After the initial shock faded, it was William who first managed to regain his composure and think rationally.
He looked toward James and asked gravely, "James, what about the killing order we paid for previously? What happened to it?" šš£ššššššš¼šš²š¹.šš š
James nodded, his face tense. "They sent two teams of assassins, but both either died or lost contact. The organization kept our payment as compensation, stating that we provided insufficient or inaccurate information. They deemed the mission far riskier than initially estimated. If we want to continue, weāll need to pay a higher fee for a more elite team."
Williamās face turned grim. "Perhaps we should reconsider. If this powerful force backing Eleanor ever discovers our involvement through the assassins, we could be in real danger."
James, however, waved the concern away. "Donāt worry. That organization is well-known for protecting its clientsā identities. The assassins only know the job details... not the employer. They follow a strict protocol."
"How much would it cost for a higher-level team?" William asked, his expression unreadable.
"We paid £100,000 for the lowest-tier service," James explained. "The next tier is £500,000, and above that is £1 million. They even have higher-level operations beyond that, but I think we should choose between those two options."
William didnāt hesitate. "Letās go with the Ā£1 million option. If she regains her memory, it could be catastrophic. Why live in constant fear? Better to eliminate the threat once and for all."
"I agree," Jeanne added coldly, folding her arms.
James nodded. "Very well. Please arrange for the funds. Iāll contact the organization and initiate the next phase. This time, they wonāt miss."
Phoebe frowned, her tone curious. "All right, weāre paying for assassins. But one thing still bothers me... how could Eleanor possibly receive such high-level protection? She was just an orphan, wasnāt she? What could have happened to her after she left home?"
James leaned back in his chair, a weary look in his eyes. "The detective couldnāt uncover anything about the years following her disappearance. And now, he refuses to investigate any further... heās afraid of provoking whoeverās protecting her. My guess is that someone influential is backing the Miller family. Wealthy families often have hidden allies, sometimes far more powerful than they appear."
He paused, then continued, "But hereās the thing... I donāt even believe Eleanor is directly connected to Edward Miller. It could be that the force behind him is protecting her. And thereās still one question I canāt shake: why did she leave home that day? I had just broken up with her over the phone. A normal reaction would have been trying to contact me... or, at worst, doing something drastic. But to vanish like that? To just leave? It doesnāt make sense."
William furrowed his brow. "That day, she went for a run in the park, like she always did. She wore her usual tracksuit and sneakers. But after entering the park... she just disappeared. Even the policeās dog squad couldnāt trace her scent after a certain point."
Phoebe glanced at William. "Was there any relative on her motherās side who might be capable of orchestrating something like this?"
William shook his head. "Her motherās name was Esmeralda Langford. I never met any of her relatives. Even on her deathbed, Esmeralda never spoke of them. After she passed, no one came to claim the body or Eleanorās custody. And as for Eleanorās father... no one had any idea who he was. Thatās when I forged a marriage certificate to claim custody and access to her assets. One of my friends at the registry office helped. The certificate was printed on authentic paper, so no one questioned it. Everyone accepted the arrangement since Jeanne treated Eleanor so well. I feared for years that someone... either from Esmeraldaās family or her mysterious father... would come looking for her. But it never happened. If there were any family left, wouldnāt they have shown up by now?"
Jeanne chimed in quietly, "There was that nanny, Isabella. Esmeralda hired her to take care of Eleanor. She was from the same region as her, and later, when I convinced Eleanor to fire her, Isabella claimed she was going back to Birmingham. At least, thatās what she told Eleanor."
James rubbed his temple. "Letās not focus on that for now. Something must have happened in the park that day... something we donāt know about. But whatās done is done. We need to focus on the present. Avoid her at all costs. If she sees any of us and her memories are triggered, weāll all be in serious trouble. Even if she becomes the same old Eleanor, sheāll never forgive me after finding out I got engaged to Jennifer."

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