Two Hours Later
The meeting had ended.
Parents and children spilled out of the hall, their conversations filled with quiet murmurs, some still reeling from what had just transpired. The waiting area was alive with hushed discussions—fathers speaking in low, firm tones, mothers offering measured reassurances. Some parents held their children close, while others simply stood, exchanging meaningful glances.
But amidst all this, one person remained alone.
Alexander Blackwell stood to the side, watching the scene unfold before him. His gaze lingered momentarily on Susan, who was engaged in conversation with Caroline, but his mind was elsewhere.
Beside him, Everlyn—his ever-loyal assistant, the woman who had been by his side long before he could even talk—watched him carefully. There was an unease in her expression, a quiet tension that had settled deep in her bones.
"Sir, I have a bad feeling about today," she murmured. "Even Mr. Patrick Morgan, who is seriously ill, made the effort to come. What exactly happened in that meeting?"
Alexander didn’t look at her immediately. Instead, he exhaled lightly, then finally turned his eyes to the woman who had been his unwavering shadow for as long as he could remember.
"The meeting was normal," he said.
It was the truth—on the surface.
The headmistress had spoken in a calm, reasonable tone. She addressed the importance of discipline, the lack of manners among the students, the necessity of stronger parental involvement. She outlined a more hands-on approach that the school intended to take with the children. All valid points. All things that, in a normal school, would have seemed like nothing more than well-intentioned suggestions.
And yet—
Evelyn frowned. She knew better. This wasn’t a normal school.
And these weren’t normal parents.
Every single individual in that meeting was someone who stood at the pinnacle of power—people whose schedules were dictated by billion-dollar deals, global summits, and empires that could rise or fall on a single decision. They weren’t the kind of people you summoned on short notice for something trivial.
And yet, the school had done exactly that. They had demanded the presence of these parents.
Her thoughts raced. If the meeting had been about something so ordinary—why had the school gone to such lengths to gather them here today? Why was it so urgent?
Then it hit her.
Her eyes widened, and a chill ran down her spine.
"Wait… does that mean—"
She didn’t finish the sentence.
"Yes, that’s it."
Alexander’s voice was steady, devoid of surprise or hesitation. This wasn’t a mere theory—it was a fact. A truth laid bare before him. He had suspected as much from the moment they were summoned, but now, after everything that had transpired, it was clear.
"The Montgomery family wants to change the status quo."
That was the entire purpose of this gathering. They didn’t need any of them here—not really. This meeting wasn’t about the children, nor was it about discipline, rules, or even the school itself. No, this was a power play. A flex. A statement designed to send a clear message to the entire elite society:
"We still have the influence. We still have the power to summon the greatest families in the world at our whim. And you will answer when we call."
For all his knowledge, Alexander had always considered the Montgomery calculated and patient, never ones to make a move unless they had something to gain. They were an ancient French family, among the first to build educational institutions across Europe centuries ago. Back then, they had been respected, feared, untouchable. But the wars had shattered that legacy, forcing them to shut down their schools and rebuild from the ground up.
And rebuild, they did.
They adapted. Rebranded. They were no longer just an institution. From their thousands of schools to just one, they became a necessity. A gatekeeper of the world’s most powerful bloodlines. Their influence ran so deep that among the elite, there was an unspoken truth:
"If you didn’t attend Montgomery Hall, you were a nobody."
For decades, families had fought—desperately, ruthlessly—to secure a place for their children within these walls, knowing that attendance alone could determine their future. The Montgomerys had thrived off this demand, standing as an untouchable pillar of power.
But Alexander saw the shift now. That wasn’t enough for them anymore.
They were reaching for something more.
If word spread about what had happened today—how they had summoned seven of the world’s most powerful families and forced them to comply—then their status would evolve. They wouldn’t just be an elite institution anymore. They would be feared. Their influence would become something greater than a necessity. It would become law.
And with that fear would come power. Unrivaled leverage. Unchallenged dominance.
The question was—for what?
Alexander wasn’t certain yet. The exact nature of their long-term ambitions remained unclear, but the foundation was set. This was just the beginning. The Montgomerys were making their move, laying the groundwork for something bigger. And he had no intention of being caught off guard.
Oddly enough, he wasn’t even angry about it.
It was brilliant.
They had taken their position and weaponized it to further their own influence. It was tactical, efficient— the kind of play that, under different circumstances, Alexander might have respected. Perhaps even admired.
Had their roles been reversed, he might have done the exact same thing.
But it was still a problem.
Alexander exhaled slowly, already reworking his strategies. The Montgomerys weren’t an immediate threat—at least not yet. He wouldn’t retaliate simply because they had inconvenienced him, or even because they had nearly expelled his daughter’s best friend.
No.
The issue was far greater than that.
They had crossed a line.
They had interfered with his Plans, HIS AMBITION.
And that—that—was unacceptable.
This was a wake-up call. A warning. If the Montgomerys were taking action, then he would be a fool to assume they were the only ones.
How many others were watching?
How many other elite families had grown too comfortable with the current power structure? How many were waiting for the right moment to make their move?
Alexander had always known the world was filled with dangerous players, but he had underestimated how soon they would begin vying for control. This wasn’t just about one school or one family anymore.
This was a shift in the balance of power.
His plans would have to change. He needed to tighten his grip, adjust his approach. Perhaps it was best to start smaller. America. The elite families there were predictable more structured. Manageable. Europe and Asia, on the other hand, were far more complicated. Too secretive. Too many hidden families, unseen forces, and unspoken alliances.
He couldn’t afford to be reckless.
Not now.
