Chapter 556
After lunch with Danielle, Shermaine set off for Maple Leaf Ville with Janice and Owen. They took a helicopter, so the trip only took about two hours. The winter sun was warm and bright that day. The sky stretched overhead in a clear, cloudless blue. Even though the temperature was below 50°F, the sunshine took the edge off the chill, making the day feel surprisingly pleasant.
As the helicopter flew over stretches of farmland, a vast expanse of lush green meadows came into view, stretching endlessly before their eyes. On the grasslands below, cows and sheep wandered lazily, grazing and strolling without a care in the world. Scattered across the landscape were charming cottages, small arched bridges crossing gentle streams, and thin curls of smoke rising from chimneys, making the place look like something out of a fairytale.
Among the nearby hills, one stood out in particular as it was completely blanketed in blooming camellias. The sea of flowers was so beautiful, it took their breath away. Tourists who came here couldn’t hide their excitement. They snapped photos nonstop from sightseeing trams, eager to capture everything their eyes saw.
Beyond the natural beauty, the area’s facilities were impressively modern and high-tech. On top of that, the ranches were spotless, almost unbelievably clean. Thanks to Lily and Ruth’s tireless promotion efforts last year, Maple Leaf Ville had skyrocketed to become the country’s most popular tourist destination. The once-struggling village chief and local elders had gone from barely scraping by to becoming millionaires.
After all, the business potential here soared to hundreds of millions in just one year, making this place one of the most profitable and sought-after spots in the nation. Moreover, milk from their dairy cows was shipped all over the world. And their sheep, too, raked in millions from their last sale. Plenty of people from nearby towns tried to buy land, move in, or purchase property here, but every single one of them was turned down.
Only the original villagers were allowed to come back, settle down, and build a life here. Outsiders weren’t permitted to own any property or assets at all. All the businesses here were run exclusively by the villagers. When their businesses were too much to handle, they would hire extra help. Finally, the helicopter touched down, and the village elders had been waiting patiently for their arrival.
As soon as Shermaine stepped out, they broke into excited cheers. It had been so long since they’d seen her, and they’d missed her dearly.
“Ah, this place is incredible,” Owen exclaimed as he stepped off, breathing in the fresh air. He felt completely recharged already.
Ruth had once invited Janice to visit, but she had turned it down back then. Now, thinking about it, she realized she should’ve come sooner to relax. She agreed, “It really is a wonderful place.”
Shermaine chatted and caught up with Jay and the other villagers. Soon after, Jay led them to their villa so they could unpack and settle in. It was the same villa Shermaine had stayed in before. Over the past two years, it had been cleaned regularly, so it was still spotless and just as welcoming as she remembered.
Gracie was clearly loving this place–her smile was brighter than ever, and her laughter rang out even more carefree than usual. Guided by Jay, the whole family took their time exploring the area.
Meanwhile, Shermaine couldn’t help but think, ‘There’s still so much potential here. For example, if we levelled the eastern hill, we could build an amusement park. It’s far enough from the ranch that it wouldn’t disrupt the peaceful atmosphere or beautiful landscape. And we could upgrade the local facilities to cut down on manual labor by having fully automated hotels, self-service supermarkets and all that, where everything would be built around the new amusement park. It would be perfect!’
In the blink of an eye, another half month slipped by. Shermaine stayed busy. On one hand, she continued treating the villagers. On the other, she meticulously upgraded every robot in town, including overhauling the sightseeing vehicles so they ran smoother and performed better than ever.
Back in Basterel, with Bradley’s help, Joshua had finally gotten a full handle on the York Group’s projects and operations from the past two years. He took off his glasses and rubbed his temples, feeling the weight lift just slightly.
Bradley reported, “Mr. York, I have a new update. Our long-term partner, Fadele Technology, recently had their contract with us expire. Their new CEO, Ian Reagan, arrived in Basterel two days ago and is currently staying at one of our York Group hotels. But certain parties are already making moves to win him over.”
