Chapter 12 Highland Resort
Time passed swiftly. Apart from the occasional, uninvited visits from Dominic, Noelle rarely saw anyone else at Matthew’s place, especially women.
Over the past few days, Dominic had managed to become familiar with Noelle, thanks to his unabashed forwardness.
Noelle was lounging on the couch, casually sketching lines in a sketchbook she held in her hand.
Noelle was enrolled in the Faculty of Fine Arts, which completely shocked the bigwigs. The prodigy of the computer science world had gone off to study painting, leaving everyone wondering what was going through her mind.
Noelle felt somewhat helpless, and she really had no idea. There wasn’t much left for her to learn in the Faculty of Computer Science, and after looking at other majors, she only found a slight interest in painting.
In truth, Noelle was quite talented in painting, particularly in sketching swiftly. She never had formal training in the art form. In the past, sometimes her assignments required her to sketch, and she had picked up a bit through her own exploration.
Perhaps most importantly, Noelle was fully aware of her intentions. She was at this university simply to pass the time, and the Jart department, compared to others, was a bit more relaxed in terms of time management.
Curiosity piqued, Dominic leaned over to get a glimpse of Noelle’s sketch, reacting with visible astonishment.
“Is this Matthew? Hey, you can’t deny the resemblance. Matthew, come over here and see.”
Upon hearing Dominic mention that he had been the subject of Noelle’s artwork, Matthew, who was engrossed in his laptop across the room, felt a stir in his heart.
Looking up, his face instantly darkened.
Setting down his notebook, Matthew walked over and tugged at Dominic’s shirt collar, guiding him to the side before settling down himself. What a fool… Just look at the sketch. Why the need to stand so close?
Dominic was left speechless. The jealousy is just too overwhelming. Forget it. I’m not going to argue with an old man who has never been in love.
With a smile playing on his lips, Matthew studied the sketch in Noelle’s hands, asking in a soft voice, “May I have this, Elle?”
Noelle paused for a moment before giving a sincere nod.
“It’s just a piece of paper. Besides, you’re the one who bought this sketchbook.”
Indeed, the art supplies that Noelle used were all bought by Matthew.
After learning about Noelle’s major, Matthew prepared a complete set of tools for her.
Upon hearing Noelle’s clueless words, Dominic almost burst into laughter. It was as if Matthew was wasting his flirtatious glances on someone who was blind.
Remembering his purpose, Dominic cleared his throat and asked, “Little Noelle, do you want to go out and play?”
He had gone there bearing significant responsibilities, and the others were extremely curious about Noelle.
Several others were indeed very curious about Noelle, but Matthew simply wouldn’t take her out, nor would he allow them to visit.
They couldn’t bring themselves to mimic Dominic’s shameless, clingy actions, so they tricked Dominic into luring Noelle
out.
Noelle didn’t bother being polite with him either. “I don’t want to.”
“Come on. I, along with Matthew and a few others, have jointly opened a resort. It hasn’t officially opened to the public yet, so why not go and have a firsthand experience?”
Dominic somewhat knew that Noelle didn’t like crowded and lively places, and thus, he catered to her preferences and subtly persuaded her.
2:35 PM
Chapter 12 Highland Resort
+8 Pearls
“On such a hot day, it would be nice to escape to the mountains for some relief. Once you start your classes, you won’t have the time to do so.”
Upon hearing Dominic’s words, Matthew immediately understood his intentions. Noelle’s classes were about to start, so she wouldn’t be cooped up there with him for much longer.
If she was willing, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to introduce her to those few individuals. In case anything happened, at least there would be people to turn to.
These people were always defensive, regardless of their actual thoughts. Hence, they would always show some level of protection toward Noelle in public.
Considering that, Matthew turned his gaze toward Noelle. “Do you want to go, Elle? There won’t be any strangers, just my three friends.”
Seeing Noelle’s hesitation, Matthew added, “If you don’t want to see them, we can just do our own thing. The facilities over there are pretty comprehensive. I haven’t visited the resort since it was completed. Would you like to come with me and check it out?”
Noelle ended up going with them. It was a resort located on a hill on the outskirts of Jamore.
They had purchased an entire mountain. The grandeur of the main gate at the mountain’s foot was awe–inspiring. On a massive boulder, a line of words was engraved in a style that seemed to depict a dragon soaring and a phoenix dancing. The line read: Highland Resort.
The security system was stringent, and the resort was arranged with a high degree of sophistication.
It was evident that the place would be frequented by the wealthy and the elite in the future. Once officially open for business, it was destined to be a venue where money flowed in every day.
“You guys really know how to make money.”
Noelle was left speechless. She thought the money in Jamore couldn’t match what they were earning.
Upon hearing those words, Dominic instantly swelled with pride.
“Not bad, right? All of this is thanks to my efforts.”
Indeed, there was no denying the truth of that statement. They had acted on a whim at the time.
Those few people first planned to purchase a mountain to build several mansions to be used for vacations when they had
some free time.
They pooled their resources, with Dominic bravely volunteering to take charge of the matter.
Dominic was a playful soul. Given that the place was meant for vacations, it was only natural to incorporate some entertainment facilities. Otherwise, it would be dreadfully dull. The group wasn’t short of money, so they let him do what he wanted.
As things escalated, they finally decided to open for business to the public, leading to the size it had become that day.
They had cordoned off a piece of land at the top of the mountain, where they built several mansions. It wasn’t open to the public, serving as their private area.
Once again, Noelle marveled at the disparity between the rich and the poor. Wealthy people certainly knew how to live it up, even going as far as buying a mountain for a vacation.
After getting out of the main vehicle, they switched to the resort’s tour bus. The scenic landscape all along the way was enchantingly beautiful. Aside from the resort’s staff, there was truly no one else around. The bus stopped in front of a building located in the middle of the resort.
They soon arrived at the resort’s restaurant. The trio took the elevator up to the top floor and entered the largest private room, where three people were already seated.”
Noelle looked at the few people inside the room. These must be the friends Matthew mentioned who jointly invested in this resort.
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Chapter 12 Highland Resort
+8 Pearls
After a quick glance, Noelle realized that, just like Matthew and Dominic, these people were all at the top of the pyramid, the elites of society. The National Security Agency even had files on them. She matched their faces with the information she had previously seen in their profiles.
Zeke Hans had a bit of a jock vibe to him. He was a serving soldier and a grandchild of prominent and influential senior officials. His family had a long and impressive history of military achievements. One could say his family was a prestigious family.
The patriarch of his family and Lorenzo were on the same team, one in politics and the other in the military. The two families had a close relationship. He was the same age as Matthew, and they could be said to have grown up together.
Joseph Flemming was a man of refined elegance yet with a hint of rebelliousness. Much like the Sholl family, the Flemming family had a long history of engaging in business, possessing an impressive heritage.
It was worth noting that Joseph’s mother, Rita Quill, was a renowned author and a luminary in contemporary literature.
The Quill family was renowned for their scholarly lineage. Their influence and reputation could be said to be incredible. The principal of the prestigious Jamore University at that time was indeed a product of the Quill family.
Ryleigh Wheelock was the one who left the deepest impression on Noelle. One could say he was the uncrowned king of the underground circles in Jamore.
The Wheelock family primarily developed their business abroad, engaging in the arms trade.
Because of his unspeakable collaboration with the military department, he had become a person of interest to the National Security Agency. Every time he crossed the border, a record was kept..
Among the younger generation in Jamore, aside from Matthew, the only other person others acknowledged with respect was Ryleigh.
The two of them, one involved in legal activities and the other in illegal activities, presented an interesting contrast.
