James heard no reply from the other side, so he added, "Last time, I paid for the kidnapping and rape case… same woman."
A rough voice answered, "100,000 pounds. You know the rate. My people will be at Manchester Arndale tomorrow at noon."
James smirked. "No problem. Send your men to William Whitmore. I'll inform him about the payment."
There was a low, mechanical chuckle on the other end of the line before the call disconnected. James leaned back, exhaling deeply. "This time, Eleanor, you won't escape."
He dialed William's number. "Uncle, the deal is set. Keep 100,000 pounds in cash in a bag and go shopping at Manchester Arndale tomorrow between 12 and 1 PM. Someone will approach you at their convenience."
"Okay. I'll be there. Will you come?" William replied.
James said, "No, Uncle. I have a meeting with the Chen Group tomorrow. You know how important it is for me."
He paused, then added, "Don't worry. They are professionals. You saw their work last time."
"Okay," William ended the call.
***
Back at Fiona's villa, lunch was finally ready. As they sat around the table, Fiona served steaming bowls of her famous chicken noodle soup along with several side dishes.
Ethan watched Eleanor as she helped Freya with her meal, a soft smile on his lips. "She has no idea of the storm coming her way. But I will be ready. No one will take Eleanor away from me… not this time. And if the Whitmores think they can scheme against her so easily, they are gravely mistaken," he thought.
In the kitchen earlier, Eleanor updated Fiona about her company and discussed several strategies. Fiona had been in the business sector for over 300 years. Although she mostly worked in the shadows now, she remained well-informed about the current market landscape.
After the meal, Ethan took Eleanor and Freya back to their villa before heading to his business meeting, which he had postponed earlier that morning.
Eleanor put Freya to sleep and went to her study to review some documents from her office. Just as she was about to finish, Teresa called her.
"Boss, there has been some movement in the Chen Group today. They applied for a new company that will manufacture microwave communication products like RF Antennas, Small Cell Antennas for live mobile journalism, Backhaul Fiber Solutions for transmitting live videos, and some GPON equipment. I received information that a Chinese manufacturer is involved in this company due to the recent increase in taxes on Chinese products," she said.
Eleanor responded, "Okay. Let them proceed. Keep an eye on their movements. I believe HFCL is producing similar equipment. Compare both and determine which one is better. Also, find out which Chinese company is involved with them. Investigate and send me a report on that company. We might need to interfere in the Chinese market in the future."
Teresa said, "Understood. I'm on it."
***
The next day, Eleanor decided to do some shopping for Freya's upcoming school term. She had already bought her school uniform earlier; now, she needed to match other accessories with it.
After breakfast, Eleanor took Freya to B&M. It was the first time she had taken her daughter shopping since arriving in Manchester. They bought pens, pencils, notebooks, art kits, and several books for first-grade students… all chosen by Freya, making their shopping cart a colorful display of excitement.
To make their outing more memorable, Eleanor took Freya to Platt Fields Park after their shopping trip. Although the park had a fantastic playground for kids, Freya was more of a nature lover than someone who enjoyed playing with other children.
Eleanor led Freya to the Shakespearean Garden, which featured plants mentioned in Shakespeare's works. Having read some of Shakespeare's plays, Freya was delighted to see the garden.
They also visited the park's Eco Arts Garden, adorned with colorful flower beds where art and nature intertwined beautifully. After spending over two hours in the park, they returned to their villa for lunch.
***
Meanwhile, in Manchester Arndale, in front of the Apple Store, a man wearing a black overcoat and hat stopped in front of William Whitmore.
"Are you William Whitmore?" he asked.
"Yes. And who are you?" William responded.
The man didn't answer directly but said, "I believe you have a bag for me."
William immediately understood and handed over the bag containing the cash he had prepared earlier. "Yes. This is the bag."
The man took it, nodded, and simply said, "Thank you." Without another word, he walked past William and disappeared into the crowd.
To make his visit appear natural, William entered the Apple Store and purchased the latest iPhone, had it gift-wrapped, and returned to his office. There, he called his newly appointed secretary and presented her with the gift.
It had been more than six months since Lydia Barker joined EverBuild Solutions Limited as his secretary. Her facial features bore a striking resemblance to Jeanne when she was younger. From the first day, William had fallen for her. It was a stroke of luck for him that her brother was ill and she needed money, allowing him to easily lure her into his bed by offering financial support.
After receiving the gift, Lydia kissed him on the lips and said shyly, "How could I accept such an expensive gift? You should give it to someone more deserving."
William smiled. "I bought this phone especially for you. If I wanted to give it to someone else, I would have sent an assistant to pick one up."
Lydia's face turned bright red. "Why do you love me this much? I'm just a poor countryside girl. I have nothing to offer you in return."
William pulled her into his embrace. "You have something no one else has. Will you offer me your love tonight after work?"
"Okay," Lydia agreed. "I'll go to Parkview Hotel after office hours. Please come early to our usual presidential suite. I bought a new lingerie set just for you. It's red… the color you always want me to wear."
"Oh! Now I'm even more eager to see you," William murmured, hugging her tighter. Lydia could feel something hard pressing against her stomach through William's trousers.
She playfully pushed him away. "Stop it! You have an image to uphold. If you act like this, there might be a scandal. Calm down for now. I'm not going anywhere… I'll be waiting for you."
She took the gift box, placed it in her bag, and left William's office, leaving him with an eager anticipation for the evening ahead.