I never expected to encounter her here, especially as a representative of the property developer.
I wondered, wasn't she in the hotel business? How did she end up in real estate development?
Could it be that they wanted to build a hotel in our village? That didn't make sense; we didn't have any significant attractions nearby.
Today, she was dressed in a simple yet elegant manner, standing out as the most prominent figure in the crowd.
A few old bachelors in the village couldn't help but drool when they saw her.
She noticed me too, wearing a surprised expression.
Since our last encounter in her office, where Hardy exposed my secrets, we had parted ways unhappily.
I knew I had a tarnished reputation in her eyes, and since we weren't close, I chose not to greet her.
She did the same, giving me just a glance before continuing with her work.
After the village director quieted everyone down, he began discussing the agenda.
Only then did I understand that they weren't here to build a hotel. Instead, their hotel had won the bid, and they chose our village as the development demonstration site.
In simple terms, they aimed to create a beautiful rural area. The scale of the project was significant, with the village director implying an investment of millions.
After the village director's introduction, it was Seraphina Bloom's turn to speak.
Standing confidently at the forefront, she greeted everyone, saying, "Hello, everyone. I'm Seraphina Bloom. I believe the director has already explained everything. This time, we represent the government in land acquisition. Our team has inspected the site, but only a small number of houses will be affected by this demolition."
Her name was Seraphina Bloom, a lovely and international-sounding name!
As she spoke, the villagers started whispering, discussing the idea of developing together.
For the impoverished, the capital for a turnaround lay in the hands of developers during demolitions.
I was worried too, but conflicted. On one hand, I didn't want our ancestral home to be demolished. When I was in dire straits, I didn't let my mom sell the house – it was the only thing my father left in this world.
Yet, I needed this money to restart.
The village director signaled for quiet, and Seraphina Bloom continued, "Don't worry; even though not all houses will be demolished, we will acquire all the land in your village. Each of you will receive a certain dividend, and your houses will be included in the renovation."
After hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It meant that even if the house wasn't demolished, they could still receive some money, though not much.
A servant next to Seraphina Bloom stood up, holding a list and began reading names, "Next, the head of each household whose name I call, please stand up. If your name isn't called, please remain seated... Alex Phoenix..."
After my father's death, I became the head of the household.
I hadn't expected to be on the list; this meant our family was confirmed for demolition.
In total, seven families were on the list. Seraphina Bloom glanced at me again, but her expression remained icy.
Following that, the seven of us were taken to the next room, and Seraphina Bloom came in with a folder.
"You are all involved in the housing demolition in this land reform. There will be a lot of work in the future. First, please fill out this form," she said, handing each of us a sheet.
It contained information about the houses and the number of people living in them.
When she handed me the form, she finally spoke to me as she stood by my side, "I didn't expect to find you in this village."
I smiled faintly, replying, "I didn't expect you to be the developer for this demolition."
"I'm not a developer, just the winning bidder for the government's tender in your area," she corrected.
"Same difference," I said, beginning to fill out the form.
After finishing, Seraphina Bloom called me aside, saying, "After the meeting, take me to your home."
"Why?"
"I want to inspect the situation."
"Didn't your team already do that?"
She coldly replied, "I feel it's necessary to visit your home."
Hearing her tone, I felt uncomfortable and retorted, "Is it because of the incident when I leaked customer data? You're biased against me."
She didn't answer, but I knew it was the reason.
I had gotten used to it – used to the peculiar looks people gave me over the past year.
After the meeting, Seraphina Bloom followed me to my house in her Maserati.
Stopping in front of my yard, she examined our house with seriousness, looking left and right and even glancing around the vicinity.
Seemingly unsatisfied, I understood. She didn't want our house included in the demolition.
Impatiently, I said, "Are you done looking?"
Seraphina Bloom smirked coldly, "Shouldn't you be trying to please me now?"
I glanced at her, saying, "Why should I? Do you know that all the villagers are bringing me gifts? They hope to be included in this demolition. Don't you think so?"
I sighed, "To be honest, I'm conflicted too. But I won't force it. If you want to demolish, go ahead; if not, forget it."
Seraphina Bloom remained silent and walked into the yard.
As we raised chickens and ducks in our yard, there was a distinct smell.
This was because the neighbors rejected my mom, causing a few poultry to mysteriously disappear each time they went outside. Later, my mom simply raised them in our own yard.
After smelling the odor, Seraphina Bloom wrinkled her brow and fanned the air in front of her with her hand, seemingly disgusted.
I said, "This is how it is in the countryside. If you can't get used to it, just leave."
"Why are you so unfriendly to me? At least, I was invited by your county. Even if the county leader came, you should show some respect."
I scoffed, waving my hand, "What does that have to do with me? I'm just an ordinary person."
My mom, who had been busy inside, walked out upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Seraphina, she asked, "Alex, who is this young lady?"
I replied irritably, "A developer, here to inspect the house."
My mom, hearing my words, became enthusiastic and quickly brought a chair for Seraphina to sit.
I said to my mom, "Mom, don't be so polite. She's leaving soon."
"Who said I'm leaving?" Seraphina Bloom glanced at me and said to my mom, "Auntie, can I go inside? Can I go to the rooftop?"
My mom eagerly nodded, saying it was possible. She then pulled me aside and whispered, "Hurry up and take her around! She's a developer. I'll bring out some oranges for her."
If it weren't for my mom's enthusiasm, I wouldn't have been so welcoming to Seraphina Bloom.
It's not that I'm heartless, but she hadn't given me a good face. Why should I flatter her?
Despite my mom's advice, I still led her into the house, and then she headed straight to the rooftop.
Our house, without exaggeration, was the tallest in our village, a five-story structure that looked particularly imposing.
Upon reaching the rooftop, she gazed into the distance as if planning something, deeply focused.
After a while, she turned to look at me and said, "Your house is quite large! In the past, it would probably be considered a landlord's residence!"
"Your family is the landlord. This house was built with my own money, without relying on anyone."
Seraphina Bloom turned to face me, finally revealing a hint of a smile.
Very beautiful, like a blooming flower.