He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 694

With that, Madeleine grabbed Scarlett's arm and marched briskly forward.

Trailing slightly behind, Julian watched his grandmother—who was in her seventies and still walked with the commanding presence of a general—and then looked at Scarlett's equally confident stride. He pressed his lips together, a soft realization hitting him.

His grandmother, his mother, and Scarlett... they were all cut from the exact same cloth. Fierce, ambitious, and utterly vibrant women who refused to be sidelined.

There was a saying that men always fell for women who reminded them of their mothers. Was it just written in the stars that Scarlett was meant to be... his?

The sudden, startling clarity of the thought made his ears burn red, even though there was no one around to tease him for it. He quickly cleared his head, lengthening his stride to catch up with them.

—

Madeleine's property in Bay City's historic district was beautifully preserved, exuding a rustic, timeless charm. It was her personal sanctuary, and though she didn't live there full-time, she often spent a few nights a week there to recharge.

In the kitchen, the taro was boiling away in a pressure cooker before being transferred to a bamboo basket. Together, they peeled and mashed the warm, fluffy taro, blending it with flour to form a smooth dough.

Scarlett and Julian crowded around the island, working seamlessly as her sous-chefs. The kitchen was filled with laughter and easy conversation, which naturally drifted toward Thorne Industries and their controversial S-Class cultural tourism town project.

However, before she could even discuss those technicalities with Thorne Industries, Veronica had eagerly signed on with Flynn Group, turning her nose up at Croft Design Studio. Naturally, Scarlett had kept her mouth shut and her data to herself.

She hadn't realized her silence on the matter was now directly causing her mentor so much stress.

Scarlett was just about to speak when Julian beat her to it. His voice was calm and steady. "Grandma, actually, Scarlett and I were in talks for that exact S-Class project a while back. But when Thorne Industries decided to partner with Flynn Group, and we became aware of the massive structural risks, we pulled out. If I'm hearing you right, you want to halt their construction completely?"

"Of course I do!" Madeleine said fiercely. "I've already escalated it to the highest heritage preservation authorities. The Breeze Pagoda is a treasure, and its survival is on the line. I refuse to sit back and watch it get destroyed by a bunch of profit-obsessed sharks!"