After dinner, Dante settled into the barn, tossing the gear he had brought into the area designated for the night caretakers.
Since he wasn't at his father's ranch, he had to improvise a bit.
The monitoring area featured a small folding bed, a knitted blanket for warmth, and a heater.
Electricity had been installed in the barn earlier to provide light at night, facilitating calving and veterinary work when necessary.
According to Murphy's Law, cows always seem to choose the coldest nights to give birth, and coyotes often seize the opportunity to sneak around in the middle of the night.
Well, the law didn't explicitly say this, but it suggested that in unprotected areas, problems always arise at the least convenient times.
Tonight, Dante's job was to keep an eye on the calves while monitoring the surveillance cameras.
With only a few cows left to calve, the task was far easier than during the busy spring season.
All Dante had to do was make regular rounds to check on the cows, and the rest of the time he could stay in the cubicle, napping when possible, like a camper on a quiet night.
This job was usually done by his workers, but as a good boss, Dante often took shifts on the established farms. His presence showed his workers that he respected and valued their labor.
Dante spent a lot of time with his workers, not only observing them but also fostering close relationships to instill a sense of duty—perhaps not a monumental one, but enough to keep his organization thriving.
This approach was how he had built such a prosperous operation.
At least Dante didn't have to worry too much about what happened within his organization.
While glancing at the security cameras, he saw Julia step out of the main residence, seemingly to smoke.
He left the monitoring area, approached the house, and asked, "Can't sleep at night?"
"I sleep at most five hours, then get sleepy again and go back to bed. Don't worry, my sleep cycle was broken long before I got to this ranch," Julia replied, her demeanor more relaxed, as though she'd found the confidence she needed around Dante.
Dante nodded slightly, sat down on a hay bale, and then asked, "Did you really just help the wrong person, and now they want you dead?"
"It's a clash of egos. If someone bothers you enough to hurt your organization, you kill them. Isn't that how it works? That's how things are between powerful people, and people like me are constantly exposed to idiots like that," Julia said plainly.
"Fair enough." Dante nodded, thinking he was one of those idiots who would kill Julia if she betrayed him.
Julia smiled faintly and said, "Honestly, I'd thought about disappearing a long time ago, but thanks to you, I found the right moment to do it. And trust me, I don't regret it."
This place was perfect for people under stress to release all the darkness in their hearts.
Nature, after all, is the purest way to find inner peace without needing to close old chapters.
Dante believed this because he had felt it himself.
"Thank you…"
"There's no need to thank me. You offer your skills in exchange for something fair. When things calm down, the security here will be much lighter, and you'll have the freedom to move around Montana as you please," Dante said as he stood up.
Julia lit another cigarette and remarked, "Boss, you seem like an honest man, but that trust you have in people shouldn't last—it could hurt you easily."
"If it were someone else, they might misinterpret your words," Dante replied without turning back, continuing on his way.
"But you're different from the rest…" Julia murmured as she flicked the cigarette to the ground and went back inside.