Chapter 288: Sluggish Motor Functions

Samuel bowed his head in a fluid arc. "I shall return shortly with the congee, Miss April," he said softly, before turning on his heel and gliding out of the room.

The silence that followed his departure was thick, filled only with the soft hum of the air conditioner and the quiet, uneven rhythm of April’s feverish breathing.

Xavier sat down on the edge of the mattress, his tailored suit jacket unbuttoned as he leaned over her. He carefully reached out, using a warm damp towel Oliver handed him to wipe away the thin sheen of sweat glinting on her forehead.

His expression was intense—a man accustomed to commanding entire boardrooms and controlling multimillion-dollar trades, currently looking utterly humbled by a single, frail woman lying before him.

"I saw you smirking just now. It’s like you’re enjoying this," Xavier murmured, his voice low and laced with a mixture of raw affection and helpless frustration. His thumb gently stroked her cheekbone. "If you wanted revenge for the missed schedule, you could have just yelled at me."

From the foot of the bed, Nat leaned against the wooden post, his arms still folded over his broad chest. His eyes were fixed entirely on her flushed face.

"Yelling’s too simple, Reed," Nat grumbled, though there was zero heat in his tone. He shifted slightly, his gaze cutting to April’s half-lidded eyes. "Look at her. She knows exactly what she’s doing to us."

Alexander chuckled softly from where he sat, his fingers still wrapped gently around April’s smaller hand. He brought her knuckles up to his lips, pressing a light, lingering kiss to her warm skin. "Let her have her fun. If keeping us on edge gives her peace of mind while she recovers, then I’m more than happy to stand guard."

Oliver finished securing the cooling patch to her forehead, stepping back to inspect his work with critical precision. "Her heart rate is stabilizing. The antipyretic should bring the fever down to a manageable level within the hour. Just ensure she doesn’t try to get out of bed again. Her motor functions and spatial awareness are going to remain sluggish until morning."

April’s lips twitched slightly under the blanket. Sluggish motor functions? She wanted to tell Oliver that she could pull fifty crates of canned goods out of her dimensional storage with a single flick of her wrist even while unconscious, but her tongue felt far too heavy to bother arguing.

Instead, she simply let her hand remain limp in Alexander’s soft grip, her cheek sinking deeper into Xavier’s cool palm.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open, and Samuel walked back into the room carrying a silver tray. A delicate porcelain bowl rested in the center, sending up a thin, fragrant curl of steam.

"The congee is prepared, Miss April," Samuel announced smoothly, approaching the bed.

The other men instinctively parted to give him room, though Nat’s eyes narrowed slightly as Samuel positioned himself right at her side.

Samuel blew gently over a small porcelain spoon, bringing a small portion to her lips. "Careful. It is still hot."

April opened her mouth slightly, allowing the smooth, savory porridge to melt on her tongue. The warmth spread down her throat, settling pleasantly in her empty stomach and instantly easing the dull ache in her abdomen.

"Good?" Samuel asked, his dark eyes softening into that rare, absolute gentleness.

April gave a tiny, subtle nod against the pillow. "Good..." she rasped softly.

Nat grumbled, stepping closer to the bed, and stretched his broad hand out toward the silver tray. "Hey, hand that over. I’ll feed her."

Samuel’s hand didn’t move an inch. His posture remained rigid, and he shot Nat an icy, dark glare that could have pierced through steel.

"I think your hands are far too... rough... for this kind of delicate task," Samuel said softly, his voice dripping with smooth, polite disdain. "Miss April needs care, not a hammer."

"What did you just say, you little—" Nat growled, his eyes flaring as he took a threatening step forward.

"Collins, stand down," Xavier commanded coolly, though his own eyes were narrowed at Samuel as well. "She’s eating. Don’t start a fight over a bowl of porridge."

"He’s right, Nat," Alexander added with a light sigh, holding April’s hand a little tighter to keep the peace. "As long as she’s eating, it doesn’t matter who holds the spoon."

Nat clicked his tongue, folding his arms over his broad chest with a bitter huff, though he kept his eyes locked on the way Samuel blew gently on the next spoonful before offering it to April.

The quiet standoff over the porcelain bowl was softly interrupted as the opened.

Emily stepped into the bedroom, holding Lily loosely in her arms while Rufus trotted calmly right beside her leg. Having just brought the pets back inside from their evening walk around the estate grounds, her eyes immediately scanned the crowd of tall, imposing men clustered around the bed.

"How is she doing right now?" Emily asked softly, her small voice laced with a lingering, worried tremor.

At the sound of her voice, Rufus let out a low, gentle huff and padded over to the side of the bed, resting his massive, dark snout right against the mattress near April’s hand. Lily gave a quiet, sleepy meow from Emily’s arms, her blue eyes blinking lazily toward her resting owner.

Oliver stepped back slightly to make room for her, offering a calm, reassuring nod. "The fever is coming down. She managed to eat a bit of porridge, which means her body is responding well to the antipyretic."

Emily let out a long, quiet breath of relief, walking over to set Lily gently on the edge of the duvet. The little white kitten immediately wove her way over to April’s side, curling up into a small, warm ball against her arm.

"That’s good..." Emily whispered, reaching out to gently touch April’s hand, feeling the skin noticeably cooler than it had been that morning. "She was so exhausted."

Nat’s eyes followed Emily as she went to hover by the bed, his earlier annoyance at Samuel fading into the background. "She’s gonna be just fine. We’re keeping an eye on her."

Contented, April once again drifted off into a deep, restful sleep.