From the captured leader of the assailants, the command center gained access to the darknet website where the assassination had been ordered. The platform operated on an invitation-only membership system with a strict hierarchy. Members were ranked using a point-based system… completing jobs successfully would earn points, which in turn determined one's level. The hierarchy ascended from R (Rookie), N (Novice), then D, C, B, A, and finally S (Superior).
The assassin leader was a Level D member. That meant he could only view and accept missions ranked at Level D or below. Upon inspecting his account, they found the details of the assignment on Eleanor: several recent photos of her, basic personal information, and the bounty value of 100,000 dollars, categorized as a standard Level D contract.
Judging by the mission's low-level classification and basic information, the team concluded that the assassination order had likely come from a human client. There was no sign of involvement from the supernatural world. This gave everyone a small moment of relief… if it were a werewolf or vampire clan, the implications would've been far more serious.
Xavier Raynor issued one command before leaving the command center: "Find out who issued the contract. Hack the site if you have to."
Twenty-Four Seven Limited was Greater Manchester's largest call center, established in 1996 by Kieran Raynor. For decades, it worked closely with the City Council and the Police Department. The building in Hyde stood five stories tall. The lower three floors were for general operations, while the upper two were off-limits to all but Raynor Clan, Blanc Clan, and a few certified insiders.
Unbeknownst to the public, those top two floors housed the security command center for Clan Raynor.
Currently, the command center was under the supervision of Xavier Raynor, the acting Guardian of the Raynor Clan. It served as his personal domain. Following his order, the best hackers from the shadow network were already attempting to infiltrate the darknet website that had dared to place an assassination order on Eleanor.
***
Meanwhile, on Ethan Raynor's side of things, the news of the assassination attempt reached him almost immediately. He had just been concluding a private meeting with the Mayor of Stockport to discuss expanding their business presence in the Stockport area.
To impress the mayor, they had reserved the entire Hare & Hounds Mill Brow Pub for the day, knowing it was her favorite spot for countryside cuisine. The mood had been light, until Ethan's phone buzzed with a message. As he read the report, his expression darkened. The temperature in the room seemed to drop to freezing.
The mayor, while in mid-sentence, suddenly went quiet. A chill ran down her spine. In her fifty years of life and years of experience dealing with criminals and politicians alike, she had never felt a presence so dangerous. It wasn't just anger she sensed… it was pure, deadly rage cloaked beneath an icy calm. She finally understood why Ethan Raynor had the reputation of a cold-blooded killer in the business world.
She had met murderers, mob bosses, and even war veterans. None of them had given her the soul-chilling fear that Ethan Raynor radiated in that moment.
Jack Brown, Ethan's personal assistant, had already resigned himself to the fact that his boss was... difficult. If it weren't for the absurdly high salary, he would've quit long ago. Ethan was ruthless… not just with enemies, but also with his own team. Precision, excellence, and complete obedience were expected. And Jack and others under Ethan Raynor had delivered that even if they were on the brink of death.
But lately… something had changed.
Ever since Miss Eleanor entered the Kingdom, Ethan had become increasingly moody, indecisive, and prone to emotional swings. Jack often joked… privately, of course… that Ethan behaved like a pregnant woman on bad days.
But when Jack saw his boss's clenched fists and deadly eyes, he knew one thing with absolute certainty: this was related to Miss Eleanor.
He silently prayed for the poor souls who had dared to cross her.
Only seconds passed before Ethan's demeanor returned to its usual calm, professional state. He stood up, voice even but urgent.
"I'm sorry, Madam Mayor. There's a family emergency. I have to leave immediately. My secretary will accompany you for the rest of the dinner. I promise to make this up to you."
The mayor quickly nodded. "It's okay. Please go ahead."
Ethan turned to Jack. "Accompany the Madam Mayor. You know the business details we intended to discuss. As compensation for my absence, offer her and her family a private sea tour aboard my yacht. Schedule it at her convenience. Ensure complete confidentiality and make sure security is airtight. Handle everything. And get another car… I'm taking mine."
With that, Ethan exited the pub, not sparing another glance. Once outside, he pulled out his phone and made a call.
"I'm at Marple Bridge, Stockport. I need to be in Manchester immediately. Track my location. Clear all road signs and give me green lights all the way. I'll be speeding. Take care of it."
"Understood, Mr. Raynor," came the crisp response.
Ethan pocketed his phone, climbed into his black BMW X5, and roared down the road.
He had come alone for the confidential meeting, without guards. But he wasn't worried about protection now. He only needed speed.
Thanks to his men, every traffic light on his route turned green just before he arrived. Other drivers were subtly rerouted. In just fifteen minutes, he crossed the usual thirty-minute distance and arrived at Eleanor's villa.
The scene outside the house had already been cleaned up. The guards stood at attention, the perimeter calm but alert.
Ethan checked his phone again for real-time updates. The command center had everything under control.
The guard captain stepped forward as he got out of the car.
"Miss Eleanor and the young miss are both upstairs."
Ethan gave a curt nod. "Thank you."
Without another word, he walked inside, straight up to the second floor. He paused in front of Freya's room, where he heard laughter and soft voices.
He pushed the door open and saw a heartwarming sight.
Eleanor and Freya were playing with building blocks on the carpeted floor. Freya's giggles filled the room like sunshine.
The moment Freya saw him, she squealed and rushed over, arms wide open.
"Daddyyyy!"
Eleanor turned around, standing slowly, eyes locking onto his. She had sensed his arrival even before he reached the stairs. She had waited to gauge Freya's reaction… to be sure she was truly fine.
Ethan scooped Freya into his arms, holding her tightly. His eyes never left Eleanor's.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
So much emotion was packed into that one simple sentence… worry, rage, guilt, relief.
Eleanor smiled softly. "I'm fine. Just a small disturbance."
Freya chimed in, grinning, "Daddy, let's play! Mommy is no fun to play with."
Eleanor gasped in mock outrage. "Now that you've found your daddy, you've abandoned your poor mommy?"
Realizing her mistake, Freya squeaked, "No, no! It's also fun with Mommy!"
Both parents burst out laughing, the earlier tension melting away.
"Children are always a blessing," Ethan thought as he held his daughter close.
Eleanor wiped her hands and stood. "Freya, go play with Daddy for a bit. I'll check the kitchen. Ethan, join us for dinner tonight."