Chapter 290: Bill Isn’t Completely Blind

Just as the heated conversation reached its peak, I pushed open the door and entered, carrying a cool demeanor. “Well, isn’t this lively?”

Bill froze the moment he saw me, looking as uneasy as a guilty man caught in the act. He hurriedly put down the bowl in his hands. “Zoey? What are you doing here?”

I raised the food container I was holding. “Dad, I heard you were busy, so I brought you something to eat.”

Sadie, ever the jealous one, glared at me and muttered, “Copycat.”

I placed the food container on the table in front of him. “So, Dad, whose cooking are you going to choose?”

Bill looked torn, his face etched with the kind of struggle only a father can feel. On one side was Sadie, his long-pampered darling. On the other was me—someone he couldn’t afford to upset.

After a long pause, he finally said, “Sadie, I had your cooking last night. Tonight, I’ll try what your sister made.”

At least he wasn’t foolish enough to pick Sadie. My food was made to save lives, while hers might just end his.

Sadie pouted, clearly unhappy. “Hmph, you’re so biased, Dad.”

“Fine, fine,” Bill sighed, trying to appease her. “Leave it here; I’ll eat both.”

Sadie, sensing a chance to assert her position, didn’t even bother concealing it from me. “That’s more like it. Dad, I want to work at the company.”

But Bill didn’t hesitate to shut her down. “No way.”

“Why not?” Sadie stamped her foot. “Dad, there are no sons in this family. I’m just trying to help you out so you’re not overworked.”

“You haven’t studied finance or management. How exactly are you going to help me? I’ll agree to anything else you ask, but this is non-negotiable. I have important documents to handle. You should leave now.”

Sadie stamped her foot again, shot me a glare, and stormed off.

Once she was gone, Bill sighed and rubbed his temples. I unpacked the food I had brought, setting it neatly on the table. “Why not let her work here?”

Bill shook his head. “Setting her identity aside, I know my own daughter. She’s great at enjoying life—parties, food, and fun. But business? Not a chance. And now she’s involved with Ashley. The sudden interest in the company is more about helping him than me.”

I chuckled gently. “At least you’re not completely blind.”

Bill shot me a sharp look and chided, “That’s no way to talk to your father. I’m still your elder.”

I handed him a fork with a grin. “Alright, elder, eat up. I brought this just for you.”

The man was easy enough to figure out—straightforward and stubborn, a classic no-nonsense traditionalist. He responded best to a soft, charming approach, which Zoey could never master, leaving Sadie an opening.

“Did you really make this yourself?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I told him bluntly, “You wish. Do I look like I have that kind of time? The Boltons’ cook made it. Relax, I’m not about to poison you. I haven’t inherited your empire yet.”

“You’ve got some nerve, girl. I don’t know where you got that attitude.”

He was grumbling, but he started eating. As he ate, I wandered around his office, casually inspecting the place. “Has that woman been here?”

“Twice, to drop things off,” he admitted without hesitation. He probably knew I could verify his words if I wanted to. Given they were plotting to kill him, I doubted the attempts would stop at tampering with food. I suspected there might already be hidden cameras in his office, carefully placed to monitor his every move. Bill didn’t stop me as I poked around, lifting items and peering into corners.

“Well, you’ll be interning soon anyway. If you’re interested in business, you can start at one of the branch offices. If I ever decide to go back to the country, you can take over this company.”

“Haha, as if I care,” I replied, feigning disinterest. Truthfully, Carter had already helped me move my stash of gold bars to our marital home. With that kind of fortune, I could literally sleep in a bed of gold, waiting for its value to skyrocket. Why would I bother to work hard?

Bill, however, had grown to understand my quirks and no longer treated me as rigidly as he had before. He finished eating quickly—true to his workaholic nature—and waved me over.

“Since you’re here, look over this proposal.”

The document was a development plan for Eastburgh. I recognized the area. Before my so-called death, I’d heard that it was set to become the next big economic zone in the next 20 years. What was once a desolate suburb was about to undergo a transformation, with tycoons scrambling to snatch up land in preparation. Bill had managed to secure a piece of it—the very lot I’d once submitted a bid for. “Well, it turns out you are the one who won this piece of land.”

I felt a pang of nostalgia. If I hadn’t died, would Luke have won the bid instead?

“What’s the matter?” Bill asked, sensing my pause.

“Nothing,” I replied, flipping through the pages. Gardner Group’s plan was to build office buildings and a commercial district. If the area developed as predicted, property values would soar, dragging everything around them upward.

“What do you think?” he asked, clearly testing me. He wanted to see if I was as shallow and useless as Sadie.

I commented, “The plan is decent, but it’s far from maximizing the potential.”

“Oh?” His interest was piqued. “Go on.”

I pulled up a map of Eastburgh and said, “Dad, you obviously caught wind of the government’s intentions to purchase the land, but until now, there hasn’t been any formal announcement. Even if the higher-ups are in agreement, political shifts can change everything. If the strategy changes, who’s going to work in office buildings in the middle of nowhere?”

“Let’s assume the area develops as planned. You’re not the only one who knows about it. Local companies in Snowville and even the Boltons will jump in. Everyone’s first instinct will be real estate, but let’s face it—real estate is no longer the goldmine it was 20 years ago. The market’s saturated, and the returns are mediocre at best.”

Bill shot me a glance and didn’t dismiss my points. “So, what’s your idea? If not real estate, what would you do with the land?”

“Ecotourism. Nowadays, fewer people go abroad for vacations. Domestic travel is the trend. This land is perfect—it’s by the sea and backed by mountains. We could create an integrated tourist attraction with an international theme park and a zoo. And since Snowville has long winters, we could add a winter wonderland. It’d attract visitors year-round.”

“With that kind of traffic, we could build luxury hotels, vacation homes, and shopping centers. The investment would be high, but the returns would dwarf anything real estate could offer. Even if the area doesn’t develop as planned, we wouldn’t lose out. But if it does, we’ll ride the wave and minimize risks.”

Bill’s perception of me changed completely. “You’ve been out of school for so long. How do you know all this?”

“Don’t forget I married Carter. He taught me. Sadie can keep her little tricks; I don’t care for them. Sadie could never learn what I know. Gardner Group may be ahead now, but real estate is a dying industry. To stay ahead, you have to innovate. The future belongs to AI and renewable energy.”

Bill’s approval was clear.

“If you’re interested, you can start shadowing the secretaries.”

I shrugged it off arrogantly and said, “I’ll think about it. Anyway, I’m leaving. I’ll take this trash out for you.”

Bill waved me off, unconcerned. “Go ahead.”

As I left, I took the food Sadie had brought, handing it to a bodyguard outside. “Take this for testing.”