Chapter 156: Flight Of The Seer
April stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening in genuine bewilderment.
A helicopter. A highly agile, dual-seat tactical helicopter. She had originally planned how she would get an aircraft much later—once her hillside fortress had reached Phase Three of its structural reinforcements.
But just like Alexander had completely beat her to securing a ground vehicle, Xavier had now gone and completely beat her to the skies.
"Samuel actually gave me the suggestion a while back," Xavier explained, walking up to stand beside her, his hands resting easily in his pockets as he watched her stunned expression. "He pointed out that if the roads ever become entirely blocked or infested, a ground vehicle will only trap you. And if at all you need to leave your fortress, it is far more efficient to simply fly over the danger than drive through it."
He looked down at her, a hint of genuine pride and satisfaction returning to his eyes as he watched the bewilderment in her features.
It seemed he had picked out the perfect gift and now, he was on the same level ground as the rest of them.
"I know how to fly one. So, I am going to teach you myself." He said, his voice still holding that hint of pride. "It is significantly more difficult than learning how to drive a car, but looking at how quickly you pick things up, I am certain you will master it."
He gestured toward the cockpit. "We’ll just need to establish a strict schedule for your flight lessons."
April was very compelled to ask how much he had spent on this machine, but she kept her mouth shut. If he wanted to spend his money to please her, then it was only right that she accepted it. Besides, this way, he didn’t have to feel like he was being ignored or forgotten in the background anymore.
"Thank you, Xavier," she whispered, taking a few slow steps closer to the helicopter. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the cold carbon-fiber plating of the cockpit door. "Samuel really thought ahead on this, and you made it happen in less than twenty-four hours. I can tell you put a tremendous amount of effort into securing this."
Xavier’s chest subtly expanded as he watched her inspect the machine, a deep sense of quiet pride radiating from his posture. "I can only afford to give you the best, Miss April."
April let out a slow, heavy sigh, completely unclogging the last traces of lingering tension from her chest. The air between them felt remarkably light now.
"By the way," she said, looking around the empty hangar, "where did Samuel go?"
"Because our schedule shifted this morning, I redirected him," Xavier replied smoothly, stepping up to join her beside the cockpit. "I asked him to immediately procure the necessary assets for your new flight. High-grade aviation fuel, oil, diesel, and gasoline. Enough to last you a lifetime. Once the bulk purchase is finalized, and your fortress has finalized its construction, my logistics team will begin transporting them directly."
"Ah, thank you, Xavier," April said, her eyes shining with quiet appreciation. "I was actually planning to address fuel resources by the end of the week."
"It’s not a problem, Miss April," Xavier said. He reached up, his fingers calmly adjusting the knot of his silk tie. A soft, slightly self-deprecating but incredibly relaxed smile touched his face. "I’d like to think that even if I am the most ’boring’ of the bunch, I can at least be the most efficient and dependable one."
April nodded, turning her head back toward the sleek aircraft. He keeps making reference to our conversation last night, she thought, a faint amusement stirring in her chest. But it’s fine. As long as he’s no longer sulking in his study.
"So," Xavier called out, gesturing toward the open cockpit doors, "would you like to learn the basic instrument panels before we head out for that meal?"
"Do I?" April turned her head to look at him, her eyes completely free of their usual clinical detachment. "Just thinking about it makes me excited."
Xavier’s hand froze mid-gesture.
"Honestly, I’ve never been in a plane before," April said, her voice dropping into a softer, slightly melancholic register as she looked up at the ceiling.
For a brief second, the dark, suffocating memories of her life as a maid threatened to creep in. "Sometimes, I would look out the window and watch the birds fly. I used to imagine myself having wings. I thought if I could just fly, I would escape the hell I was trapped in, and they would never be able to find me or drag me back to it."
She paused, the faint shadow of her past-life ghosts dissipating as quickly as it had arrived. She shook her head, a bright, genuine spark returning to her eyes as she locked her gaze onto Xavier.
"But now, I have a helicopter," she said, and a sudden, beautiful, and completely unforced smile broke across her face. Her lips curled upward, the warmth of the expression completely transforming her sharp features. "This is the kind of thing that gets my lips curving, Xavier. Take note."
Xavier stood frozen.
The breath caught in his throat, his heart taking a violent, erratic leap against his ribs.
The cold, sterile hangar seemed to completely vanish around them. He had spent days watching her flat, deadpan expressions, her clinical calculations, and her polite, professional masks.
But right now, she didn’t look calm. She didn’t look professional. She looked like a woman who had asked for the stars and had just been handed them directly in her palms, her eyes dancing with a light he had never seen before.
He felt his heart race in that moment, but he closed his eyes to try and force his heart to steady as his own lips curled into a deep, incredibly relieved smile.
Maybe he should have found a way to barge into her schedule or interrupt whatever she had going on, the way the others did. Then she would have gotten her gift early, and he wouldn’t have had to ponder so much about how he was always left in the background.
"I have myself to blame," he whispered silently to himself.
But he didn’t regret his patience, but hearing her words from the previous night had brought him absolute clarity.
"I have noted it," Xavier murmured, his voice thick with a quiet, profound warmth as he opened his eyes and stepped forward to open the cockpit door for her. "And I intend to keep making them curve. Shall we begin, pilot?"