For once, Alexander wasn’t thinking about expansion. He wasn’t thinking about the Montgomerys as an opponent to crush or a rival to eliminate. No, they were just another piece on the board—one that would, in time, have to comply with him.
Because when this was over—when all was said and done—
It wouldn’t be the Montgomerys dictating the new status quo.
It would be him.
Everlyn watched him closely, her sharp gaze analyzing every flicker of emotion on Alexander’s face. He wasn’t saying much, but then again, he rarely did when his mind was working at full speed.
She knew him well enough to sense what was happening beneath that cool, composed exterior. He was thinking. Calculating. And if he was thinking this hard about the Montgomery family, then it meant one thing—
They mattered.
Not emotionally, of course. Alexander didn’t care for things that didn’t directly serve his interests. If they were taking up space in his mind, it wasn’t because of their prestige or their centuries-old reputation. It was because they had stepped into his arena. They had made themselves relevant to his business.
And that—that—was something he wouldn’t ignore.
Everlyn, seeing an opportunity, spoke up.
"Should I call Mr. Zeller? Or even Mr. Freixe? He should know more about their family. I could arrange a meeting with him while we’re still here—we could use the company and bank deal to our advantage."
She was already thinking ahead, planning her next move as if taking on one of the oldest and most powerful families in the world was just another task on her agenda.
Alexander barely reacted. His dark eyes remained unreadable, his face giving nothing away. But when he finally spoke, his voice was low, final.
"No. Forget about that. The Montgomerys—I’ll have Sebastian on them for now. They’re not an issue. At least, not yet."
There was something unsettling about the way his voice trailed off at the end, as if his mind had already begun shifting to something else—something even more important.
Everlyn’s mind churned at his response. He was shutting her out again. She could feel it.
For the past few weeks, she had been noticing the subtle shifts—the way he delegated less to her, the way he spoke even less than usual, the way he was keeping certain things just out of her reach. She didn’t like it. Not one bit.
But she pushed that feeling down and kept going.
"Okay, then what about—"
She didn’t even get to finish.
"I need you to do something," Alexander interrupted.
The sharpness in his tone made her pause.
Everlyn straightened. "Of course, sir. What would that be?"
Alexander’s mind flickered back to the meeting, recalling something that had stood out to him. Something odd. Something that wasn’t adding up.
"The Wei family."
Everlyn’s brow furrowed slightly, but she stayed silent as he continued.
"I need details on their dealings in Europe—especially in France and Switzerland." His voice was firm, his gaze narrowing slightly. "Find out everything."
The Wei family.
Everlyn’s mind was already running through what she knew, but she simply nodded.
"Yes, sir."
She watched as he turned and walked away, his thoughts already elsewhere.
And yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.
He would rather ask her father than her.
The realization made something twist inside her. She had never minded following orders—that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that, piece by piece, Alexander was pushing her further and further to the sidelines. And she didn’t know why.
Did he not trust her anymore?
Her stomach churned at the thought.
But there was no time to dwell on it. Not now.
Alexander walked with purpose, his steps measured and precise. Up ahead, two figures stood engaged in quiet conversation.
The first was a young girl, no older than fifteen, her face carefully neutral, betraying nothing.
The second was a woman in her mid-twenties—or at least, she looked it. If you didn’t already know her age, you’d never guess.
Even before he reached them, they both turned, already sensing his presence.
Two sets of eyes locked onto him.
Two voices spoke, almost at the same time.
"Alex."
"Father."
The difference in tone was subtle, but he caught it.
Alexander’s gaze settled on the young girl.
"Caroline, I need to talk to you. Privately."
The girl’s eyes widened slightly. For just a fraction of a second, her composed mask slipped as she stared into the cold, dark abyss of her father’s eyes.
And in that moment, she understood—
This wasn’t just a conversation.
It was something far more serious.
While Alexander was deep in thought, carefully revising his plans, someone else was also lost in contemplation.
Inside the very office where the meeting had just taken place, Amelie Montgomery sat, her mind racing despite the composed expression on her face.
She knew her role—and she had played it perfectly.
Every move she had made had been deliberate, every word carefully chosen. She had gathered them all here, sent a message loud and clear, and with that, years of her family’s planning were finally coming together.
Her father would be so proud.
A small smile crept onto her lips at the thought. This would make things easier.
Or so she had believed.
But then, the smile faded. A frown settled over her features as she recalled something unsettling from the meeting.
Two people.
Two people had remained silent.
And that silence worried her more than anything else.
The first was Lorenzo Orsini.
The Orsini family were the guardians of the European status quo. They were everything she was fighting against. She wasn’t surprised by Lorenzo’s lack of words—he was a man of few. He rarely spoke when unnecessary, but his presence alone carried weight.
And if he was quiet, it wasn’t because he had nothing to say.
It was because he was watching. Calculating.
Amelie had expected resistance from the Orsinis, but she was careful not to push too far—not yet. If she played this correctly, Lorenzo wouldn’t act until it was too late for them to stop her.
At least, that was the hope.
But Lorenzo wasn’t the real problem.
No.
The real problem was Alexander Blackwell.
Her fingers twitched slightly as she remembered the words of her former teacher and mentor—the man who had taught her almost everything she knew.
"Alexander Blackwell is who you should fear."
She had dismissed him back then. Even fired him.
But she never forgot his words.
And today, in that meeting, something about Alexander’s silence had set her on edge.
He had said almost nothing—but it wasn’t the silence of a disinterested man. It wasn’t the silence of someone who had been outmaneuvered.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
No.
It was the silence of a predator watching its prey make its move.
And that thought sent a chill down her spine.
Something was up with him.
And she intended to find out exactly what.