Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby
Chapter 172: Anastasiya Returns to Russia

Chapter 172: Anastasiya Returns to Russia

William sat limply on the stage floor, staring at Eleanor. His eyes were vacant, like a man who had lost his entire world. Deep inside, he knew... it was over. Everything had been lost.

What Eleanor handed him was a paternity test result. There was no name printed on it, but he understood perfectly what Eleanor meant.

No one knew better than William what he had done in the past. He just couldn’t understand what had gone wrong now. After Esmeralda’s death, he had successfully fooled everyone and seized all her properties. Over the years, he had grown used to the illusion that everything belonged to him. It had never crossed his mind that one day, his carefully built empire would collapse in front of his eyes.

Now, realising that he had been utterly defeated, Eleanor gave a discreet signal to Laila to manage the situation.

Laila acted immediately. She walked to William, and with the help of two guards, escorted him backstage. William, still in shock, didn’t even think of resisting.

While this was happening, the attention of the room was focused entirely on their new CEO, Francesca Walters. No one noticed what was going on with William. After all, shareholders only cared about one thing... profit. Now that a prominent figure had taken over their company, all they could think about was how much money they might earn in the coming year.

Amidst the cheers and applause, Francesca concluded her speech and stepped down. She walked directly to Walter Langford, Earl of Birmingham, and bowed respectfully.

After all, it was their first meeting. Until now, she had only communicated with Eleanor.

Julian stepped up to the microphone and addressed the crowd.

"His Lordship, ladies and gentlemen... on behalf of the company, we kindly request everyone present today to keep what transpired in this meeting confidential. We don’t want word of our management changes reaching our competitors. The later they find out, the better. We trust in your cooperation."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"His Lordship has another engagement, so he will take his leave shortly. To mark the joyous occasion of His Lordship’s visit, we’ve arranged a luncheon for everyone present. Please bear with us while preparations are completed."

At that, Walter and Eleanor stood and began walking towards the exit. The guards, already on high alert, moved in formation. Laila followed close behind. All directors and major shareholders... including Francesca... trailed them out of the conference room.

Once everyone had exited, the guards left as well, closing the doors behind them.

Inside, the shareholders broke into a flurry of chatter. The atmosphere had transformed. A sense of optimism filled the room. Everyone could feel it... better days were ahead.

***

Outside, Walter’s official vehicle was already waiting. It was flanked by Eleanor’s ten black Range Rovers and heavily armed security.

One by one, the directors and shareholders said their farewells to Eleanor and Walter as they entered the car. The vehicle moved off with a ceremonial wave of the flag, followed by the convoy.

Amelia Hawthorne turned to Elliot Grant. "I never imagined little Eleanor would turn out to be such a fine lady. She resembles her mother far too much."

Elliot sighed. "Every time I look at her, I miss Esmeralda all over again."

Henry Smythe interjected, "Alright, I understand your sentiment... but we’ve left a room full of shareholders. And William is still in the backstage. We need to deal with him now."

Prisma Patel asked, "What did they do to Mr Whitmore?"

Henry replied, "Not much. They tied him to a chair and left him there."

Elliot muttered, "I still can’t believe he managed to fool all of us for thirty years. If Eleanor hadn’t ordered that DNA test, we’d never have uncovered the deception."

Amelia said, "Well, the past is the past. What matters now is managing the shareholders. Eleanor requested we keep this news under wraps for at least a week... we have to respect that."

Francesca turned to the group. "Let me deal with the shareholders. You can handle William however you see fit."

She paused, then added, "Also... I’d like to begin my role immediately. If there’s no objection."

Elliot nodded. "Please, go ahead. You can take the chairman’s room for now. And if you need anything, come to me. As long as I can help, there’s no need to bother Eleanor."

With that, the group turned back and entered the company building.

***

Amidst the splendour of the Greater Caucasus and its many snow-white peaks, a black castle stood, exuding an ancient aura. It was located in such a perfect position that, unless one already knew of its existence, it would never be found. Its meticulous design blended so seamlessly with the surroundings that even satellites couldn’t detect it.

