Holding Jesse's hand, both wearing masks and hats to stay low-key, William drove them to the airport. As soon as they entered the VIP lounge, the captain of his private jet, Gene, approached to greet him and gestured politely, "This way, please, Mr. Devonshire and Miss Barrett."
Seeing Jesse's nervous expression, William couldn't help but squeeze her hand and whisper, "Don't be nervous. Just think of it this way: I'm William Devonshire. As my woman, even if you want a private jet, it's just a matter of asking me sweetly a few more times in bed."
"Ugh, you're so annoying!" Jesse laughed, playfully slapping William's arm. "So, how many times would I need to ask you?"
"That depends on your attitude and how long you can keep up during workouts," William teased with a grin.
"We'll see about that," Jesse shot back, giving him a glare before pulling him into the private cabin as soon as they boarded. Whatever they did in there remained a mystery until a flight attendant knocked on the door to announce that the plane would be landing in 30 minutes.
When Jesse finally emerged, her glowing complexion made it obvious that something enjoyable had transpired. The two flight attendants exchanged glances, giving William a wistful look, then stared daggers at Jesse, who was firmly holding his hand.
Sitting back in his seat, Jesse leaned close to William and whispered, "I think they want to kill me."
"You need to understand, dear Jesse," William said with a smirk. "I'm William Devonshire, the most eligible bachelor in the world. And here you are, my woman, after knowing me for less than a day."
"Haha," Jesse giggled, leaning in to kiss his cheek. Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed, "It still feels like a dream being with you."
"Spend more time with me, and you'll get used to it." He kissed the top of her head. "By the way, there's something I'm curious about."
"What is it?" Jesse asked, looking up at him.
"Since you're so passionate about wine, why didn't you try to find a job in the wine industry?"
Resting her head on his shoulder again, Jesse sighed. "Those professional wine DVDs are expensive. It wasn't until I had saved up some money that I dared to start learning. And to get a job in the field, you'd at least need a degree in wine studies from a university. I didn't even finish high school. Without compromising myself, how could I possibly land a decent job?"
"Well, from now on, you can learn however you want, because I'll need your help managing a vineyard," William said.
Hearing that William needed her gave Jesse a sense of security, and her worried expression softened into a joyful smile. "Okay," she replied firmly.
Half an hour later, the plane landed. Standing at the cabin door, William spotted two of his Expendables team members, Christmas Lee and Gunnar, waiting by a Rolls-Royce.
"Good morning, Boss," they greeted him.
"Good morning, Christmas, Gunnar," William replied, then gestured toward Jesse. "This is my girlfriend, Jesse Barrett."
Turning to Jesse, he introduced, "Jesse, these are Christmas and Gunnar, my old buddies."
"Hello, Miss Barrett," Christmas and Gunnar said, exchanging a glance. Though a hint of resignation flickered in their eyes, they greeted her politely.
"H-hi, nice to meet you," Jesse stammered nervously, waving at the two hulking men who looked like anything but gentlemen.
Seeing that Jesse was intimidated by the two burly men, William laughed and held her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, they look rough, but they're great guys." He added, "Let's get in the car. We'll talk more once we get to the house."
"Got it, Boss," Gunnar said as he opened the car door for William.
After a 30-minute drive, they arrived at a three-story villa on the Champs-Élysées, covering over 600 square meters and facing the street.
The car pulled into the indoor garage. Guided by Sunday, William gave Jesse a tour of the house before they ended up on the open-air balcony. Standing behind her, William wrapped his arms around her waist and asked, "Do you like it?"
"I... I like it," Jesse said, still a bit overwhelmed as she took in the view of the Champs-Élysées. "But isn't $21 million a bit too expensive?"
"No, not at all. I had to pull some strings to buy this place. Otherwise, the previous owner wouldn't have sold it," William said as he leaned against the marble railing and kissed her lips. "Don't worry. This kind of money is a drop in the bucket for me. What you should focus on is learning from Sunday about vineyard management. Once I buy a vineyard, I'll need someone to run it."
The mention of a vineyard brought some confidence back to Jesse. Hugging William's waist, she leaned her head on his shoulder and said softly, "I'd love to say I'm confident, but honestly, I'm not. Still, I'll give it my all."
On the plane earlier, they hadn't just spent the entire time "working out." After discovering Sunday's capabilities, Jesse had spent hours chatting with the AI while William slept, asking countless questions about wine.
Sunday later reported to William that Jesse could accurately name 429 vineyards in the Burgundy region and describe their signature wines, which made William quite pleased.
His goal in buying a vineyard was twofold: to enhance the Devonshire family's reputation and to make a sound investment. Jesse didn't need to be an expert winemaker. As long as she could, with Sunday's help, avoid being swindled, that would suffice.
"Don't worry," William reassured her. "You've already learned so much on your own. With a few years—or maybe a bit longer—you'll master it. Remember, the ugly duckling became a swan because it was a swan all along. And you, Jesse, are a swan."
"Mm," Jesse hummed happily, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.
They continued their playful banter and flirtation for half an hour until Sunday reported that representatives from Louis Vuitton and Chanel had arrived. Holding Jesse's hand, William led her to the living room, where he addressed the managers from both brands.
"Your job is to transform her. The rest is just a matter of money, and money is no object for me. Understood?"
"Understood, Mr. Devonshire," the managers replied with eager smiles.
Turning to Jesse, William said, "I'm going to discuss some matters with Christmas and Gunnar. If you need anything, just tell them. Remember, you're my woman, and to them, money is their god. Got it?"
"Got it," Jesse replied, blushing slightly at being so publicly claimed. She knew William was doing this to bolster her confidence and ensure the luxury brand reps took her seriously.
"Alright, I'll leave you to it. We'll have lunch at Alain Ducasse's restaurant and go shopping this afternoon," William said. After kissing her cheek, he nodded to the managers and headed upstairs to meet Christmas and Gunnar.
Once William was gone, the LV and Chanel managers respectfully invited Jesse to a side room. They then made calls to summon their staff, who soon arrived with two truckloads of clothing, accessories, and jewelry.
Upstairs, William found Christmas and Gunnar and immediately asked, "Did you finish arranging the documents I requested?"
Christmas nodded and pulled an MI6 identification badge from his pocket. "Boss, are you really planning to put me in MI6?"
------------------
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