After a moment that felt like forever, he finally said, "Come here." His voice was raspy, barely more than a whisper.


    ra didn''t dare challenge him and slowly made her way over.


    He radiated heat, and his neck glistened with sweat. The towel was useless now; he got up slowly and sshed cold water on his face, droplets soaking into his robe.


    "Mr. Dn, you''re still battling that cold."


    Dn leaned over, sshing his face a few more times, but his voice remained gritty. "So, what do you think we should do?"


    ra was stumped. The medicine Scarlette had given her wasn''t ordinary; it even had a strong-willed guy like Dn struggling. A regr person would''ve probably caved by now, and who knew how long the effects wouldst?


    Dn was already sick and in physical therapy, so any extra trouble from this ordeal would be on her conscience.


    ra stood by the sink for a few seconds before blurting out, "Should I find a girl for you?"


    Dn''s breathing hitched at her suggestion. The tension in the room vanished, reced by a cold, cutting intensity.


    "Get out."


    A shiver ran down ra''s spine as she felt his anger for the first time. She didn''t dare say another word, slowly opened the bathroom door, and left.


    In her bedroom, she was restless and worried about Dn.


    Two hourster, Dn finally came out of the bathroom. He was back in his wheelchair and didn''t even nce at her as he headed to his room.


    ra wanted to ask about his cold, but his icy demeanor kept her silent. The next morning, she got up early and bumped into Aiden on her way out. Aiden was leaving Dn''s room, and his gaze turned frosty when he saw her. "Ms. ra, here''s the n for the farm support project. We''ve got a female employee to help you. Everything''s on the schedule, and she''s waiting in the lobby."


    ra nced at Dn''s door and asked, "Is Mr. Dn doing okay?"


    "He is meeting with the head of South Ashfordter to talk about tourism development, which is different from your farm support project."


    In other words, don''t bother Dn.


    ra didn''t want to see him anyway. She hurried to meet the female employee in the lobby.


    The girl, Addison, greeted her politely but with a hint of distance.


    ra had the schedule in hand, and partners were waiting outside. As they walked out, she briefed Addison on the essentials.


    "This year, the rain made the apples smaller. No one''s buying them, and they''re piling up unsold. We''ve got ten days before they spoil, so we need to act fast."


    As soon as she got in the car, thunder rolled, signaling rain.


    Addison looked worriedly at the sky. "ra, we still have to visit the orchard. The roads are remote, and if it pours, we might not be back untilte."


    ra frowned. The apples were still on the trees, and a storm tonight would cut their shelf life shorter. With no buyers, online sales seemed like the only option.


    "Addison, get us a live-streaming setup. Ferguson Corporation has apany in live streaming. See if they can feature us on the homepage; we''ll have plenty of traffic then."


    Addison bit her lip, concerned. "Are we starting the live stream tonight?"


    ra nodded, eyeing the darkening sky. "Set up a temporary tent in the orchard, get the lights ready, and coordinate with the partners to have everything set. Once we''re there, we''ll talk to the streamingpany and start selling online."


    Through online channels, they might just sell those apples.


    Addison hadn''t expected ra to think of a solution so quickly. She figured they''d sell the apples cheap to a juice factory.


    She made the calls immediately.


    Three hourster, they arrived at the orchard. A temporary tent was up, and heavy clouds loomed, threatening rain.


    ra adjusted the lights and called the streamingpany. They agreed to give them a homepage spot.


    ra put on a raincoat and handed one to Addison. From the moment she got out of the car, she hadn''t stopped. Every step was organized, and Addison realized she couldn''t match ra''s efficiency. "ra, you''re not quite what I expected."


    ra didn''t reply and calmly called the project partner. "Hello, have the farmers agreed on a price? What are they willing to ept?"


    The answer surprised her.


    "Sixty cents per pound?"


    In previous years, it was eighty cents. They probably dropped the price by twenty cents due to the smaller size.


    ra paused, "Can we list them for nine dors and ny cents for ten pounds?"


    There was a pause on the other end. "Ms. ra, that price might not sell."


    "Let''s try. If someone''s willing to pay, the farmers won''t make a loss." "Alright, thank you."


    ra hung up, set the price, and coordinated the purchasing process with the live-streaming team before sitting in front of the camera.


    She wasn''t used to facing so many viewers. But it was just her, Addison, and the driver. Though her time with Addison was short, ra sensed her shy nature and instinctively took on the task herself.