CHAPTER 250: A SECRET MEETING

Earlier that evening, when the Prime Minister went to seek audience with the King, Juliette Blanc had already received the news... before even His Majesty himself. Without delay, she called Sebastian to confirm their pre-arranged meeting at Langford Estate.

According to their plan, Cassandra Blanc had travelled ahead, bringing with her a group of Clan Blanc guards to secure the estate for the night. The meeting was to remain strictly confidential; no risk of a leak could be tolerated.

As night fell, four helicopters lifted from Clan Blanc’s various airstrip, each dispatched to a different direction to collect the invited attendees. The party leaders had been discreetly informed in advance, and were waiting at their designated pick-up points. Black-clad guards, armed and efficient, ushered them aboard without ceremony.

When the helicopters descended upon Langford Estate, the leaders were met with an intimidating sight. More than fifty guards in identical black uniforms patrolled the castle grounds, each carrying a Heckler & Koch MP5. The weapons were instantly recognisable, yet the sheer concentration of such firepower in one place unsettled even these seasoned politicians. Questions formed silently, but none dared voice them aloud. All of them already knew... the true force behind tonight’s gathering was no ordinary power.

At the castle entrance, Butler Graham Langford greeted them one by one with impeccable courtesy, guiding them into the estate and towards the meeting chamber, where Earl Walter Langford awaited.

Meanwhile, the Heimdall team worked in the background, erasing every trace of the night’s activity... digital footprints wiped, flight paths obscured, even satellite imagery discreetly altered. If investigated, it would be as though no such meeting had ever taken place.

When all the guests were finally assembled in the chamber, Cassandra Blanc entered with June Osborne at her side. She greeted them with a measured smile.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am here to begin the proceedings. My senior will join us remotely. You may put to her any question during the course of the meeting, and she will answer directly. There will be no documents circulated tonight, so I ask you to listen carefully to her report. Should you require further details, they will be provided to you afterwards."

At her signal, June activated the secure teleconference link. The projector screen flickered to life, the connection stabilising. Without another word, the two women withdrew, closing the heavy oak doors behind them.

***

It was well past midnight. The kingdom was sleeping, except for those bound to the night by duty. Inside the meeting room of Langford Estate, five figures sat wide awake. Baron John Constantine, Baroness Angela Dodson, Baron Ernest Prentice, Baron Anthony Hayward Chapman, and Earl Walter Alexander Langford were still digesting what they had just heard.

For over three hours, a woman’s voice had rolled from the projector speaker... calm, commanding, crystalline... delivering a briefing that cut through every constituency of the Kingdom. When the screen finally went black, silence settled like a weight over the room.

They were veterans of politics, seasoned by intrigue, yet none of them had ever encountered such a level of intelligence.

"How could a woman outside the political arena know this much about the kingdom’s politics?"

"I never thought anyone could be investigated to such depth. Still, I suppose it’s expected... given how they uncovered every dark secret of mine and my opponents."

"I must be more cautious in my next moves. Perhaps it’s wiser to be a good man, if only to leave a respectable political legacy for my descendants."

"Who is this woman? Could she be the mysterious mastermind behind the Stockport Scandal?"

"If she ever entered politics, it wouldn’t take her long to become Prime Minister."

These were the questions flooding their minds. Even Walter Langford, seated among them, was no less perplexed. He had been told only to prepare the room for a secure teleconference to be conducted by one of Eleanor’s subordinates. He knew Eleanor was out of the kingdom, currently unreachable. He had assumed tonight would be routine. Now, listening to the voice that had mesmerised the others, he realised even he had no idea how far her reach extended.

That realisation worked in his favour. Until this night, the party leaders had privately suspected that the mysterious "boss" was a hidden scion of the Langford family. Their discreet inquiries had turned up nothing. Seeing Walter sitting as bewildered as they were eased their suspicions; he was not the puppet-master, merely a host.

