, his raspy voice dripping with sour, childish indignation. "Some of us spent half the night looking for a runaway lover."

"Ah, I was in my room the whole time," April said smoothly, taking a slow, graceful sip of her tea, acting completely oblivious. "Guess you didn’t check the right place."

"When we found you, you were already fast asleep," Alexander noted, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as he rested his chin on his hand. "Of course, it was obvious you would come straight home, but someone decided to make it a riddle and spin us around the city."

A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the table as every set of eyes snapped simultaneously toward Samuel.

Samuel stood by the sideboard, immaculate as ever, his hands folded neatly behind his back. When Xavier had contacted him last night demanding answers, Samuel had calmly reported that Miss April had not yet returned to the estate—claiming he had personally escorted her on a late-night drive to view the city scenery and unwind in private. He called a few locations and each time they arrived, he called a new location, that they had moved from there.

He had sent them on a wild goose chase through the city while April slept peacefully upstairs.

Xavier shook his head, a faint, disbelieving laugh escaping his lips.

"My mistake was not confirming with the staff," he said softly, interlocking his fingers on the table as he stared at Samuel with dark, incredulous eyes. "To think you would lie to me... I never imagined it. You’ve betrayed me, Samuel."

Samuel didn’t flinch. He didn’t drop his posture, nor did his polished, professional composure shatter. Instead, he slowly lifted his head, his dark eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses meeting Xavier’s glare with absolute, unshakeable resolve.

"If betraying you means comfort for Miss April," Samuel stated, his voice clear, confident, and entirely devoid of apology, "then I would do it all over again without a second of hesitation."

The declaration hung in the sunlit dining room like a thrown gauntlet. There was no ambiguity left, no polite boundary between employer and employee. Samuel was openly declaring his sole, unyielding allegiance to April—and April alone.

Nat let out a low, dangerous growl, his eyes flashing as he leaned back in his chair.

"Listen to this bastard," he muttered, though a crooked, begrudging smirk touched the corner of his lips. "The guy’s got teeth."

Oliver merely adjusted his glasses, his analytical gaze flicking between Samuel’s unyielding posture and April’s quietly amused expression.

"A clear breach of contract," Oliver noted dryly, "yet statistically predictable given his psychological attachment."

April leaned back in her chair, her wine-colored dress shifting gracefully as she looked up at Samuel, a soft, glittering warmth sparking in her dark eyes.

"Well," April murmured, a dangerous, playful smirk curving her lips as she broke the tension. "It seems my High Steward knows how to prioritize."