Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby
Chapter 171: A Heartfelt Conversation

Chapter 171: A Heartfelt Conversation

A few days ago, Eleanor had been in a live meeting with Aisha Bello, her company’s project manager in Nigeria. She was reviewing progress at her Nigerian factories, while Aisha was showing a live feed of the construction site.

After taking the Bultungin Clan as a partner in her Nigerian venture, things had progressed surprisingly well. The clan had proven themselves worthy of their reputation as the strongest in the region. Their influence over the local government was impressive... so much so that Aisha was full of praise. They had initially planned to launch their first factory within six months, but now it seemed they could do it even sooner.

Money was a powerful weapon, but there was a limit to what money alone could achieve. When mixed with power and influence, however, it became unstoppable. And that was exactly what was happening with Heimdall’s Nigerian expansion.

Though the Bultungin Clan wasn’t poor, they were not considered among the truly wealthy clans. Historically, Werehyenas were fierce by nature. They had always invested more energy in expanding territory and proving their strength than in accumulating wealth.

That was why, when peace eventually returned to the region, the Bultungin Clan found themselves with plenty of power... but not enough money like other supernatural clans. Business had never been their strong suit. Instead, they had embedded themselves into politics and civil services in human society.

That was also the reason why, when Eleanor visited Kabultiloa, the Clan Head, Ooduwa Bultungin Kachalla, had decided to take a gamble with her. He knew the Raynors were excellent at business. And if the partnership succeeded, his clan could finally profit from a field they had always struggled in.

With age came wisdom. Ooduwa understood the true value of money. And he also understood that his clan, while excellent warriors, were hopeless in business. In peaceful times, money reigned supreme. Political power could shape nations... but only if backed by wealth. Without it, there were limits even to their influence.

So, once the partnership deed was signed, he ordered his men to support Eleanor’s team wholeheartedly. He had a hunch that if Eleanor earned more from her Nigerian companies than from other countries, she would naturally invest more there. And the more she invested, the more the Bultungin Clan would gain.

It was evening, and Eleanor was in her study when Ethan came to see her. After a knock on the door, she sensed his presence outside. In the past few months, since her return to the Kingdom, Ethan had never once come to her study. She guessed it was either something urgent... or something deeply personal.

She ended the meeting quickly and called out, "Come in."

The door opened, and Ethan stepped inside. After closing it behind him, he said, "I have something very important to tell you."

He was unusually serious. Eleanor had never seen him in this mood, especially not with her. Instinctively, her mind raced to guess what it might be.

"Finally, he couldn’t wait any longer and decided to propose marriage... No. That can’t be it. He wouldn’t propose like that. That would be completely unromantic... and I’d be disappointed."

She corrected herself quickly.

"Focus, Eleanor. You’re not some wolf in heat. Think. It might be something about business... but he never discusses his business with me. If there were any problems, he’d sort them out himself. Then what?"

"It’s probably not clan matters. If it were, he’d go to Fiona. If it involved Freya, he’d speak directly. Not that either. Could it be about my business? But everything is running smoothly."

"Why am I guessing? He’s here to tell me. Let’s hear what he has to say."

All these thoughts passed through her mind in the blink of an eye. Eventually, she said calmly, "Alright. Take a seat first."

Ethan walked forward and sat opposite her.

"It’s definitely about my business," she thought.

Once seated, Ethan took a large envelope from his pocket and pushed it across the table towards her.

"Here. Read this first," he said.

Eleanor opened the envelope and froze as she looked at the contents. Her mouth dropped open slightly.

"That’s my old signature. The one I used when I worked at EverBuild..." she muttered, flipping through the documents. "I don’t remember signing this transfer deed... Someone must’ve tricked me. Oh hell! This is a transfer of ownership of properties. So many pages... When did I sign all these?"

Then it clicked.

After her awakening, she had begun to remember things from her early childhood with increasing clarity. This memory surfaced easily.

"William gave me loads of papers to sign when I joined EverBuild as a manager. He said it was standard policy for employees to sign the company’s terms and conditions. He even said I didn’t need to sign them as the owner... but it would set a good example if I did. I checked the first two or three pages... and then just... signed the rest."

She looked up sharply.

"How did you know this even existed?" she asked.

Ethan replied, "You were busy managing your companies abroad. I stayed behind. I planted a few of my people near William to gather information. I was sure he must’ve had some kind of leverage over you... something he was keeping hidden. One of my men found this in William’s study. I was able to retrieve the documents just now. With these out of his hands, he has no way to claim ownership of the company."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, you could’ve challenged him in court. But I thought taking them back quietly was the better move... especially since he’s your father. But... there’s something odd about it."

Eleanor frowned.

Ethan continued, "I looked into the marriage registry... both the local government and the church records from that time. I found nothing. I suspect... the marriage between William and your mother may not have been legal at all."

He met her eyes, his voice careful.

"Don’t take offence. I’m only stating the facts so you can think clearly."

Eleanor was silent for a moment. Then she said slowly, "I guessed that. But I never delved deeper. After all... he wasn’t my father."

Ethan was stunned. "Do you mean..."

Eleanor nodded. "Yes. He wasn’t my biological father. I’ve confirmed it. He was my mother’s secretary. Everyone fell for his ploy. Including me."

There was a deep sadness in her voice. Ethan could feel the hurt behind her calm expression. Wanting to lift the weight off the moment, he changed the subject.

"You should take over your mother’s company. Now that William has no leverage left, it should be easy."

Eleanor said, "I know. It was part of my plan. But I already have a lot on my plate. I wanted to take it back only after settling a few of my other goals."

Ethan frowned. "You may not realise... but if you delay much longer, there might not be a company left to take back."

Eleanor looked up, surprised. "What happened to the company? Uncle Grant didn’t tell me anything."

Ethan said, "It’s on the verge of bankruptcy. That’s... partly my fault. After what happened to you, I started quietly suppressing EverBuild... to make William’s life as difficult as possible. It’s been five years, and one by one, all the company’s previous partners got wind of it and pulled out. William kept the situation hidden for a long time, but the truth might surface soon."

Eleanor’s voice turned resolute. "Then I have no choice but to take over."

"If you don’t want to handle it directly," Ethan said, "you could hand it over to the Langford family. If you’re unsure whether they can manage it well, appoint a CEO. As for profitability, once Purplebricks starts working with EverBuild, it will get back on the right track."

Eleanor sighed. "Alright. Let’s see what I can do. I’ll speak with Uncle Grant and the other shareholders."

The two of them sat in silence for a while, the mood quiet but reflective.

Eventually, Eleanor broke the silence. "After all these years... I still don’t know who my father is. My mother left no clue. The only thing I know is that she might have conceived me while travelling through the Scandinavian countries. He may have been a local... or just another tourist, like my mother."

There was a sadness in her voice that hadn’t been there before. She continued quietly, "It’s a big world. He could be anyone."

Ethan tried to lift her spirits. "Don’t overthink it. Your mother must’ve had her reasons. She was a smart woman. She built EverBuild from the ground up without using her family name... that takes more than just talent. In all this... I’m actually glad that a scammer like William wasn’t your real father."

Eleanor let out a deep sigh. "That’s true."

Ethan added gently, "And don’t forget... you’re not alone. You have us. Freya and I are always here for you. The entire Raynor Clan is your family now."

Hearing that, Eleanor’s mood lightened. She smiled and said in a teasing tone, "Was that your way of proposing?"

Ethan’s cheeks turned slightly red. He stammered, "N... No. I didn’t..."

The gloomy atmosphere in the room visibly softened.