"Co in," Eleanor said. Using her super senses, she already knew it was Teresa standing outside the door.
The door opened and Teresa stepped in. "Are you leaving now?" she asked, crossing the room to sit opposite Eleanor at the desk. They had been childhood friends, and when they were alone, Teresa never bothered with formalities.
"Not yet. The flight is at ten... you know the schedule," Eleanor replied. "I called you here to discuss your responsibilities while I’m away. You already know I’ll be busy with personal matters, so you’ll have to run the business without . I’ve instructed all companies to contact you instead of . You’ll need to make decisions on your own. I understand there will be a great deal of pressure, but I believe you’re already well-acquainted with my businesses from the ti you’ve spent with ."
She paused, then continued, "After today, I’ll be entering a secret academy for three months. My contact will be limited. I might be able to send an email if necessary, but no phone calls. What I told you and the others... that I’m going on a vacation. It was a lie. I was supposed to keep this entirely secret. But as my friend, I can’t feed you lies like I do the rest. You already know I’m the next head of the Raynor family. This training is a requirent for to inherit that position."
Her tone grew more serious. "This is a secret academy founded by ancient families from all over the world. They send their younger generations there to learn survival skills. It’s more like an elite commando training. You already know how many tis people have tried to kill . I can rely on my bodyguards, but without my own strength, it could all be futile. You must keep this to yourself. Even within the ancient families, only those who are attending know of its existence. If soone learns you have this knowledge, your life could be in danger. I’m telling you because I believe you’ll understand my situation better this way... and because I trust in your ability to keep it secret."
"Alright. I understand," Teresa said. "Don’t worry, your secret is safe with . Honestly, it’s better this way... now that I know you’ll truly be unavailable for the next three months and I’ll be in charge, I can prepare myself to perform better."
"I thought so," Eleanor said. "But if you face an issue that truly requires my input, send an email. I’ll respond when I’m permitted internet access. If there’s an ergency that needs outside assistance, call Ethan imdiately. He’s very strong in business negotiations and can also call on the family for help... sothing you won’t be able to do directly. Ethan will be here with Freya while I’m away, so if needed, speak to him in person."
"I’ll keep that in mind," Teresa said.
"I’ve already sent official letters to all the banks instructing them to cooperate with you instead of ," Eleanor went on. "So large transactions won’t be a problem for account-to-account transfers. If you need cash, what you have in your villa should be sufficient. If you need more, ask Ethan... he’ll provide it."
She paused again, her gaze softening. "I’m leaving a heavy burden on your shoulders, but I believe you’re ready for it. That’s all. You may go. I’ll see you in three months."
"Alright." Teresa stood, walking to the door. She paused suddenly and turned back. "Thank you for believing in . I won’t disappoint you." With that, she opened the door and left the room.
After Teresa left, Eleanor spent so ti in the study checking the latest updates on Project God Eye and reviewing the expected tifra for its completion. Once she finalised her goals and issued the necessary instructions for Nora to follow in her absence, she left the study to check on Freya.
When Eleanor entered her room, Freya had just woken up and was lazily sprawled on the bed. The mont she saw her mother, she sat up and asked, "Mommy, where did you go?"
Eleanor smiled. "You were sleeping so peacefully, I thought I’d let you have a few more minutes. After all, today’s your day off from school."
She walked over to the bed and wrapped her daughter in a gentle hug. "Go on, freshen up. Let’s have breakfast together. We still have two hours... though I need to leave at half-past nine."
Freya’s face fell slightly as she was reminded of her mother’s departure. Hugging her more tightly, she asked, "Mommy, can I co with you to the airport?"
Eleanor stroked her hair. "Sweetheart, we’ve already talked about this. Mommy has to do this alone. Your daddy will be here to spend ti with you every day, and Grandma Bella will keep you company. She was with when I was your age, you know... she can tell you so many stories you’ll never find on the internet. Three months isn’t as long as it sounds. Pick a skill, learn it to mastery, and your ti will pass in a flash. When I co back, you can show what you’ve learnt. Alright?"
