Elijah set his utensils down and took a brief pause. “It’s not the same.”
“Where’s the difference?” Elizabeth finished off the grilled meat she’d bought and shot him an annoyed look.
Elijah’s face grew serious. “It’s a place I used to go when I was a kid. It’s got some meaning to me.”
Elizabeth looked at the skewers in her hand, her mind drifting to her own childhood memories, the ties that connected her to those moments.
She didn’t feel like arguing. After all, they were getting divorced soon—what he chose to eat would soon be Sandra’s problem.
Changing the subject, she asked, “How was the site visit? Is there any commercial potential in Esterhall?”
If Elijah decided to invest in Esterhall, his financial power and vision could elevate the local economy.
Discussing work seemed to calm Elijah. “The main strength of Esterhall is its natural hot springs. But Fayedge hot spring already has a relatively strong name, and the other sites aren’t in prime locations. Investing more wouldn’t lead to significant returns.”
While Esterhall had numerous hot springs, none of them were widely recognized.
Back when Elizabeth was in college, a wealthy businessman had leased the largest mountain with hot springs, built a hotel, and transformed the place into a hot spring resort, even earning the title of “the finest hot spring in the country.”
However, the businessman lost interest, and the resort’s development came to a halt.
“Why not buy Fayedge hot spring?” Elizabeth suggested. “It would definitely be a hit.”
With the drama Agarwood airing—featuring Katrina and Asher—and the recent online hype, it was sure to be a huge success. Jade Lake, where the main characters fell in love, had already sparked a rise in tourism in Foxfire County, and the surrounding areas were set to benefit from the popularity.
Additionally, Soren intended to release it during Christmas, the perfect season for hot springs.
“I’ve thought about it as well,” Elijah said. “I offered a price above market value, but they’re still refusing to sell.”
Elizabeth bit her lip. “The owner clearly doesn’t have much business acumen, yet they’re holding onto the park. Perhaps they’re waiting for a better offer.”
Elijah hesitated for a moment before saying, “Oliver mentioned the executives believe the owner is seeking someone. They intend to stay put for now, so selling is off the table.”
“Esterhall only has a few hundred thousand people. If they haven’t found this person after all these years, they’re either long gone or were never here at all.” Elizabeth paused, letting her thoughts wander before adding, “Now that I think about it, I’ve never actually been to Fayedge.”
“You’ve never been?” Elijah asked, clearly surprised.
Elizabeth rested her chin in her hand, absentmindedly poking at her food with the other. “Fayedge was built after I left for college. I only came back during the holidays and would leave the same day. Never had the chance to check it out.”
Elijah placed his utensils down, his eyes casually scanning her profile. “I didn’t seal the deal today, but the resort manager gave me some tickets to Fayedge Park—includes accommodation and full access to the hot springs. Would you like to go?”
“Of course!” Elizabeth exclaimed, pulling out her phone to call Camille.
Before Elizabeth could say anything, Camille started grumbling. “Elizabeth, this place is so dull. I can’t believe you grew up here—there’s nothing to do. I was thinking of going to Fayedge tomorrow, but every hotel is booked.”
After letting Camille finish venting, Elizabeth casually said, “Elijah has a few tickets to Fayedge. Want to join us?”
A loud shriek came through the line. “Oh my god, you’re a lifesaver!”
Elizabeth pulled the phone away from her ear. “Okay, get ready. See you at the hotel tomorrow.”
Elijah was left speechless.
All he could do was watch as she transformed what was meant to be their date into a group outing.
