Chapter 12: An Unwelcome Ghost
In early autumn, during the annual harvest festival, an unexpected visitor arrived at the valley gate.
A sleek black sports car parked on the gravel road outside the timber fence.
Victoria stepped out, dressed in a sharp beige linen pantsuit and designer sunglasses. She looked around the bustling farmyard—where hundreds of local families were laughing, eating freshly baked cornbread, and listening to bluegrass fiddles—with visible discomfort.
She walked toward the mill where Julian was helping load sacks of flour onto a tractor trailer.
""Julian,"" Victoria said, removing her sunglasses.
Julian paused, set the fifty-pound sack down on the wooden tailgate, and wiped his brow with a cotton bandanna. He looked at his former bride with calm, steady detachment.
""Hello, Victoria,"" Julian replied.
Victoria looked at his worn denim shirt, his tanned, muscular arms, and the calm, grounded stillness in his eyes. He looked entirely different from the nervous, desperate man she had discarded in Greenwich nine months ago.
""The merger in New York failed,"" Victoria said awkwardly, crossing her arms. ""My father is restructuring the firm. We... we heard about the agricultural grant awards your conservancy received from the federal department.""
She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
May you like
""My family is willing to drop the remaining civil claims against you, Julian. We could relaunch the business under a green-tech charter. You have the engineering credentials, and we have the venture capital connections in Boston.""
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