The end of that Saturday brought about some changes to the Yamazaki family, but Akira was not affected by the occurrence. She continued living her life without caring too much about external factors, including the aftermath of the disastrous day.

Even though the Old Master tried to keep things under wraps, the grapevine in Mountain Ridge was powerful. People found out a few things about the Yamazakis and discussed them with some excitement.

For instance, everyone knew that the Old Madam was sent to the hospital after being pushed to the brink by her daughter. She was not diagnosed with a specific disease, but she became lethargic and restless after the event. Home care was not sufficient, so she was taken to a live-in medical facility.

Also, according to the rumour mill, Makiko was served with divorce papers by her husband. No one could believe it because the Yamazaki family was much better than the Satou family. The matter was discussed in hushed whispers in Mountain Ridge until it blew up.

The escalation was attributed to a self-proclaimed insider on MR Circle who exposed that Makiko had moved to a condo after being kicked out of the Satou family due to irreconcilable differences. Someone also exposed the fact that Makiko was abandoned by the Yamazaki family.

Akira did not participate in the gossip, but she took a little pleasure in seeing Makiko's life fall apart.

After that day, Akira split her time between the Yamazaki mansion and the apartment complex near Elements. Most of the time, she stayed in the apartment because it was convenient. She could work at home with ease and check on the restaurant when free.

She did not see Kaito since he was stuck in Tokyo due to some problems in Shuriken Logistics. Still, he called and texted constantly, though their conversations were mostly nonsensical. Unfortunately, he could not return to Mountain Ridge for the moment.

Over a month passed without unusual incidents in Mountain Ridge.

And then, excitement struck the city again like a powerful wave.

The cause for the excitement was the confirmation of the commencement of the Clarion Extreme project. Mountain Ridge was a wonderful place for aristocratic families, but it lacked fun features. The most that people could do was go out shopping and have dinner at a restaurant.

The construction of a racetrack promised to turn the boring city into a place of interest.

Under normal circumstances, the xenophobic aristocrats from the older generation would have opposed any new business that was not owned by one of their own. However, in recent years, a lot of people from the younger generation left Mountain Ridge due to its bland nature.

This problem was serious because a lot of families had the core of their businesses in Mountain Ridge. When their descendants refused to remain there, the companies suffered quite significantly.

For this reason, Wang Che and his new motor city were welcomed with open arms into Mountain Ridge. A lot of families were also looking forward to the new business opportunities that would come with the establishment of Clarion Extreme.

Of course, some parties were also displeased with the development. The dissatisfaction had nothing to do with the racetrack itself. It was the decisions made by Wang Che concerning the construction process.

According to the agreement made with the local government, Wang Che had to use a local company for the construction to empower the local economy. This agreement was designed to maximise the benefits for the residents of Mountain Ridge.

The frontrunner for the contract was the Kadowaki family because they were only a little short of the five great families. Furthermore, they were supported by the Narita family, a giant in the financial market.

Unfortunately, they were all disappointed when Wang Che chose a company not based in Mountain Ridge. The selected contractor enterprise was known as Arai Construction. It was a locally registered business, so Wang Che did not violate the agreement.

Despite the dissatisfaction, the local families attended the Clarion Extreme banquet organised to mark the commencement of the project. Wang Che invited all the important stakeholders in Mountain Ridge to ensure that he did not face opposition once the construction began.

Akira was not planning to attend the Clarion Extreme banquet at first, but her mother and father insisted on it. They did not allow her to refuse. So, she could only cave in and dress up for the evening party under the pleading gaze of her mother.

"You should be a little more sociable with people your age. Don't put all your attention on work." Sayaka instructed Akira as they entered the venue of the party at Malachite Hotel.

"Your mother is right. You are still too young." Daiki added. "You need to explore the world a little more. Do not be stubborn and set your sights on only one thing. Life can be exciting."

Actually, the two wanted to tell Akira not to be hung up on the Takahashi boy who had flirted with her before disappearing. There was plenty of handsome fish in the sea.

Even though their beloved daughter did not show it, she had to be heartbroken after being dumped. They wanted her to see there were other fine young men in Mountain Ridge.

Akira was speechless. She knew they had some misunderstanding towards her because she was staying at her apartment more. It was better to let them misunderstand than tell them that she could not get used to staying in a house with so many people.

If she mentioned the word 'privacy', they would probably jump to conclusions and assume she was unhappy with the Yamazaki family.

The three of them were welcomed into the banquet with glasses of champagne. The venue was quite lavish and beautiful, giving the impression of an old English ball in a castle. Moreover, everyone was dressed up, enhancing the appeal of the space.

The young ladies were like peacocks as they strutted around. Some of them hoped to catch Wang Che's eye. Even though he had broken ties with his family, he was a self-made rich man, and his appearance was top-notch. A chance with him would guarantee a good life.

Akira did not know a lot of people at the banquet except for her uncle's family. So, her mother and father dragged her along from one place to another and introduced her to their friends and business associates and their sons.

Akira's lips twitched as she understood that her parents were using the banquet as a matchmaking ceremony for her. Did she look like she couldn't find anyone for herself?

"Uncle Daiki, Aunt Sayaka, how are you?" A young man approached them as Daiki and Sayaka were looking for their next target.

The couple's eyes lit up as they looked at the handsome person. The more they looked at him, the more they regretted not thinking of him sooner. He was the perfect candidate for their daughter to forget the scum man.

"Hajime, how have you been? We have not seen you for a while." Sayaka smiled happily.

"I joined the company officially and have been learning a lot. I have not had time to go anywhere." Hajime replied.

"Oh, so that is the case. It is good for you to learn more. But do not work too hard and forget to take care of yourself." Daiki was pleased with the boy.

At twenty-three, he was hardworking and a good match for Akira. They could communicate better and had more similarities and more topics to discuss. He was more suitable than the over twenty-eight scum man who had broken his daughter's heart.

"Have you met our daughter Akira?" Sayaka pulled Akira forward to present her.

Hajime's eyes lit up like stars. He had heard a little about the girl from his teacher, Elder Yamazaki. The girl was the mysterious A.Y. whose calligraphy pieces were considered national treasures. Naturally, he idolised her as a young calligrapher himself.

He assumed that she would be a dull and ugly girl who spent all her time perfecting her calligraphy. But looking at her, she was the epitome of perfection. In addition to her scholar skills, her beauty and aura met his standards perfectly.

He had met numerous girls, but no one could compare to this lady.

His heart beat faster, and his cheeks reddened a little as he smiled graciously at Akira.

"I am Takahashi Hajime. Nice to meet you."