Chapter 6

The private elevator doors slid open silently.

April took a deep breath, stepping out of the metal box and into the sprawling, minimalist expanse of the Central Park penthouse. It was massive, occupying two entire floors, and felt as cold as a museum.

Motion-sensor lights flickered on sequentially, illuminating the path ahead. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the breathtaking, glittering skyline of Manhattan, but April felt like she was walking into a high-altitude prison.

Bartholomew shrugged off his heavy coat, tossing it carelessly onto a white leather sofa. He reached up, loosening his silk tie, exposing the strong column of his neck and his sharp Adam's apple. He looked exhausted, yet dangerously attractive.

He pointed down the long hallway.

"The guest room is at the end on the right. You can sleep there tonight. The maids will organize your walk-in closet tomorrow."

April felt a massive weight lift off her chest. She nodded quickly, desperate to put walls between them.

Just as she turned to make her escape, Bartholomew's private cell phone rang. The sharp, urgent tone shattered the quiet of the penthouse.

He answered it. Instantly, the tired man vanished, replaced by the ruthless corporate predator. His jaw clenched.

April froze, her feet glued to the hardwood floor, as she caught snippets of the conversation.

"Port tariffs," he barked into the phone. "Poole Group."

Bartholomew's voice dropped to a lethal octave. "Tell legal to freeze the two bridge loans for Poole Logistics immediately. Yes, tonight."

He paced toward the window, looking down at the city like he owned it. "I want Gregory Poole to walk into his board meeting tomorrow morning and feel what real suffocation is."

April turned around slowly. Her eyes widened. She was witnessing the absolute, terrifying power he wielded. He was destroying her father's empire with a single phone call.

Bartholomew hung up. He turned his head, catching her staring. He didn't try to soften his expression. The violence was still swirling in his dark eyes.

"This is how I deal with parasites," he said coldly. "If you suddenly feel bad for your father, now is the time to back out."

April gritted her teeth. To his surprise, she shook her head firmly.

"I've been sick of that bloodsucking family for years. Do whatever you want to them."

A flash of genuine respect crossed Bartholomew's face. He gestured toward a heavy mahogany door.

"Come into my study. I need you to sign authorization forms to legally block Poole from accessing your personal assets."

April followed him into the massive study. It smelled of expensive wood polish and old paper. Original abstract paintings hung on the walls, screaming old money.

Bartholomew walked behind a massive walnut desk. He pulled a thick stack of documents from a drawer and handed her a heavy Montblanc fountain pen.

April sat in the leather chair opposite him. She began reading the clauses, genuinely shocked by how meticulously he had mapped out her family's financial vulnerabilities.

As she reached the bottom of the first page to sign, her eyes drifted past the edge of the paper.

Sitting right in the center of the desk, in the most prominent spot, was a glass display dome.

April expected to see a rare jewel or an antique watch. Instead, resting on a velvet cushion inside the glass, was a piece of paper. It was folded into a crude, lopsided paper airplane. The paper was severely yellowed and brittle with age.

It was a cheap, childish object that looked completely absurd in this temple of wealth.

April stared at it, her pen hovering in the air. "Is that some kind of top-secret corporate code?" she asked, genuinely confused.

Bartholomew followed her gaze.

The moment he saw what she was looking at, his entire demeanor fractured. The cold, calculating billionaire vanished. A look of intense, agonizing vulnerability-and deep affection-flashed across his face.

He reacted purely on instinct. He reached out and dragged the glass dome closer to his chest, shielding it from her view with his arm.

"It's not a secret," he said, his voice suddenly thick and raspy. "It's just a souvenir. From someone very important to me. A long time ago."

April's heart dropped into her stomach. The sudden, fierce protectiveness in his voice felt like a physical slap.

All the rumors she had heard in the high-society circles came rushing back. The legendary "childhood sweetheart" he could never forget. The white swan he kept hidden in his heart.

A bitter, acidic taste flooded April's mouth. She was just a pawn for his business, while he kept the memory of his true love under glass on his desk.

She let out a harsh, self-deprecating laugh. She quickly scribbled her name on the documents and slammed the Montblanc pen down onto the desk.

She stood up, her posture rigid, her voice dripping with ice.

"Sweet dreams to you and your little souvenir," she snapped.

She spun around and marched out of the study, her heels clicking angrily against the floor.

Behind her, Bartholomew opened his mouth to speak, to tell her the truth, but the words died in his throat. He let out a heavy, defeated sigh, his eyes dropping back to the paper airplane a six-year-old April had given him eighteen years ago.