If only they had known... The voice on the line was none other than Juliette Blanc- the strategist who had, years before, orchestrated the rise of two consecutive Prime Ministers from the very party they now sought to bring down. They all knew the legend. None had imagined she still lived... let alone that she had been guiding them all this time from the shadows.

When the door opened, Cassandra Blanc and June Osborne entered carrying five neat folders. They offered polite smiles as they sat in the remaining chairs.

"Please open the folders," Cassandra said. Her tone was courteous, but there was steel beneath it. "Inside, you will find employment contracts."

The leaders flipped the covers.

"We have arranged a personal secretary for each of you," Cassandra continued. "They are not only educated and discreet but also trained as bodyguards. The contract term is six months. You will pay them at the market rate for a highly skilled private secretary... eight thousand pounds per month. They will be at your side twenty-four hours a day. Baroness Dodson will, naturally, have a female secretary. The rest are male."

She let the statement hang for a moment, then turned to Walter.

"Earl Langford, although you are not participating in this election, our principal has arranged one for you as well. Through him, you can communicate with the other leaders on a secure line. All of your secretaries will carry phones that cannot be tracked... even by MI5. These devices will also give you access to the constituency database you were briefed on earlier."

Anthony Hayward Chapman raised his head and said. "And if we need to contact you directly... say a sudden change of plan, or some emergency?"

Cassandra inclined her head slightly. "Don’t worry. Your secretaries will remain in constant contact with our team. And remember... you will be under our surveillance at all times. Every security camera you pass will be feeding directly to us. If you require a secure meeting place, or wish to bring someone to you in secrecy, speak to your secretaries. We will arrange everything. From the moment you left your homes for the helicopters this evening, all traces were erased. Should anyone investigate, they will find you were at home the entire night."

She gestured to June, who stepped forward and placed a small wooden box before Walter Langford.

"Earl Langford," Cassandra said, "please open it."

Walter lifted the lid. Inside lay five green tablets, faintly glowing, their surfaces releasing a strong medicinal fragrance. The others leaned closer, staring at the strange round pills, their curiosity stirred by both the light and the scent.

"Please take one," Cassandra instructed. "My boss prepared these for you. After staying awake all night, you must be fatigued. This pill will dispel it entirely. There are no side effects. Only, do not take more than one within twenty-four hours... doing so will leave you feeling intoxicated, as though drugged. But now, you may take one without worry."

Walter, knowing Eleanor was the hand behind this, swallowed his hesitation. He picked up a pill, placed it in his mouth, and let it dissolve. At once, a cool sensation spread through his body. His fatigue vanished. He felt lighter, sharper... almost years younger in an instant.

The others watched in astonishment as colour returned to his face and his posture straightened with newfound vigour. Their initial doubts gave way to eagerness.

Seeing their expressions, Cassandra smiled faintly. "Please, pass the box. There are pills for everyone."

One by one, the leaders each consumed a pill. The effect was immediate and undeniable.

"Good," Cassandra said, satisfied. "These pills come from monks in China. They are energy pills spoken of in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Each one is worth ten million pounds. The effect will last more than a month. You will feel fatigue far less often. Of course, if you refuse your body to rest entirely, the effect will wear out more quickly."

The leaders nearly choked when they heard the price of what they had just swallowed. The effect was exquisite, yes... but ten million pounds?

Baron John Constantine broke the silence. "I am getting old. I tire too easily these days. Could I... buy one from you?"

Cassandra’s reply was firm. "No. We have only a few, and they are not for sale. Each of your bodyguards will be entrusted with one pill, reserved for emergencies."

After a little more discussion, the leaders departed Langford Estate aboard the same helicopters that had brought them.

Cassandra and June personally escorted Baron Anthony Hayward Chapman to his aircraft. He was, after all, destined to become the kingdom’s next Prime Minister. Just as he was about to board, Cassandra handed him a folded piece of paper.

"Read it when you arrive," she said softly.

***

When Anthony stepped off the helicopter, he went straight to his home. He knew whatever Cassandra had given him was of importance. Only once he was alone in his room did he finally open the folded note.

On the paper was a single line: "The girl with me is your daughter."