The Billionaire in Disguise

Wreckage in the Fields

დ Elara დ

The email came in just after sunrise.

✉Subject: Final Site Survey – Rourke Technologies Project Confirmed

I didn’t even open the email. I didn’t need to. My phone trembled in my grip, and I set it down on the kitchen counter. Maybe harder than necessary, but the whole thing just pissed me off. I poured myself a cup of coffee, and still my hands trembled with anger. I stared out the large window as I took a sip of the coffee. The world outside looked the same. Vines stretched far and wide in the distance. The early morning dew clung to everything, and I watched as birds darted through the pale gold haze. But it wasn’t the same. Not anymore. Not with the changes. Rowan walked in, shirtless and half asleep. He yawned as he scratched his chest.

“You are up early,” he remarked, his voice still heavy and rough with sleep. I turned my gaze back to the window.

“After all this time, they finalized it,” I muttered.

“Huh?”

“Rourke Technologies,” I spat the name out as I grabbed my phone off the counter and shoved it at him. “When nothing more was said and done, I thought it was over…apparently not,” Rowan squinted at the screen, and then he groaned.

“You have got to be kidding me,”

“Nope,” I slammed the cabinet shut harder than I should have before I set down the cup I had taken out for him. “Four farms, Rowan…they bought out four entire family farms for this…and they didn’t even blink,” he leaned against the counter and rubbed his eyes.

“Let me guess…all in that east stretch by the creek?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Right across from us. We will be staring at glass walls and power grids instead of wildflowers and wheat,”

“Son of a—”

“I know,” I cut him off. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. That knot in my stomach? Not going anywhere either. “It’s not just the view,” I said. “They are draining the water table. The land is already shifting. I mean, did you notice the lower vineyard? The soil is pulling back. We have lost three rows to rot in two weeks,” Rowan’s jaw locked tight. “They promised to stay out of Willowridge,” I whispered. “They said they would expand Thornebay, not take over this town, too,”

“They promised a lot of things,” he muttered. I looked down at my coffee and wondered when exactly it had gone cold. Rowan took the cup and poured himself a cup of coffee just as the kitchen door creaked behind us. We both startled at the sound. We were used to having the place to ourselves.

“Everything ok?” Cole asked as he walked in slowly. He hesitated, almost as if he didn’t want to intrude. His hair was still damp from the shower he had taken, and his sleeves were rolled up like he actually meant to help with something. I looked at him, and then back at Rowan, who was suddenly very interested in stirring honey into his coffee.

“Fine,” I said, too quickly. Cole took another step closer.

“Are you sure?” he asked. Rowan pretended like he was in his own world. I sighed softly as I handed my phone to Cole.

“It’s just…this,” I said, and he took my phone, and I watched as he read through the email. And because I was watching him, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was gone just as quickly.

“They are building this…here?”

“Across the east field. Willowridge Creek backs right into it,” I stated as I took back my phone.

“And that’s a problem because…” Cole’s voice trailed off, and I scoffed.

“Because it used to be farmland. Because people lived there. Good people who worked hard on that land for generations. And now it’s just gone. Bought out, buried, and soon to be replaced with concrete and server rooms,” I explained, but Cole didn’t speak. Rowan finally finished playing with his coffee and turned to face us.

“This isn’t just some tech upgrade. This is a hostile takeover. We lose a few more feet of water pressure, and the vines dry out. The restaurant goes under. Tasting tours stop and the winery dies…and that’s just how this mess affects us, never mind anyone else,” Rowan said, his voice sharp and cold. Cole’s jaw twitched.

“I didn’t realize it was that bad…” he said, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. What did he know about any of this anyway? The man didn’t even remember his family.

“Well, it is that bad, and it’s only going to get worse,” I spat out. The silence that followed was thick and heavy with tension. Cole looked at me curiously.

“And there is no way to stop it?” he asked curiously, and I shrugged.

“Not unless you have got a billion dollars and a miracle in your back pocket,” the anger dripped off every word, and Cole looked away. Rowan finished his coffee and muttered something about checking the lower irrigation system. He brushed past Cole on his way out, and the tension was thick enough to slice. I started cleaning up, but my gaze kept wandering over ot the large window.

“It must be hard,” Cole said softly from behind me. “Watching something you love get swallowed whole,” I didn’t say a word. He had no idea how it felt. “I didn’t mean to make it worse,” he added, and I frowned.

“You didn’t,” I said as I looked at him. It was the way he said it that made me feel uncomfortable. I wasn’t even sure why. I studied him closely and I saw that the cut on his cheek had almost healed. The bruises had started to fade. But there was just something about his eyes that bothered me. It was as if he was hiding something. But what? Maybe he had remembered something? I was just about to ask him when Cole stepped back.

“Is there anything I can help with?” he asked.

“Um…we have grapes to pick,” I said softly, and he nodded.

“That is something I can help with,” he actually looked pleased that he wasn’t useless. I looked back out the window and across the field, and the sun broke fully over the hills. The vineyard stretched into light. And somewhere, just past the edge of our land, the future started building itself one cold slab of steel at a time. I hated it. I sighed as I walked away. It didn’t do me any good. There was nothing I could do about the situation.

“Let’s go,” I said to Cole. “Those grapes won’t pick themselves,” he chuckled, but for some reason, the whole thing just felt weird. I liked him. Cole was thoughtful and kind. He was interested in the winery and, well, me. I liked that when he looked at me, it was as if he only saw me and no one else. It made me feel special. I pushed aside my anger as we headed outside. We had work to do. The rest of it could wait.

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