Xavier’s gaze remained on her fingers, then slowly trailed back up to her face.

For a second, an icy wave of genuine danger washed over him—a sensation he hadn’t felt in years.

He was used to dealing with cutthroat board directors, corrupt politicians, and shadowy corporate spies, but the woman sitting across from him belonged to a completely different category.

She didn’t use leverage, blackmail, or contracts. She held the literal threads of his life, and she wasn’t afraid to pull them.

This was why seers were the most troublesome in movies, he thought.

Xavier leaned back in his chair, his broad shoulders relaxing slightly as he forced a calm expression onto his face.

He let out a low, gravelly breath and said, "A cat has nine lives, Miss April. I only have one. I know exactly when to back off."

​"Good," April said, her eerie tone instantly vanishing as she leaned back, replacing it with that smooth, indifferent elite persona. "I like smart partners. It saves everyone a lot of unnecessary trouble."

​Xavier looked down at the documents on his desk, his mind shifting back to the immediate crisis. Aeris Corporation. He had spent the last three weeks reviewing their logistics infrastructure, and on paper, they were flawless.

They were supposed to be his ticket to dominating the western trade routes. To hear that they would completely fold in forty-eight hours into a fraudulent bankruptcy was a pill that tasted like battery acid.

​But he couldn’t afford to doubt her. Not after the harbor. Not after Chen. Not after everything.

​He picked up his desk phone and buzzed the outer line. "Samuel. Get in here."

​Within three seconds, the walnut door opened, and Samuel stepped inside, his expression completely blank, though his eyes darted briefly toward April to see if she had caused any more impossible anomalies.

"Yes, Mr. Reed?"

​"Cancel the authorization wire to Aeris Corporation," Xavier commanded flatly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Redirect the entire hundred-million-dollar capital package to Apex Core Logistics instead. I want the contracts finalized and signed within the hour."

​Samuel’s hand tightened on his tablet. His eyes nearly widened, but he tightened his jaw to keep his professional composure from slipping due to surprise.

"Sir? Apex Core? But their projected margins for the first quarter were significantly lower than Aeris, and you explicitly stated yesterday that—"

​"I’ve changed my mind, Samuel," Xavier interrupted, his dark eyes locking onto his assistant with freezing intensity. "Do it now. And don’t ask me again."

​Samuel swallowed his protest, bowing his head instantly. "Understood, sir. I will process the transfer immediately."

​"One more thing," Xavier added before the assistant could turn around. "Prepare my suit for the dinner engagement tonight. The meeting with Lady Vivienne is still on schedule."

Since he hadn’t told Samuel his plans to cancel, he decided to reconfirm that it was still on. He would be meeting the Lady at Obsidian Lounge.

​Samuel blinked, thoroughly bewildered. His boss had spent the entire morning muttering about how much of a headache that specific dinner was going to be, explicitly telling him that they would have to draft a flawless medical excuse to get him out of it just in case he changed his mind last minute.

Though he never said it, it was clear he wasn’t going to go. That was just how his boss was.

But to suddenly reverse this, no, both decisions of the day within ten minutes of sitting down with this mysterious woman... It was unprecedented.

But he did not ask questions.

​"Right away, Mr. Reed," Samuel said quietly, stepping backward out of the study and closing the doors behind him.

​The room fell back into a quiet, heavy stillness. Xavier turned his attention back to April, who was casually admiring her nails, looking entirely detached from the multi-million-dollar corporate shifts she had just dictated with a few sentences.

​"The investment is redirected, and I will attend the dinner," Xavier said, leaning his forearms against the mahogany desk, his sharp eyes pinning her down. "I’ve done what I can to change my fate, Miss April, and I have paid the fee."

​He paused, a dark, calculating glint entering his eyes. "But since you are going to be staying under my roof, we need to establish some boundaries. I won’t pry into your ’powers’ or where you came from, since you’ve made your warnings very clear. But I need to know one thing. Is my empire the only one you are restructuring, or should I expect my competitors to suddenly start making ’lucky guesses’ as well?"

