After Aisha left the room, Eleanor listened carefully to the reports from her assistants, Teresa and Lily. Maya, who was currently busy with the Indian site, had sent her updates via online reports. Everything was progressing as planned, and for the moment, all her operations were running smoothly.
"Teresa," Eleanor said, setting her pen down and leaning back in her chair. "It’s time to visit Russia. Start making arrangements for my visit next week. I’m not sure how long I’ll need to stay there, so you will remain here to oversee the operations at headquarters."
She paused briefly, then added, "Cassandra Blanc will be accompanying me on this trip. Make sure she’s prepared for the kind of business tours we conduct. I’ll also be taking five guards. That should be sufficient."
Teresa stood up promptly, her notepad in hand. "Understood. I’ll begin the arrangements immediately."
Lily also stood. "Boss, I’ve got nothing more to report for now. I’ll take my leave as well."
Once both assistants had exited the room, Eleanor found herself alone in the quiet, sunlit office. She pulled out her mobile phone and tapped into the live stream of Freya’s classroom.
The screen showed Freya sitting attentively among her classmates while Miss Cooper, their teacher, stood at the front of the class narrating a story. It was the well-known fable of the lion and the mouse from Aesop’s collection.
After finishing the story, Miss Cooper looked around and began asking the students what they had learned.
"Seraphina Ashford," she called out, "what did you learn from this story?"
Seraphina stood up and said thoughtfully, "Don’t underestimate small animals... I guess?"
"Good," the teacher replied with a warm smile. "Next, Paisley. What about you?"
Paisley stood and offered, "Little animals can help big animals."
"Very good. Freya, your turn. What did you learn?"
Freya stood up confidently. "Even the smallest of us can make a big difference."
"Excellent," Miss Cooper praised.
Eleanor smiled faintly as she watched her daughter. Then she sighed and placed the phone down, turning her attention to the piled-up documents that needed her review. The only sound left in the room was the quiet tapping of her fingers on the laptop keyboard.
Meanwhile, Grayson Marsh was adjusting his suit and preparing for a crucial meeting at the Purplebricks headquarters, scheduled for 11 a.m. sharp. The day before, when he had visited the office, Chairman’s secretary Mr. Jack Brown had handed him documents detailing three potential projects. Grayson was told to pick one.
He had spent the entire evening poring over the proposals. The first was a large-scale project that required heavy investment... far beyond what his company could afford at the moment. The second was a short-term project, more within their financial capacity and promising a good profit within three months. The third, however, was a five-year project with small but consistent investments, offering a steady stream of long-term returns.
After long discussions with his family, Grayson had made his decision. They would go with the third option.
Florence, his wife, helped straighten his tie as he got ready. "Did you follow the news about the Baxter family?"
Grayson nodded. "Yes. Their stock is still dropping."
"I saw something on social media. Someone claimed the patriarch is in the ICU," she said in a hushed voice. "But I couldn’t find it in any news."
"Of course, they’ll hide it," Grayson said. "A lot of their connections depend on the old man’s influence. If he dies, their empire could collapse."
Florence looked pensive. "I never imagined two days ago, they’d be facing bankruptcy. Now, we’re being offered partnership opportunities by the number one company in the region. Just by standing on the right side of a young woman... Everything changed."
She sighed. "Why is she helping us to this extent?"
Grayson shook his head. "I don’t know. But her power far surpasses my imagination. I’ve heard people say Ethan Raynor is the most ruthless businessman in Greater Manchester. I think Eleanor Raynor’s ruthlessness far surpasses his."
He added, "No one really knows her. At the banquet, aside from the Heimdall and NexaByte executives, nobody recognized her. She might be a level above the people we consider tycoons."
Florence shivered. "I still can’t forget that leg... How vicious must one be to casually send someone’s severed leg as a gift? And the liquid... the way the entire leg dissolved... bones and all. If they killed someone and disposed of the body like that, no one would ever find a trace. Please, whatever happens, don’t make her our enemy."
Grayson placed his hand over hers gently. "I know. I still remember how calmly she gave the order for Luke’s leg, like she was asking someone to buy groceries. Don’t worry. I know exactly how to handle this." Chapters first released on novel~fire~net
He checked the time. "I should get going. I don’t want to be late."
Back at Heimdall Tower, the day passed like any other for Eleanor. When the school day was about to end, she stepped out of her office to pick up Freya. As expected, Ethan’s car was already parked in front of her elevator.
The driver opened the door smoothly, and she slid into the backseat without a word.
"How was your trip?" Ethan asked, glancing at her while closing his laptop.
"It went well. Nothing unusual happened."
"That’s good," he said.
"How was Freya?" she asked.
"She was fine. You taught her well."
Eleanor gave him a knowing look. "Though from your expression, I can already tell you gave her too many snacks."
Ethan averted his eyes like a guilty child, refusing to answer.
Soon, they arrived at the school. Ethan got out to fetch Freya. As he took her from Miss Cooper, he leaned down and whispered, "Your mommy found out about the snacks. Be on your best behaviour."
Freya nodded and whispered back like a seasoned conspirator, "Okay, Daddy."
Once in the car, Freya scrambled onto Eleanor’s lap. "Mommy! I missed you."
Eleanor’s heart softened instantly. "I missed you too, baby." She wrapped her arms around her daughter.
After a few moments, Ethan gently moved Freya to her seat and secured her seatbelt. The car began its journey toward Eleanor’s villa.
Once mother and daughter were safely home, Ethan left to return to a meeting he had abandoned halfway earlier.
Back at Purplebricks, Jack Brown was pacing anxiously in the hallway. A delegation from London had arrived for a high-stakes meeting, but Ethan had left halfway through, citing a family emergency... which Jack later realized was just the school pickup.
More than an hour had passed, and the guests were growing impatient. Jack had tried everything from top-tier snacks to polite apologies, but tensions were rising.
Unlike Eleanor, who relied heavily on her team, Ethan preferred to handle everything personally. Normally, this approach worked in the past. But ever since Eleanor’s return to the Kingdom, his schedule had become chaotic, and increasingly stressful for Jack.
As he turned in frustration, he suddenly spotted Ethan exiting the elevator.
Jack nearly sprinted toward him like a man who’d just seen his saviour.
"Sir! Thank goodness you’re back."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Relax, Jack. Let’s not keep them waiting."
Jack exhaled in relief, straightened his blazer, and followed his boss back into the meeting room.