My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin novel Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Be My Partner

"Thank you, Madam. It has been an honor to work on this garden."

Gratitude and farewell.

Those were the words Castor wanted to express to Ashley. Just like everyone else, he had been waiting for her decision. But until now, she hadn’t brought anything up.

Not because she was busy.

Rather, Ashley had told him they would talk about it once the garden was complete. By then, things would be easier—or so she said.

But since tomorrow was their last day, Castor had already made peace with the idea that his contract was over. Although he had other projects lined up, he also listened to his people and understood their willingness to continue working with Ashley.

The work was stable, the pay was higher, and the environment wasn’t as exhausting.

Ashley smiled in understanding.

"Thank you, Castor," she replied appreciatively. "I’m glad Dominion is already part of your clientele. Otherwise, I don’t think this garden—or anything else—would have turned out the way I imagined without you."

He chuckled. "It’s all thanks to your blueprint from Madam Liza."

"No," Ashley shook her head. "The proposal was just a guide, but unlike the original plan, things turned out very differently."

If anything, they simply followed the principles of the blueprint to create the best environment for the trees and the greenhouse.

Ashley turned on her heel and faced the garden, smiling in satisfaction.

"And now that I’m looking at it, I feel like I’ve forgotten what it used to look like," she said.

From what she remembered, it had been filled with flowers—beautiful ones that only grew within this mansion, thanks to the soil and the gardener who had carefully maintained them.

Then there was the barren state it had been reduced to... after she vented her anger on the garden, foolishly thinking that destroying it would make Lucian kick her out.

"Now, look at this forest," she whispered, her eyes softening. "It smells like nature."

Castor also stared at the mini forest they had created, nodding. "It really does feel like we’re closer to nature."

Even though the mansion was vast and surrounded by land, everything had once felt artificial—carefully controlled for aesthetics. But now, this space felt different. Though it wasn’t as expansive as a real forest, the air itself felt fresher.

Castor fell silent, simply admiring their work with a smile.

"When I first took this project, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t skeptical," he admitted, turning to Ashley. "But over time—especially after seeing the results—I realized I’m grateful I accepted it."

His tone deepened with sincerity. "Madam, thank you again for trusting my people and me. Even if this is the end of our contract, I’ll never forget this experience."

"As they say, we keep learning every day—and this project taught me a lot," he continued, referring to how even he, with years of experience, had learned from Ashley and Betty, who were only just starting out.

"If you need people, I’ve prepared a list of recommendations—those who can help with the plantation, the garden, and even soil packing. They’re experienced, and I’m confident in their capabilities," he added. "I’ll hand it to Betty later."

"Thank you," Ashley nodded appreciatively. "Even after the contract ends, I’m grateful you’re still willing to help."

"Haha. It’s the least I can do."

She chuckled softly, taking a deep breath as she clasped her hands behind her back. Then she tilted her head, watching the workers in the garden.

"So, this is the end of our contract, huh?" she murmured.

Castor nodded quietly, standing a few steps behind her.

But then, the words that followed made him frown.

I guess... we just expected too much, he thought. At the end of the day, Dominion is still Dominion. And the Madam is still the Madam.

All these sentiments... I can’t expect her to feel the same way. How foolish of me... of all of us—

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