​April let out a low chuckle, her sharp eyes meeting his with a chilling brightness.

He was already worried about her selling her services to his rivals. The sheer greed and territorial instinct of a billionaire was truly a wonderful thing to witness.

She closed one eye, tilting her head slightly as she crossed her index finger over her lips.

​"That’s a company secret," she whispered.

​Xavier’s chest felt instantly heavy, a cold knot tightening in his stomach. He was a man who hated variables he couldn’t control, and the thought of her offering this terrifying foresight to his corporate rivals was an absolute nightmare.

​Seeing the shift in his expression, April’s smirk widened, and she offered a thread of reassurance. "But as long as you pay a hefty price, I will not help your enemies to win over you. That I assure you."

​Xavier let out a slow, controlled breath, the weight in his chest easing just a fraction.

It wasn’t a promise of total exclusivity, but in the corporate world, a guarantee that she wouldn’t arm his enemies against him—provided he kept her pockets lined—was a contract he could live with. For now, he just had to ensure he remained her highest-paying customer.

​April stood up, smoothing down her black blazer dress, her brown hair falling perfectly over her shoulder.

"Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a very long day. I’d like to see my room. And tomorrow... Samuel and I have some serious shopping to do. You wouldn’t mind if I borrowed him again, right?"

Since she still needed to fill her space to upgrade it, and the foodstuff she got from Millennium was far from enough, she would need to visit more places like that.

But for now, she would just go to sleep.

"I don’t mind. I told you I would provide you with my resources, but... your room isn’t prepared yet," Xavier said, his voice dropping back into its usual calm tone. "So if you’d like to rest, use the guest room. Samuel will take you there."

​April merely nodded, not minding the temporary arrangement in the slightest.

As long as there was a soft bed and absolute privacy, she was perfectly content. She picked up her small shopping bag, her fingers lightly brushing against the crisp fifty-million-dollar check resting inside.

​Xavier pressed the intercom on his desk. "Samuel. Escort Miss April to the guest room."

​The heavy walnut doors opened almost instantly, and Samuel stepped back into the room, bowing his head politely. "Right this way, Miss April."

​April turned and walked out of the primary study, leaving the billionaire alone with his rapidly changing corporate schedule.

As she followed Samuel down the wide, quiet corridors toward the guest wing, the sheer exhaustion she had been pushing down all morning finally began to catch up with her.

From the chaotic morning at the Morgan estate to the intense adrenaline rush of hollowing out a multi-ton warehouse, her physical body was running on fumes.

​Samuel stopped before a sleek door at the end of the hall and opened it smoothly.

​"This is the guest room, Miss April," Samuel said, stepping aside. "If you require anything at all, you can use the internal console by the bedside to page the staff."

​April nodded and stepped into the room, her eyes sweeping over the massive king-sized bed draped in plush sheets and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the quiet pine forest outside. It was completely silent and entirely secure.

​"Thank you, Samuel," April said, her voice dropping its sharp, elite edge as she felt the heavy pull of sleep. "Make sure you’re ready by tomorrow morning. I told Mr. Reed I would be borrowing you again. We’re going to be looking into major agricultural firms like the one we visited today. I want a full layout of the city’s private trade sectors by 8:00 AM."

​Samuel adjusted his glasses, his face completely professional. "I will have the portfolio prepared for you, Miss April. Have a pleasant rest."

​He bowed slightly and pulled the door shut, the lock engaging with a quiet click.

​The moment she was entirely alone, April let out a long, heavy sigh. She didn’t bother changing or unpacking her small shopping bag.

She simply slid off her sneakers, walked over to the massive bed, and let herself sink deep into the luxurious, cloud-like mattress.

It didn’t even take long before the exhaustion pulled her under. And as her eyes fluttered shut, her mind drifted into a deep, dreamless, satisfied sleep.