Billionaire Moved Back to His Family Estate, Never Expecting His Childhood Sweetheart to Work There
Reacquainting with the Past
Left alone, Isaac and Zoe regarded each other cautiously.
She was the first to break the silence.
“I’m sorry about your father,” she said, her professional tone belied by the slight tremor in her voice.
“He was a good employer.”
“Thank you,” Isaac replied mechanically.
“I understand you’ve become an important part of the estate operations.”
Zoe nodded, a flash of pride crossing her features.
“I oversee the grounds and sustainability initiatives. Your father gave me quite a bit of freedom to implement new environmental practices.”
“That doesn’t sound like my father,” Isaac said with a hint of bitterness.
“He wasn’t exactly known for embracing change.”
“People can surprise you,” Zoe replied, a quiet challenge in her tone.
“Especially when you haven’t seen them in 15 years.”
The barb landed precisely as intended.
Isaac’s jaw tightened, but he maintained his composure.
“I suppose that’s true.”
Zoe took a deep breath, visibly shifting back into professional mode.
“Would you like to see your suite now? I’m sure you’re tired after your journey.”
“Lead the way,” Isaac said, gesturing toward the grand staircase.
As they ascended the stairs side by side, Isaac was acutely aware of her presence.
He noticed the light floral scent of her perfume, the confident rhythm of her footsteps, and the way she maintained a careful distance between them.
This wasn’t the carefree girl who had once known every corner of his heart.
This was a stranger who happened to wear her face.
“Your father renovated the East Wing master suite for you,” Zoe explained as they reached the second floor.
“He had it completed about 2 years ago.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
“Two years? He was that confident I’d return.”
“He never gave up hope,” Zoe said simply.
They continued down the hallway in silence until they reached a set of double doors at the end.
Zoe opened them to reveal a spacious suite that somehow managed to blend modern luxury with the estate’s historic character.
“The bathroom is through there,” Zoe indicated, stepping aside to let him enter.
“The closet has been stocked with basics and your luggage should arrive within the hour.”
“The desk has all the connectivity you’ll need for work, and there’s a private terrace overlooking the gardens.”
Isaac wandered into the room, taking it all in.
“He thought of everything, didn’t he?”
“He wanted you to be comfortable,” Zoe replied.
She hesitated before adding, “Your father changed a lot in recent years, Isaac, especially after his health began to decline.”
Isaac turned to face her.
“Did he tell you why I left?”
Zoe met his gaze steadily.
“He didn’t have to. I was there, remember?”
The weight of those words hung between them.
Yes, she had been there, the witness to their final explosive argument, the collateral damage of his decision to break free from his father’s controlling grip.
“I should let you get settled,” Zoe said, stepping back toward the door.
“Dinner will be served at 7 in the small dining room if you’d like to join, or I can have something sent up if you prefer privacy.”
“I’ll come down,” Isaac decided.
“It seems I have a lot to relearn about this place.”
Zoe nodded and turned to leave.
“Zoe,” he called after her, causing her to pause in the doorway.
“I never expected to find you here.”
She looked back at him, her expression unreadable.
“Life takes unexpected turns, doesn’t it? See you at dinner, Mr. Ellis.”
The formal address stung more than it should have.
As the door closed behind her, Isaac sat heavily on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his dark hair.
Of all the complications he’d anticipated in returning to Maple Creek, confronting the ghost of his first love hadn’t been one of them.
Dinner that evening was a quiet affair.
Isaac sat at one end of the ornate mahogany table that could comfortably seat 12, while Zoe occupied a chair to his right, maintaining a professional distance.
Mrs. Hoffman had excused herself, leaving them alone with their memories and the soft clink of silverware against fine china.
“The estate seems to be in excellent condition,” Isaac commented, breaking the silence.
“Father always was meticulous about maintenance.”
“We’ve made some significant changes over the years,” Zoe replied, taking a sip of water.
“The gardens are now completely organic. We’ve installed solar panels on the south-facing outbuildings, and the old greenhouse has been converted into a research facility for sustainable agriculture.”
Isaac’s eyebrows rose in genuine surprise.
“And my father approved all this?”
A small smile touched Zoe’s lips.
“Not at first. It took some convincing.”
“But when he saw the cost savings and the positive impact on the community, he became quite the advocate.”
“The Ellis Environmental Initiative has become something of a model for other estates in the region.”
“The Ellis Environmental Initiative,” Isaac repeated slowly.
“He named it after the family?”
“He was proud of the legacy,” Zoe said carefully.
“Especially toward the end.”
Isaac sat down his fork, studying her.
“You knew him well then, in his final years.”
Zoe met his gaze directly.
“I respected your father greatly. We didn’t always agree, but he listened. That’s more than many would do.”
“That doesn’t sound like the man I knew,” Isaac said, unable to keep the edge from his voice.
“People change, Isaac. 15 years is a long time.”
The unspoken accusation hung in the air between them.
Yes, 15 years was a long time.
It was long enough for a headstrong teenager to transform into the composed woman sitting across from him.
It was long enough for the bitter young man who’d fled this estate to become a billionaire tech mogul.
It was long enough for a controlling father to perhaps reconsider his ways.
“How did you end up working here?” Isaac asked, changing the subject.
“Last I knew you were determined to become a marine biologist, study coral reefs in Australia.”
A flicker of something, regret perhaps, crossed Zoe’s face.
“Dreams change. My father had a stroke the year after… after you left. The farm was struggling.”
“I came home from college to help, took some agricultural classes at the community college instead.”
“Your father offered me a job managing the grounds about 5 years ago, which allowed me to implement some of the sustainable practices I’d been studying while still maintaining our family farm.”
Isaac absorbed this information, feeling a twinge of guilt.
While he’d been building his empire, life had continued here without him, filled with real struggles and changed dreams.
“I’m sorry about your father,” he said sincerely.
“How is he now?”
“He passed away 2 years ago,” Zoe replied, her voice soft.
“My mother moved to Florida to be near my sister.”
“I stayed to run the farm.”
“Zoe, I—”
“It’s fine,” she interrupted, her professional mask slipping back into place.
“It’s ancient history.”
She stood, smoothing her napkin beside her plate.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to review some proposals for tomorrow. Mrs. Hoffman usually handles breakfast at 8 unless you’d prefer a different time.”
Isaac stood as well, propriety ingrained despite the years away.
“8 is fine.”
Zoe nodded and turned to leave, but Isaac called after her.
“Zoe, wait.”
She paused, looking back at him expectantly.
“I’d like a tour of these environmental initiatives tomorrow if you have time. I should understand what’s happening on my property.”
Something flickered in her eyes, surprise perhaps or a hint of the connection they once shared.
“Of course, Mr. Ellis. We can start after your meeting with the attorney. Good night.”
As she disappeared through the dining room door, Isaac remained standing, feeling like he’d both won and lost something in that brief exchange.
The woman who’d once known him better than anyone now addressed him with the formal distance of an employee.
He’d built a billion-dollar company from scratch, but somehow winning back Zoe Taylor’s trust seemed like the more daunting challenge.
