Some time had passed since the banquet incident. The rise of Rose Estate had come at the cost of Lafite's reputation taking a significant hit.
As a result, many people were watching closely to see how Lafite would respond to mitigate the damage caused by the incident.
But strangely, Lafite made no move whatsoever, as if the whole thing had been completely forgotten.
This seemingly indifferent reaction made people all the more suspicious.
Just when everyone thought Lafite had quietly admitted defeat, a shocking piece of news suddenly spread.
Rose Estate, in the study.
"What? Murray Brown came to Hawaii?!"
Ye Yun set down his book and looked up at Sebas standing in front of the desk, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Yes, Young Master. Murray Brown is currently residing on Oahu Island. He has already sent an invitation and will be visiting us tomorrow," Sebas replied with a nod.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yun furrowed his brows tightly.
He had been devoting himself to the wine business recently and had grown familiar with the major names in the industry.
And the name Murray Brown was as thunderous as they came in the wine world.
He was a world-class wine critic, one of the few senior sommeliers in the Wine Association who had been awarded the prestigious Gold Grape Medal.
Becoming a wine critic was no small feat.
Every certified sommelier had undergone rigorous training. They could determine a wine's vintage, ingredients, sugar content, production method, and even the quality of the oak barrel with just a single sip.
Thus, anyone certified by the Wine Association carried significant authority.
And the Gold Grape Medal was reserved for only the most experienced masters.
For such a renowned figure to come to Hawaii—specifically to visit Rose Estate—there was no need to guess his intent.
Had this happened under normal circumstances, Ye Yun might have been thrilled.
But the timing of this visit made him highly suspicious.
Ever since that fateful night, Lafite had remained eerily silent, taking no actions and allowing public opinion to spiral—an odd strategy that even Ye Yun found baffling.
Now, out of nowhere, a master sommelier was arriving. It was hard not to connect the dots to something more sinister.
"A single offhand comment from this sommelier could destroy the reputation I've worked so hard to build,"
Ye Yun clenched his fists quietly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
The opinion of a world-class sommelier was like that of a top-tier food critic toward a restaurant. One sentence could either send a brand soaring or crush it into oblivion.
If Murray Brown made even a slightly negative comment about Rose Estate, the brand's reputation would be finished.
Though it might just be unnecessary anxiety, Ye Yun couldn't help but worry.
Assuming the worst of others had always been his way—especially when the timing of this visit was just too convenient, right at the peak of the public storm.
The quiet study was filled only with the rhythmic tapping of Ye Yun's long, slender fingers against the desk. Sebas stood respectfully, silent and still.
After a long while, Ye Yun stopped tapping and calmly said, "Prepare the ingredients and tidy up the estate. We must host Mr. Brown properly tomorrow night."
"Yes, Young Master," Sebas replied with a slight bow, then quietly exited.
Not long after Sebas left the study, Ye Yun's phone suddenly rang.
"You say you're hard to chase, then I'll break your legs—"
"Hello?"
"Is this Ye Yun?"
The voice on the other end was melodic and instantly recognizable—Ivanka.
"Yes, it's me. What does Miss Ivanka need? I was just about to head to the club to practice my marksmanship."
Ivanka frowned upon hearing Ye Yun's nonchalant tone. She was in the middle of reviewing documents at her office, and his words irritated her so much she accidentally knocked papers off her desk.
"Are you seriously in the mood to practice shooting right now? Don't you know that Master Sommelier Murray Brown is already in Hawaii?"
"Yeah, I know. He's coming to visit my estate tomorrow evening. I'll just treat him well," Ye Yun replied casually.
Ivanka was livid. Her tone rose sharply.
"Are you really this clueless, or just pretending? Don't you realize how much weight a master sommelier's opinion holds over a winery?"
"I'm telling you, Murray Brown has personal ties with the chairman of Lafite. If he—"
"So what? Would begging Lafite for forgiveness or panicking change anything now?" Ye Yun interrupted, his voice flat and laced with a hint of sarcasm.
"Like you said, a master sommelier's verdict can determine the fate of a winery. If he's truly intent on destroying mine, then nothing I do now will change that."
"Rather than worry, I'd rather wait and see. And I don't believe my rosé is that bad. If he's really willing to risk his reputation to destroy me, then I won't hesitate to fight him to the end."
His tone was calm and rational—but it carried a ruthlessness that made even Ivanka's heart skip a beat.
There was a moment of silence.
"I understand. I'll do what I can to help. I'll reach out to some other sommeliers and the Wine Association as well," Ivanka said softly with a sigh.
A smile returned to Ye Yun's elegant face. "I truly appreciate that. When will you visit Hawaii again, Miss Ivanka? Big Huang and I miss you."
"Hmph!"
Ivanka's face turned cold at Ye Yun's teasing tone, and she hung up immediately.
But in her heart, she couldn't help recalling their "accidental" encounter. Her expression softened slightly, and a small smile flickered in her ocean-blue eyes.
However, she quickly wiped away the emotion and returned to her icy, composed self, diving back into the mountain of paperwork on her desk.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。