Chapter 482

Sophia scanned the surroundings, her brow furrowed.

"This is more complicated than I expected," she murmured to herself.

Ethan Roscente glanced at her sideways.

Sophia quickly analyzed the situation.

"Building a bridge would destroy the entire flower field. Those graves would have to be relocated too." She paused. "If we detour, we'd have to cross another mountain. Costs would double."

She frowned. "The flower farmers suddenly bringing up ancestral graves? Just a ploy to raise the price."

Ethan scoffed.

"You figured it out. Why waste time coming here?"

"I needed to see for myself."

Seeing her troubled expression, Ethan remained unmoved.

"Anything solvable with money isn't a real problem."

He led her down a shortcut toward the village entrance.

Sophia was surprised by his familiarity with the terrain.

"You've been here before?"

Ethan gazed at the flower fields, instinctively reaching for a cigarette before stopping himself.

"Yes."

As Sophia was about to press further, Zachary Evans's voice interrupted.

"Mr. Roscente. Miss Lowell."

She startled.

"Zachary? When did you get here?"

Zachary smiled politely.

"Just arrived."

In truth, they'd been followed since leaving the university.

He handed over a document.

"All floral supplies for Roscente properties will now be sourced from this village."

Ethan motioned to Sophia.

"Any other issues? Resolve them now."

Sophia gaped.

"That's it? It's settled?"

This was absurdly straightforward.

Zachary explained.

"Long-term contracts are more cost-effective than one-time compensation. Once this becomes a tourist site, profits will double."

Ethan gave her a sidelong look.

"The farmers are smarter than you."

Sophia bristled.

With his resources, she could've devised the same solution—settling land disputes while securing supply chains.

Typical Ethan Roscente.

After resolving the matter, Sophia wanted to sketch the scenery.

Had she known Bianca Savigny would appear, she wouldn't have stayed an extra minute.

Bianca wore a white dress, fresh as jasmine.

Her daisy-braided hair framed a shy smile among the blossoms—picture-perfect innocence.