Chapter 295: A Cuddle Fest

The request took him completely by surprise. For a split second, Samuel’s composure faltered, his hands pausing over his lap as he processed her words.

But almost instantly, a wave of quiet delight washed over him, a soft, rare warmth lighting up his dark eyes behind his glasses.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Samuel stood up and walked over with graceful, silent steps and sat down on the edge of her bed, bringing a gentle, grounding calm into her space.

Slowly, carefully, as if handling something immensely precious, Samuel reached out and ran his long, warm fingers through her hair, softly stroking her scalp in a steady, soothing rhythm.

"Close your eyes, Miss April," Samuel whispered gently, his voice like silk in the dark. "I will make sure you get your rest."

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely a breath as her heavy eyelids finally fluttered shut.

Samuel’s lips curved into a soft, genuine smile, his dark eyes watching her with a quiet tenderness as he continued the steady, rhythmic stroke through her dark hair.

"You’re very welcome, Miss April," he murmured silkily into the shadows, his thumb brushing a stray strand away from her temple. "Rest now."

Surrounded by the gentle, protective warmth of his presence and the soothing cadence of his touch, the last bit of tension in her body melted away, and April finally drifted into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

After confirming she had fallen completely asleep, her breathing deep and even, Samuel carefully pulled the soft duvet higher up over her shoulders. Satisfied she was warm and comfortable, he quietly stood up and slipped out of the room, letting the door close with a barely audible click.

Once he was gone, the stillness in the room broke.

The other two, who had laid entirely still despite being wide awake the whole time, finally sat up. Neither had realized the other shared the exact same motive—until both crept across the floor and began crawling onto the bed.

They froze for a brief second, eyeing each other with suspicious, narrowed gazes in the dim shadows. With April resting right in the middle, they silently came to an unspoken truce and decided to just go along with the arrangement.

Noticing the extra warmth they would be providing by sharing the mattress, Xavier reached over to the remote and adjusted the AC, bringing the room down to a crisp, cool temperature so April wouldn’t get uncomfortably hot under the duvet.

In her sleep, she felt the cool air and naturally shifted toward the strongest source of heat, dropping the weight of her body over Xavier.

Xavier was surprised by her arms suddenly wrapping around him, but then he smiled softly in the dark, wrapping his arms around her back, and pulling her close.

Alexander watched them for a quiet second before settling in right behind her, sliding his arms around her waist to pull her back against his chest. Wrapped safely between them, both men finally closed their eyes, and a heavy, peaceful sleep settled over the room.

The next morning, bright sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, illuminating the quiet suite.

Samuel walked down the corridor holding a tray with a glass of warm water and April’s morning vitamins. Just as he reached the bedroom door, Emily turned the corner from the adjoining hallway.

The two met at the doorway, exchanging a brief glance. Emily’s face was still etched with a lingering trace of worry. After everything that had happened the day before, she was eager to check on April and see if her fever had completely broken or if the cramps had worsened.

"Morning, Samuel," Emily murmured softly, stepping up beside him. "Is she still sleeping? I wanted to check her temperature."

"She fell asleep quite late, Miss Emily," Samuel replied smoothly, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the room. "Her fever had subsided last night, but rest is vital."

Emily gave a small, anxious nod. Reaching out, she slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open to peek inside. Samuel stepped up beside her to enter.

The moment the door swung open, both of them froze on the threshold.

There, on the king-sized bed, was a sight neither of them had expected. April was buried comfortably beneath the plush duvet, fast asleep and completely sandwiched between two massive, motionless figures.

Xavier had one arm wrapped over her back, holding her flushed face tucked against his collarbone, while Alexander was curled behind her, his arms locked firmly around her waist.

Emily’s jaw dropped slightly, her eyes widening in pure shock as her gaze darted between her sister and the two men completely occupying her bed.

Samuel stood perfectly still beside her. A faint twitch appeared near his brow, his dark eyes narrowing behind his glasses as he took in the scene with a sudden, icy silence.

Emily pressed a hand over her mouth, swallowing down a sudden, nervous squeak as she stared at the three of them tangled together under the duvet.

"I... think her fever is definitely gone," Emily whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and suppressed laughter. She turned her head slightly to glance at Samuel. "Should we... wake them?"

Samuel’s jaw remained tight, his composure hanging by a thin thread. He set the tray down on a nearby side table with a slow, deliberate click that echoed sharply through the quiet room.

"Allow me," Samuel said, his voice dropping into a dangerously smooth, polite register.

He stepped directly to the side of the bed, his dark eyes fixing onto Xavier and Alexander with no readable expression on his face but his thoughts were spiralling.

He expected nothing less from an unrefined brute like Nat, but to think even Xavier would join in on this. Alexander was no less involved.

Raising a single hand, he brought his knuckles down hard onto the tall wooden bedpost, tapping three sharp, knocks right near their heads.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Rise and shine, gentlemen," Samuel said silkily, crossing his arms over his chest. "I believe the morning visiting hours are officially over."

At the sound of his voice, Xavier’s eyelids fluttered open first. He blinked lazily against the morning light, his gaze shifting from Samuel’s icy face down to April, who was still fast asleep against his chest. Slowly, a smug, sleepy grin stretched across Xavier’s face.

Behind her, Alexander let out a low, disgruntled grunt, his arms tightening around April’s waist in an instinctual refusal to move.

"Five more minutes," Alexander muttered, his voice thick with sleep, burying his face deeper into the pillow behind April’s dark hair.

April stirred softly between them at the noise, her nose twitching as she slowly blinked her dark, heavy eyes open. She looked up at Xavier, then glanced over her shoulder at Alexander, and finally looked straight up at Samuel and Emily standing at the foot of the bed.

"Good morning," April said plainly, her voice raspy with sleep, completely unfazed by the fact that she was locked between two fully grown men in front of her sister. "Is it time for breakfast?"