Chapter 367 You Are The Reward

April blinked, turning her head slightly. "A reward system?"

"Naturally," Samuel answered smoothly, leaning back against the seat. "Boundaries and punishments maintain order, but for men to truly adhere to a new standard, they must have something to strive for. They aren’t children, Miss April, but a structured reward system works on everyone—from world-class athletes to high-level corporate executives."

She thought about it for a moment, her brow furrowing in quiet contemplation as she considered her roster of men. Xavier, Nat, Alexander, Oliver—none of them were ordinary men, and none of them lacked material wealth or worldly power.

She looked up at Samuel, genuine curiosity in her dark eyes. "How do we go about it? What am I even rewarding? And with what? They certainly won’t accept money or material things as a reward. They already have plenty of those."

A quiet, dangerous glint entered Samuel’s eyes. He leaned in closer across the white tablecloth, his voice dropping into a low, intimate murmur that vibrated straight through the quiet booth.

"It’s simple, Miss April," he whispered, his eyes fixed entirely on hers. "You are the reward."

A sudden, violent wave of heat surged straight to her face, painting her cheeks in a deep, burning flush.

"Samuel..." she choked out, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at him, entirely caught off guard by his bold, unblinking composure when uttering something like that.

"I speak with absolute precision," Samuel continued smoothly, unbothered by her reaction as a soft, devoted smile touched his lips. "None of those men care for wealth, titles, or luxury. What they crave—what they hunger for above all else—is your favor, your attention, and your physical proximity."

He raised a single finger, laying out the mechanism with clinical perfection:

"A man who maintains harmony, respects the boundary, and proves his absolute devotion gains unhindered private time with you—a private dinner, an evening alone, or a direct privilege of his choosing. A man who disrupts the order loses that privilege entirely."

April gulped, her pulse hammering against her ribs as the sheer brilliance—and danger—of his logic settled into her mind.

She took a slow, deliberate sip of her iced water, letting the cold glass steady the rapid thudding of her heart.

The flush on her cheeks hadn’t entirely faded, but a subtle, dangerous glint entered her dark eyes as she set the glass back down onto the white tablecloth.

?"I see," April murmured, leaning forward slightly and resting her chin in her hand, her eyes locking onto Samuel’s immaculate face. "A very thorough strategy, Samuel. But tell me..."

?She paused, a faint, slow smirk curving her lips.

?"...where do you fit into this reward system?"

?Samuel didn’t flinch, but the slight tightening of his fingers over his tablet betrayed the sudden shift in the air.

?"Miss April?"

?"You’re the one who designed the rules, the punishments, and the rewards," April said softly, her voice dropping into an intoxicating, teasing register that mirrored his own earlier closeness. "You’re orchestrating how I distribute my favor to Nat, Xavier, Alexander, and Oliver. So what about my High Steward? Are you standing above the game, simply managing the pieces... or are you competing for the reward, too?"

?Samuel took a slow, measured breath, his dark eyes darkening behind his immaculate demeanor.

His stoic, unshakeable persona wavered for a single, fleeting second—his throat working as he swallowed, a subtle warmth creeping up his neck beneath his crisp collar.

?"I am your High Steward, Miss April," Samuel replied, his raspy voice dropping an octave lower than usual, carrying a thick, velvety weight. "My duty is to manage your domain, your resources, and your men with absolute perfection."

?He leaned in across the narrow gap between them, his gaze holding hers with an intense, unyielding devotion that sent a sharp flutter straight to her chest.

?"However... if my flawless execution of those duties happens to earn me a fraction of your favor," he murmured, his thumb lightly brushing the edge of the tablecloth near her hand, "I assure you, I am far too greedy a man to ever refuse it."

?April’s breath hitched, a fresh wave of heat rising along her skin at his raw, unshielded admission.

?"So you do want a piece of the reward," she whispered, her brow tilting with quiet satisfaction.

?"I want the whole world to revolve around you, Miss April," Samuel corrected softly, a rare, breathtaking smile breaking through his formal posture. "And I intend to be the one holding the axis."

?He straightened up smoothly, pulling back into his faultless, dignified stance as if the crack in his composure had never occurred, though his eyes remained dark and fixed on her.

?"Now," Samuel said, his voice returning to its crisp, professional cadence, "if you are satisfied with the framework, we should return to the estate. The dining room will require my personal oversight to ensure tonight’s atmosphere is... properly set."

A soft hum escaped April’s lips. He was changing the topic. She thought, but she didn’t break eye contact as she looked at him, her eyes softening with a quiet, genuine warmth.

?"Samuel, you carry out my orders without a shred of doubt, and you do it all to perfection," she murmured, her tone laced with a gentle, intoxicating sweetness. "How could I not want to reward you?"

?Underneath the white tablecloth, Samuel’s hands tightened slightly. His heart began to race against his ribs, a sudden, heavy thud that threatened to breach his absolute composure, though he did his best not to let a single trace of it show on his immaculate face.

?April leaned forward slightly, resting her chin in her hand as her eyes searched his. "Tell me, what do you want? I’ll reward you."

?Samuel opened his mouth—a little too eager, the words almost escaping his lips before he caught himself—and then closed it just as quickly.

?He was tempted. Beyond tempted. The possessive, dark jealousy living beneath his contented exterior clawed at his chest, urging him to claim his place above the others right then and there. But he couldn’t rush. He couldn’t afford to be rash or careless when it came to her. She was his goddess, and she was his master.

?Taking a slow, measured breath, Samuel forced his voice into its usual calm register.

?"I will think about it, Miss April," he said softly, his eyes unblinking as he held her gaze.

?April smiled, a faint, knowing curve touching her lips. She nodded and leaned up across the small distance between them, her lips brushing softly against the warm skin just below his jawline—a quick, lingering kiss that left a faint, burning sensation in its wake.

?"Consider that a thank you," April whispered against his skin, her voice soft. "For your brilliant strategic planning. When you realize what you want, you let me know."

?She pulled back slowly, smoothing down the front of her blue dress with a look of supreme satisfaction.

?Samuel remained still for a long second, the spot where her lips had touched burning like a brand. His pulse hammered in his ears, his usual clinical detachment entirely shattered beneath the sheer weight of her touch.

He swallowed slowly, adjusting his glasses with fingers that were just slightly less steady than usual, before meeting her eyes once more with an intense, unyielding devotion.

?"I will hold you to that promise, Miss April," Samuel murmured softly, his voice dropping into a low, velvety register.

?He slid out of the booth first, standing tall and offering her his hand with practiced, reverent grace to lead her back to the waiting SUV.