In the coming days, as winter faded and spring arrived, Dante dedicated himself entirely to his family and the care of the ranch.
He had realized that throughout this time, he had risked his life too much—something he should not have done so recklessly. After all, what assured him that he would have the chance to live another life?
That's why now, grateful for new opportunities, he did what he had always wanted: to start a family.
Everyone needed moments of pause in their lives, and Dante was no different. He required time to clear his mind and stay off his enemies' radars.
For now, Larry was planning to grow large fields of alfalfa for his father's livestock.
In general, alfalfa cultivation requires a sufficient amount of fertilizer. Nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers must be spread in advance for proper nutrition. Since alfalfa has a relatively high demand for potassium fertilizers, it also needs a generous application of base fertilizer under normal circumstances.
But Dante didn't follow the standard procedure. That's why he sought expert advice, hired top specialists, and secured investors in Montana.
Every rancher had the opportunity to invest part of their money in this new venture of the Dutton family, ensuring that everyone would have quality alfalfa to feed their livestock.
A lower price—just enough to reinvest and help the locals.
To achieve this, hundreds of workers from the reservation were hired under well-structured contracts, in cooperation with the Indian reservation's mayor, Thomas Rainwater, who accepted the job opportunity solely for his people and the fair terms offered.
Future generations of the Dutton ranch would dedicate themselves to preserving a way of life, and eventually, everything they owned would be open to anyone who respected the rules.
"Will it work?"
"Yes, we're sure that with the major investments you're making in alfalfa cultivation, there will be enough to feed all of Montana."
Aside from his financial confidence in using all the necessary fertilizers, his main concern was whether he could produce high-quality pastures and cultivate quality forage grass.
Failing to do so would impact Dante's long-term plans and the ranch's positioning, making it not worth the cost.
John didn't comment much on Dante's approach to this. His ranch wouldn't always operate the way he wanted—not just because his generation was different, but because future leaders of the family might have different visions.
In this case, Lee was set to inherit the ranch, and for that, Dante was currently looking for a good wife for him.
"Alessia, 28 years old, daughter of a businessman, dedicated to homemaking, and loves painting. Isn't she a good option to meet?" Dante raised the tablet in his hand and showed his brother the woman he was introducing to him.
"Get that thing out of my face." Lee was quite annoyed; he didn't like the pressure of starting a family.
"What's wrong?"
"Tell me, how much will this cost you?"
Dante thought for a moment and said, "Just a billion-dollar contract to build a beautiful city on the Indian reservation that blends with its natural habitat. Isn't that great?"
"Go to hell." Lee thought Dante was joking, but he wasn't. It was true—he planned to develop Montana, preserve its traditions, and integrate it with the Indian reservation.
In the end, these unclaimed lands would be available to those willing to work them.
Watching the $150,000 cultivator plowing the soil so quickly, Dante was amazed by its efficiency. Plowing and sowing were done in one step. A machine like that was incredibly effective, and he had acquired dozens of them for his plan.
In front of Dante, a vast expanse of land annexed to the Dutton ranch was being worked on—not only by locals, reservation workers, and outsiders but also by foreign laborers hired by a company specifically for this job.
Standing alongside Jamie and Kayce, Dante also observed intently. The depth of the soil plowed by the rotary tiller was about two inches. This specific depth was ideal for growing alfalfa. Logan didn't need any innovations for this.
Seeing the ranch in this area officially begin development, Kayce, its owner, couldn't help but feel excited. He had every reason to believe it could thrive even more.
"How's your new ranch, little brother?"
John looked at Kayce and remained silent. In the end, this son of his still felt that the Dutton family was his home, and John was grateful that he still saw it that way.
"I'm just taking care of Dante's land," Kayce said with a smile.
"You're the owner of the Duttons' rival company. You'll be in newspapers and on the news, showing off those million-dollar champion horses. If you keep winning competitions, you'll be able to buy things that are truly yours with your earnings. But let's get back to the point—this land is under your name," Dante said as he walked away.
"Why am I the only one not getting any gifts?" John muttered, a bit annoyed, though he wasn't sure why.
After the development chief finished plowing one area, he turned to Dante and said, "Boss, let's finish plowing the next section, and then we'll need to weed it."
There was nothing wrong with that plan. In fact, the development chief's words made Dante a bit uneasy. Since he hadn't done a proper job of weeding alongside his father's cowboys—who, grateful for having horses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, had helped him—this poor execution had affected the efficiency of the workers.
There was a big difference between pastures and weeds. While some people didn't see much difference between alfalfa and weeds, ranchers certainly did. Alfalfa is a forage grass that benefits pastures, whereas weeds only increase the workload and deprive pastures of nutrients.
Dante didn't say much, as he was still somewhat inexperienced as a rancher.
Fortunately, he had paid for reliable, skilled workers. Otherwise, he would have been in a mess and would have delayed the spring planting.
After an intense day of work, which included plowing and weeding, it might not seem like these tasks required much technical skill—but that was the work of a rancher.
After returning home and showering, Dante was busy cooking.
Susie, who approached wearing a beautiful white dress, said, "Your sister got into a fight with half the ranchers because they didn't believe in the opportunities they would have by working with you."
"Sounds like something my sister would do," Dante said as he removed his gloves after pulling a butter-roasted chicken out of the oven.
"What do you think of my plans?"
"You're attracting too much attention. If you want to continue, you need to make a deal with the CIA so they leave you alone." Susie knew that all of Dante's investments in Montana would soon draw attention.
That's why there were many things he needed to take care of before they became a problem.
"I'll handle it."
"I trust that you will."