Inside the castle, a middle-aged man was scribbling something in the corner of his room. Unlike others, he didn’t use a study for work. He preferred to do everything in his private quarters.

His raven-black hair swayed gently as his quill moved across the paper. His face was too perfect for this age... flawless and cold. He wore a silk-black shirt, open at the chest to expose the smooth gleam of his collarbone, and tailored trousers, stitched to perfection.

The man was Lord Alexander Ivanov of the Greater Caucasus, caretaker of Eastern Europe and a member of the Vampire High Council.

The room was shrouded in eerie silence. The only sound was the distant hum of wind brushing against trees and mountains, occasionally carrying the cry of a distant bird.

The door slowly opened, and the young, graceful Anastasiya Ivanova stepped in. She didn’t wait for permission like the other clan members did. Normally, she upheld every rule of her family... but not when her grandfather was alone. And certainly not now, when she was furious with him.

"Grandpa, you tricked me."

That was her first sentence upon entering the room. Her voice trembled with anger. The frustration she felt was impossible to miss.

Alexander had already stopped writing. He turned his head towards the door. His glacial blue eyes, almost metallic, shone with the unnatural sheen of the immortal. A rare smile curled on his lips.

He said with a smirk, "I didn’t do anything. You’re accusing your poor grandpa out of baseless anger."

She responded in an aggrieved tone, "Old man. I’ve figured it all out. You knew this would happen. You just didn’t want me around. You didn’t want me to be happy. I fell for your sweet words, and now my life is a mess."

Alexander said, "I’m sorry if something unfortunate happened abroad. Tell your grandpa... I’ll take care of it."

Anastasiya scoffed. "Hah! As if I don’t know what you’re thinking. You knew this would happen eventually. That’s why you sent me to befriend Eleanor. And now, my peaceful life is over."

Alexander said, "If you don’t like it, then quit. No one is forcing you to do anything."

Anastasiya threw her arms up. "How could I back out now? Without any warning, Eleanor transferred twenty billion dollars into my account. How can I just step back? Can you believe it? Twenty fucking billion!"

Alexander said, "Calm down. I expected some collaboration between you two... but not to this extent. I don’t know how you youngsters think these days. When you told me your project would need forty billion dollars, I was shocked. As far as I know, no vampire in history has ever owned a company that large. You’ll be the first."

Anastasiya said, "Now that things have escalated to this point, I can’t walk away. But you’ll have to help me."

Alexander nodded. "Don’t worry. I’ve already notified the necessary offices to grant you the permissions you need. Dimitry will be at your side throughout the process."

Anastasiya folded her arms. "Not just that. I don’t have that kind of money to invest. You’ll have to help me."

Alexander asked, "How much do you need?"

Anastasiya replied, "I haven’t spent much. The money our family gave me is mostly untouched in the treasury... just over ten billion. The establishment will need around thirty-five billion. So, I’m short by only five."

Alexander said, "If I give you the remaining funds, how do you plan to repay it?"

Anastasiya’s eyes narrowed. "Should I start with how much you’ve already spent covering for other family members who failed in many businesses or gambling? Also... I don’t want you or anyone else to become shareholders in this. I don’t want to owe you money either. You can ask me to do something in return. A task. Not business."

Alexander thought for a moment, then said, "Very well. Murmansk Oblast is a region where I’ve never had much control. Technically, it falls under my domain according to supernatural conventions, but my influence has never reached that far. It shares a long border with Finland... and the werewolves are strong there. Since you’ll be working closely with Eleanor Raynor, this would benefit you in establishing your rule."

Anastasiya narrowed her eyes. "This feels like another trap you’re setting for me."

Alexander gave a soft chuckle. "Don’t overthink it. I give you money, and you work for me. It’s that simple. Besides, if you want to run a successful business, I’d advise you to live in that region. Choose a place you like... I’ll have it prepared to your taste."

Anastasiya muttered under her breath, "Why do I feel like you’re just trying to send me away..."

Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.Tap the middle of the screen to reveal Reading Options.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report