Chapter 74: We are partners
April stopped precisely three paces in front of Xavier, standing straight and her expression entirely unbothered, as if she had just returned from a mundane afternoon stroll rather than a literal dragon’s den.
Nat stopped just half a step behind her, his massive, towering frame throwing a long shadow over her smaller figure.
He pushed his dark sunglasses up into his vibrant red hair, exposing those chaotic, gleaming eyes as he swept a lazy, assessing gaze over the militarized reception.
The silence on the tarmac was absolute, broken only by the low, steady hum of the G-Wagon’s cooling engine.
Xavier’s dark gaze skipped over Nat entirely, locking onto April first. He scanned her from head to toe with a sharp, calculating intensity, checking for any physical signs of harm, any tears in her dress, or any tension in her posture.
Finding nothing but her signature calmness, the rigid, suffocating tightness in his chest finally eased—though his face remained cold.
"Miss April," Xavier said, his deep voice carrying a crisp, authoritative weight that sliced through the heavy air. "I see your private business was... highly dynamic."
"It was very profitable, Mr. Reed," April replied smoothly, tilting her chin up. "A bit disruptive to my personal schedule, but entirely worth the investment."
"What an understatement, little seer," Nat chuckled from behind her, his voice vibrating with that deep, unhinged rumbling that made Samuel’s fingers twitch on his sides.
Nat stepped out from behind April, sliding his hands casually into his trouser pockets.
He tilted his head at Xavier, a sharp, challenging smirk pulling at his lips. Even standing in front of a literal squad of elite, corporate guards, the mafia king looked entirely in his element. Danger was his playground, after all.
"Xavier Reed," Nat murmured, his tone dripping with a smooth, mocking familiarity. "I’ve seen your face on enough financial boards to know you’ve got a decent eye for assets. But I have to admit, your taste in business partners is truly spectacular." he glanced at April before back at him. "We just wrapped up a highly successful deal."
Xavier’s eyes narrowed. He recognized the subtle provocation. Nat wasn’t just introducing himself; he was deliberately marking a boundary, letting the head of Reed Industries know that April was no longer operating exclusively in the clean, corporate sphere.
She had stepped into the underground, and the Golden Dragon had already tasted the astronomical profit she could bring.
Yet, Xavier didn’t lose his temper. As a man who controlled a multi-billion-dollar empire, he knew that showing raw emotion in front of a psychopath like Nat Collins was a tactical error.
"Mr. Collins," Xavier responded, his tone flat, freezing, and entirely professional. "The reputation of the Golden Dragon precedes you. However, in the business world, there is a strict boundary between a legitimate contractor and a hostage. I trust this is the last time Reed Industries’ primary consultant is... escorted to a meeting without prior scheduling."
It was a clear, unyielding warning wrapped in corporate jargon. Xavier was laying down the law: April was aligned with him, and any further disruptions to her freedom would be treated as a direct assault on Reed Industries.
Nat’s grin only widened at the veiled threat, his shoulders shaking with a silent, delighted chuckle. "Hostage? Please. We are partners. Right, little seer?"
April didn’t even bother to look back at him, her expression a mask of clinical detachment but she nearly rolled his eyes. For someone who had kidnapped her, he was very shameless claiming partnership so boldly.
But he was indeed correct. Right now, they are partners. "We are strictly contractor and client, Mr. Collins. And your paid time has officially expired."
Right beside Xavier, Alexander Greels was still standing completely frozen, his eyes darting frantically between the red-haired mafia lord and April.
His jaw was still slightly slack. He knew exactly who Nat Collins was—every elite family in the city knew the terrifying, bloody tales of the Golden Dragon. The authorities couldn’t touch him, the law couldn’t bind him, and anyone who crossed him usually ended up as scraps.
And yet, April was standing here, calmly cutting him off, while the most feared man in the city just laughed like it was the most entertaining thing he had ever experienced.
And what was this about Hostage talk? He thought she had gone for a negotiation. Ah, but it wasn’t an understatement to call anyone bargaining with Nat Collins a hostage. After all, if he did not like the terms, he would keep them there until they said what he wanted to hear.
Or rather still, he could just cut off their fingers until they gave in. There were scary stories like that too.
"Miss... Miss April," Alexander finally stammered out, his voice a fraction of its usual confident pitch as he stepped forward, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and lingering panic. "Are you... are you certain you’re entirely unharmed? If this man forced you—"
"I am perfectly fine, Mr. Greels," April interrupted him smoothly, her tone soft but firm enough to silence his frantic worrying before he actually ended up causing trouble. "Mr. Collins simply lacks basic manners, but his financial asset transfer was thoroughly compliant. There is no need for concern."
Samuel let out a slow, barely audible exhale from behind Xavier, his tense shoulders finally dropping an inch.
He looked at April with a newfound, profound level of respect. She hadn’t just survived an encounter with a monster; she had thoroughly tamed him, milked him for millions, and walked out of his lair with her head held high. But... he still had that guilt weighing in his heart.
What if things had ended differently? What if... She had not been successful?
He clenched his fists hard.
"Well then," Nat sighed theatrically, pulling his sunglasses back down onto his nose bridge, completely obscuring his chaotic eyes once more.
He turned back toward his G-Wagon, waving a lazy hand over his shoulder. "Since the reception committee is so tightly wound, I’ll take my leave. Keep my number on speed dial, little seer. I’ll be waiting for our next... date."
With a sharp, unhinged laugh, Nat climbed back into the driver’s seat of the matte-black vehicle. The heavy door slammed shut, the engine roared to life with a ferocious rave, and the G-Wagon tore out of the airstrip, kicking up gravel as it vanished into the night.
The moment the taillights disappeared through the iron gates, the suffocating, chaotic pressure in the air finally dissolved.
Xavier stepped closer to April, his dark eyes scanning her face one final time, a heavy, silent intensity lingering between them. "Samuel, secure the perimeter and dismiss the secondary escort. We are returning to my mansion immediately."
"Understood, Mr. Reed," Samuel replied instantly, moving to coordinate the guards.
Xavier turned back to April, his voice dropping into a lower, slightly rougher register that he only used when they were away from corporate prying eyes. "You played a remarkably dangerous game today, Miss April."
April offered him a faint, razor-sharp smile, her eyes glinting with a cold, triumphant hunger. "I didn’t start the game." She claimed. "But I certainly don’t play games I intend to lose. Now, let us discuss how much capital you managed to save before the capital world broke this evening." She rubbed her fingers together. "I’m expecting gold."
Xavier looked at her, taken aback for a second before his lips curled.
She was a woman who had been kidnapped and came face to face with a dangerous golden dragon, and yet the first thing she decided to do once she was back was talk money.
Seriously, she was a wealth hoarder true and true.