Fadele Technology held crucial core technologies in new energy, which were exactly what York Group needed. If they failed to renew the contract, it would mean a significant loss for the company. After all, Fadele Technology was the top player in that field at this time.
Joshua asked, “What’s Ian’s stance?”
Bradley replied, “The Kennedy family is offering him exceptionally high profit margins. Ian is clearly tempted, but he’s still weighing his options.”
“Where is Ian at the moment?”
“To win him over, the Kennedy family’s eldest son is throwing a lavish cocktail party tonight at his multi-million dollar mansion. They even invited Michelle Aniston as a special guest to help sway him.”
Joshua frowned slightly. He had no idea who Michelle was.
Bradley explained, “Michelle has been one of the country’s most popular actresses these past two years. She actually looks a bit like Mrs. York.”
Then, he thought to himself, ‘However, the odd part is that no one knows if she was born that way or if she had some work done, especially her eyes. Strangely enough, maybe because of her impressive talent in both music and acting–or perhaps thanks to her carefully crafted public image–most of Mrs. York’s fans never attacked her. Instead, they often felt a kind of warmth toward her. Her resemblance to Mrs. York, paired with her own achievements, reminded them of Mrs. York, which made them feel a sense of familiarity toward her.’
People often remarked that truly exceptional individuals always seemed to share similar features. Shermaine was a legend, and Michelle wasn’t far behind–there was hardly an instrument she couldn’t play.
Bradley thought, ‘But now that Mrs. York had returned, seeing Michelle would definitely make Mr. York uncomfortable.‘
To Joshua, Shermaine’s beauty was something no one could ever replicate. He thought, ‘True beauty lies in the soul, not just in the face.‘ Even if someone looked exactly like her, they could never share her spirit; no matter how perfect the imitation, he would always recognize his Shermaine. Joshua finally spoke, his voice firm and steady. “Sheary is one of a kind. There’s no one else like her in this world.” Then, he added, “Get the car ready.” Bradley immediately went to carry out the order, thinking, ‘Now that Mr. York is stepping back into the game, those wild, reckless players in the business world had better brace themselves because their time is up.‘
Night fell over Yaleview Hospital as the dinner hour approached. After hiding away in her hotel room for half a month, Emma finally decided to step outside tonight and invited Danielle to dinner. She still seemed deeply haunted by the night she had almost been killed. Danielle agreed to meet for dinner since she wanted to talk to Emma about her leg treatment anyway, so they decided to meet at a steak place a few blocks away from the hospital.
When Danielle arrived, Emma was already sitting inside the restaurant, calmly sipping on a glass of juice. Seeing her walk in, Emma gave a faint smile. “Ms. Shelly, you’re here.”
Danielle could never quite get used to being addressed so formally. “I’m really not that much older than you. Just call me Danielle.”
Emma insisted. “Ms. Shelly, why don’t you go ahead all first? Order whatever you like.”
Danielle paused. ‘This woman is definitely doing this on purpose,‘ she thought. Keeping her expression neutral, she took the menu. In truth, Danielle wasn’t a fan of raw food, especially raw meat. So when it came to steak, she would order at least a medium-well one, fully cooked. Naturally, she focused on the other cooked dishes on the menu.
The restaurant itself was nearly empty, but Ross‘ bodyguards, following his strict instructions, stood watch outside the restaurant the entire time.
Meanwhile, that morning, Ross had received a call from the police informing him that Damon would be arriving at Wallington International Airport at 8 PM. Believing Damon’s purpose was likely assassination and retaliation, Ross arrived at the airport well before eight, ready to coordinate with the police to apprehend him the moment he landed.
However, Ross couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t add up. He wondered, ‘If Damon really came for revenge, how did the police manage to get his information so easily?‘ Back in the day, Damon ran a massive criminal syndicate, so he definitely wasn’t clueless when it came to covering his tracks.