Freya’s voice softened. "Alright, Mommy."
She slipped out of Eleanor’s embrace and headed for the bathroom. A few minutes later, she was ready, and the two of them made their way to the dining room for breakfast.
When they entered, they saw Ethan already seated at the table, fiddling with his phone.
"Daddy, you’re already here," Freya chirped, happily taking the seat beside him.
Ethan set his phone down. "You’re up early. I thought you’d sleep in on your day off."
"No, I’ve got lots to do today. I need to see Mommy off, and then I’m visiting Grandpa and Grandma... they invited to play," Freya said.
"When did they invite you? You didn’t tell ," Ethan asked.
"Yesterday. Grandma knew I’d be sad because Mommy’s going away for a long ti, so she asked to co."
Ethan smiled. "Alright then, I’ll take you over after we see Mommy off."
"Okay," Freya agreed.
Ethan glanced at Eleanor and caught her looking at him. The mont their eyes t, she looked away, a faint blush colouring her cheeks. The mory of kissing him surfaced in her mind, and she felt a flicker of embarrassnt. She wasn’t entirely sure what had possessed her in that mont. Though part of her felt awkward about it, another part was quietly pleased. Still, she decided it would be best not to et his gaze for the ti being.
"Once I leave for the academy, things will return to normal," she told herself.
When the kitchen staff set the food before her, she focused intently on eating, eyes downcast, never looking up to et his. Yet she could feel, instinctively, that he was glancing at her from ti to ti while helping Freya with her al.
After breakfast, Eleanor went to Freya’s room to check her belongings one last ti, ensuring she wouldn’t be lacking anything during the next three months. Everything was in order. Satisfied, she watched for a while as Freya played a shooting ga with Ethan.
She was already prepared to leave. When the ti ca, she said her goodbyes to Ethan, Freya, Isabella, and the rest of the household staff. Then she made her way to the helipad and boarded the waiting helicopter that would take her to the airport.
***
At Manchester International Airport, Eleanor found her Gulfstream 650 waiting on the private airstrip, engines humming, ready for departure. A mber of staff inford her that everyone else had already boarded. Without wasting ti, she ascended the steps and entered the aircraft.
Her pilot and crew stood ready to greet her. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they moved efficiently back to their duties.
Eleanor’s gaze settled on the two won waiting just ahead, Ophelia and Kiara... both smiling warmly at her.
"Ma’am, I’m very lucky to be accompanying you to the academy," Ophelia said.
Eleanor’s lips curved into a faint smile, but her tone was firm. "Don’t be complacent. You’re going to be a student again, not my guard. There’s a great deal of study ahead... it’s not all about fighting."
Ophelia groaned. "You had to remind again, didn’t you? Ma’am, you’re a killjoy."
Kiara spoke up, her voice tinged with amusent. "Cousin, you’d better take care of this ti. I specially requested Dad and the Clan Head to have placed in your batch. I even had to agree to join the police force after ascension just for this chance."
Kiara Raynor, the only daughter of Xavier Raynor, was the youngest of his four children. Her three elder brothers had all taken different paths... two into the Royal Marines, and the third into academia as a nuclear scientist at the Birmingham Centre for Nuclear Education & Research. Xavier had always wanted one of his children to follow in his footsteps into the police, but none of his sons had shown the slightest interest.
It seed, however, that he had managed to draw Kiara into his field. Though five years older than Eleanor, Kiara had always been close to her. She was in San Diego after completing her studies. They had spent a great deal of ti together while Eleanor was in the United States. Carefree and unbothered by petty matters, Kiara was easy to be around.
Eleanor gave her a small smile. "Of course."
With that, she moved into her private cabin. Monts later, the aircraft rumbled into motion, accelerating smoothly along the runway for the long flight to Svalbard Airport.
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