Chapter 40
Austin quickly agreed and immediately called the workers to grab their tools and head up the slope. Ophelia watched their retreating figures, her brow furrowing slightly. "We just had heavy rain, and the soil is saturated with water. If it triggers a small landslide, we'll be in trouble."
"Don't worry, Austin is experienced, he'll handle it." William stood beside her, his voice steady. "I've already had my assistant contact a geological survey team. They'll be here first thing tomorrow morning to do a full inspection and ensure the construction is safe going forward."
Ophelia turned to look at him. Rain-dampened strands of hair clung to his forehead, but it didn't diminish the certainty in his eyes. From deploying the emergency response team before the storm to arranging the geological survey now, he always seemed to think ahead of her, giving her a complete sense of security.
"What are you thinking about?" William raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing away a blade of grass stuck to her cheek, the gesture natural and tender.
Ophelia's cheeks flushed. She instinctively stepped back half a step, avoiding his touch, her voice a bit unnatural. "Nothing, just... thank you."
"We're partners, you don't need to keep thanking me." The smile in William's eyes deepened. "Besides, I'm happy to have your back."
These words, carrying undisguised favoritism, made Ophelia's heart feel like it had been lightly tickled by a feather, stirring up a fine itch. She turned her face away, pretending to look toward the distant construction site, hiding the warmth on her face. "Let's head back to the model house. We still have project details to go over."
They walked side by side toward the model house. The air after the rain was especially fresh, the scent of grass and trees mixed with the moist smell of earth washing over them. The path beneath their feet was still somewhat muddy. William deliberately walked on the outside, occasionally reaching out to steady her. Each time his fingertips touched her arm, it made her heart skip a beat.
Back at the model house, Nolan had already prepared hot water and clean towels. Ophelia took a towel and wiped her face. She had just sat down when William handed her a cup of hot chocolate. "Drink this to warm up, don't catch a cold."
The warmth of the hot chocolate slid down her throat into her stomach, dispelling the damp chill from her body. Ophelia held the cup, watching William pour himself one too, and suddenly spoke up. "You always seem to have endless things to do, yet you keep hovering around this project. It's not worth it."
William looked up at her, his eyes serious. "To me, it's worth it." He paused, his gaze settling on her face. "The project's potential is one thing, but more importantly, my partner is you."
Ophelia's heart jumped violently. The cup in her hand shook slightly, hot chocolate splashing out and scalding her fingertips. She hastily pulled her hand back, but William caught it.
His palm was warm, wrapping around her cool fingers, gently rubbing the burned spot, his tone both reproachful and concerned. "How can you be so careless?"
The close contact made Ophelia's heartbeat instantly spike. She could clearly smell the faint woody scent on him, mixed with the freshness of rain, making her a bit dazed.
"I... I'm fine." She forcefully pulled her hand back, her cheeks red enough to drip blood. "I'm going to check on Austin's situation."
With that, she practically fled from the model house. Behind her came William's low laughter, making her steps even faster.
Outside the model house, Austin was leading workers in piling sandbags at the foot of the slope to reinforce the protection. Seeing Ophelia approach, he quickly came over. "Ms. Blake, don't worry. We've already dug drainage ditches along the slope. Even if it rains again, we won't have to worry about water accumulation."
Ophelia nodded, her gaze sweeping over the construction site, watching those busy figures. Her heart gradually settled.
Soon, the last piece of glass for the resort's observation deck was installed. Sunlight poured down, refracting into shimmering light.
Ophelia stood at the mountaintop, looking at everything below, and let out a long breath.
The past six months of hard work hadn't been in vain. From revising blueprints to on-site supervision, from emergency response during storms to dealing with Ainsley's various schemes, it had finally paid off.
The natural mountain forest remained undamaged. The natural hot spring area was wreathed in mist. The wooden boardwalk along the lake wound and curved. The guest rooms and leisure areas were hidden among green trees. It looked comfortable.
"Ophelia, all areas passed inspection!" Della ran up breathlessly, holding thick reports. "Water, electricity, fire safety, security protection—all A's!"
Ophelia took the reports and flipped through them. Every page had clear signatures. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up. "Everyone worked hard. Tonight, have the kitchen add extra dishes to really reward the workers."
"Okay!" Della ran down cheerfully to spread the word. The workers' cheers could be heard from far away.
William had somehow appeared beside her, holding a bottle of water. "Congratulations, you got what you wanted."
Ophelia took the water and opened it, drinking a sip. The cool liquid slid down her throat, dispelling the heat from her body. "Thank you too. You helped me out of trouble several times."
Without his advanced security deployment, Ainsley's tricks with poisonous snakes and substandard materials might have really caused problems for the project.
William smiled without saying much, just turned to look toward the resort. "Come on, let's check out the hot spring area again. I heard you specially adjusted the water temperature control system?"
"Yes, during testing, I felt the temperature was a bit too high, so I adjusted it to the most comfortable level." Ophelia walked and talked. "And the soundproofing in the guest rooms—I had workers add double-paned glass to ensure guests can rest without disturbance."
They walked side by side, chatting about various project details, the atmosphere relaxed and natural.
Halfway down the mountain, car horns sounded from below.
Della ran up to report. "Ophelia, Mrs. Smith's convoy has arrived!"
Ophelia's heart stirred. She straightened her clothes and went to meet them.
Mireille's car had just stopped when Luca got out first and opened the door.
Mireille stepped down energetically, followed by several core executives from the Smith Group.
"Grandmother." Ophelia went forward, her tone respectful.
Mireille didn't rush to speak. Her gaze swept over the resort's full view, her eyes examining, then she slowly nodded. "Not bad. You haven't let down my expectations."
She walked forward along the wooden boardwalk, carefully inquiring about various details.
"How is the hot spring water temperature controlled?"
"What's the weight limit for the observation deck?"
"During peak season, when there are more tourists, how will you ensure service keeps up?"
Ophelia answered each question clearly and organized. From equipment parameters to emergency plans, she explained everything clearly. Even Austin, beside her, secretly admired her.
When they reached the hot spring area, Mireille stopped, feeling the warm, moist air around them. She turned to the executives behind her. "Look, this is what it looks like to do work with genuine care and dedication."
She looked at Ophelia, her eyes full of approval. "Ophelia, you've done very well with this project. You've preserved the natural charm while balancing modern comfort. That's rare."
Ophelia was about to say something modest when Mireille changed her tone, raising her voice so everyone present could hear clearly. "From today on, the operational rights for the resort's future management will also be fully entrusted to Ophelia."