I stare at the text longer than I should.
Maybe being an idiot is not what I need right now.
Maybe what I need to be is a billionaire.
The thought settles in, heavy and familiar, like slipping back into a suit that fits too well.
I jam the car into gear.
The Aviary is everything Sunrise and Salt is not. It is dark and cold, all leather, low lighting, and quiet power. No windows. No warmth. No visible work. The kind of place where nothing is made, only moved.
It smells like money, old deals, and cologne that costs more than most people’s rent.
Rex Chen is already there, sitting in a corner booth like he owns it. Which, honestly, he probably does. He holds a glass of something amber, swirling it slowly, like he is thinking.
He looks exactly like what he is.
A shark in a five-thousand-dollar Tom Ford suit.
“You look like hell, Leo,” he says as I approach, not bothering to stand. His eyes flick over me, sharp and assessing. “And you smell sweet. It’s unsettling.”
“Long day,” I say flatly as I slide into the booth across from him. “What do you want, Rex?”
He smiles like I just asked him his favorite question.
“I want to make you richer,” he says, taking a small, precise sip. “And I want to help you get the girl.”
My head snaps up so fast I feel it in my neck.
“What?”
“Oh, come on,” he says, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m not blind. And I’m not stupid. I have eyes on you. You’re smitten. And you’re blowing it.”
I bristle. “You don’t know anything about her.”
He slides a slim, leather-bound proposal across the table, cutting me off.
“You’re trying to be something you’re not, Leo,” he says, voice calm and certain. “You’re trying to be a baker.”
He shakes his head slowly, disappointment practiced and theatrical.
“You’re not. You’re a king. You build empires. So, build her one.”
My jaw tightens.
He taps the folder with one finger.
“Sunrise and Soul.”
“I told you,” I growl. “She will never go for it. She hates scaling. She wants soul. And not the kind you are offering.”
Rex leans forward, elbows on the table. His voice drops. His eyes sharpen.
“You’re not listening.”
He never raises his voice. He does not need to.
“She doesn’t want to scale,” he continues. “She wants something more. I saw the viral clip. Cute kid. Great PR. Real heart tugger.” His lips curve. “But noble does not pay the bills.”
