Chapter 277: Her Period Just Arrived

​Nat’s tongue trailed over April’s lower lip before he pulled back just an inch, his eyes flashing with a dark, triumphant glint. He looked down at her flushed, breathless face, her dark eyes slightly dazed and her lips swollen from his persistence.

​"You’re getting good at this, sweetheart," Nat murmured directly into her mouth, his gaze flicking past her shoulder to catch Xavier’s reflection in the dark, tinted glass of the car window.

The tycoon’s knuckles were turned stark white from how tightly he was holding her hand.

​Nat was far more delighted than he had any right to be, a low, arrogant rumble vibrating in his chest.

​April’s chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her fingers instinctively tightening around both Nat’s lapel and Xavier’s hand.

​"I told you... I’m a fast learner," April whispered, her voice husky and entirely stripped of her usual pragmatic sharp edge.

​Nat’s smirk widened, his thumb lightly tracing the warm curve of her jaw as he leaned back in for another deep, possessive kiss. "I can see that."

"April," Alexander finally spoke up from the front, adjusting the rearview mirror with a dry, envious scoff. "If you keep that up, you’ll get swollen lips for sure. You wouldn’t want to walk out tomorrow looking like that, would you?"

​"Mind your business, Greels," Nat snapped, not even bothering to lift his head as his lips trailed down to the sensitive curve of her jawline.

​April pressed her hand against Nat’s chest, gently pushing him back just enough to break the hold. "Let’s take... a minute," she murmured, her chest heaving as she tried to compose herself. "I feel strange, so I need to catch my breath."

​The movement in the backseat instantly ground to a halt.

​Xavier’s head snapped away from the window, his dark eyes locking onto her with immediate, hyper-vigilant focus. His grip on her hand tightened gently.

"Strange?" Xavier asked, his voice dropping into a low, concerned register. "Strange how? Are you in pain?"

​Even Nat’s smug, arrogant demeanor vanished, replaced by a sudden, razor-sharp alertness as his golden eyes scanned her flushed face. "Sweetheart? What’s wrong?"

​"I..." April pursed her swollen lips, her brows drawing tight together.

​She couldn’t quite put it into words. A sudden, deep, aching cramp had just bloomed across her lower abdomen—a dull, heavy pressure that had nothing to do with the electric heat from their kisses. She couldn’t tell if it was just the sheer emotional tension of the day catching up to her, or if...

​April’s eyes widened slightly as a sudden, terrible realization struck her logic-driven mind.

​"Wait, what date is it today?" she asked abruptly, her voice turning unnaturally stiff.

​Alexander blinked from the front seat, checking the dashboard display. "It’s July second. Why?"

​April closed her eyes, letting out a silent, horrified groan as her mind instantly calculated her cycle. Between hoarding supplies, managing spatial dimensions, preparing for the apocalypse, and dealing with these men, she had completely lost track of time.

​Her period had just arrived.

​She had already gone through one cycle after moving into Xavier’s mansion. Back then, she had silently given herself a small break, keeping her distance and carrying on without letting a single soul know—not that she felt she needed to in the first place.

​It was an ingrained habit forged in the brutal moments of her past life. While working in the Morgans, using a period cycle as an excuse to skip out on work or rest for a second never ended well.

So showing pain was a luxury she could never afford.

She had learned to bear the agonizing cramps in absolute silence, forcing herself to act entirely normal even when her legs felt like lead and her strength was completely drained.

​Now, the familiar ache was already announcing the arrival of her cycle before it fully landed, threatening to pull the rug out from under her.

​"July second..." April murmured under her breath, her hands imperceptibly tightening on her lap as she forced her posture to remain straight.

"April?"

"It’s nothing. Just... a slight headache from the atmosphere."

​Nat’s eyes narrowed, his sharp instincts cutting right through her immediate attempt to brush it off. He had been holding her against his chest just seconds ago; he felt the exact moment her muscles had locked up, the way her breathing had flattened into a forced, controlled rhythm.

​"Don’t lie to me," Nat growled softly, reaching out to cup her chin again, his thumb brushing over her pale cheek. "Your face just drained of color. You were fine a second ago."

​Xavier’s dark eyes swept over her tight expression, his brow furrowing as he noticed her tense posture. "April, is your stomach upset? Is it from all that food tasting you’ve been doing?"

​"I said I’m fine," April insisted, her tone taking on its usual stubborn, pragmatic edge as she tried to pull away from Nat’s grip.

​She didn’t want to explain this. The thought of sitting in a car surrounded by three towering, hyper-attentive men while admitting she was suffering from menstrual cramps felt infinitely more embarrassing than anything that had transpired in the restaurant.

​From the front seat, Alexander looked back at her, his eyes taking in her defensive posture, her pale skin, and the subtle way she was avoiding putting pressure on her lower abdomen. A quiet realization dawned on him.

​"Jude," Alexander called out to the driver, his voice cutting through the rising tension in the back. "Pull over at the nearest pharmacy before we head up the estate drive."

​Nat glared at the front seat. "What for, Greels?"

​Alexander didn’t answer Nat, keeping his gentle, knowing gaze fixed entirely on April’s flustered, stubborn face. "Just trust me. We need a few things."

​April’s eyes snapped to Alexander, a sudden wave of heat washing over her face as she realized he had figured it out.

She bit the inside of her cheek, completely mortified, yet as another heavy cramp rippled through her stomach, she couldn’t even summon the energy to argue.

Nat glanced between Alexander and April, picking up on the unsaid realization. "Is it...?" He didn’t finish his question as he contemplated further on the term commonly used for this situation.

​Xavier’s vigilant gaze shifted from the road outside straight to April, his posture stiffening as his mind quickly put the clues together—asking for the date, the sudden abdominal pain, her reluctance to speak, and Alexander’s sudden pharmacy run.

​"April," Xavier said softly. "Is it your cycle?"

Nat snapped his fingers. There it is.