Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby
Chapter 61: The Piano Lesson

Chapter 61: The Piano Lesson

Just then, another employee let out a startled cry. "Shit! My phone’s restarting too! I searched the full name just now!"

"Same here! What the hell is happening?"

Panic started to ripple through the room.

An older manager from the IT department, known for his calm demeanor, stood up and said gravely, "Everyone, stop searching immediately. I think this is a deliberate warning. Think about it... either Google itself has implemented a restart protocol that overrides all security firewalls, or someone powerful enough has hacked into Google’s system to set this up. Both possibilities are terrifying."

A nervous chatter broke out instantly.

Around the room, more people reported sudden restarts... regardless of the search engine they used. It became obvious that searching ’Eleanor’ or ’Eleanor Elizabeth’ brought nothing unusual. But searching ’Eleanor Elizabeth Raynor’ resulted in a device restart, no matter the platform.

One woman clutched her laptop in horror. "My laptop just restarted too! I thought only phones were affected..."

Gradually, an unsettling realization dawned over the gathered employees: there was absolutely no public record of their boss online. It was as if Eleanor Elizabeth Raynor didn’t exist in the world at all. The more tech-savvy employees felt a cold shiver running down their spines.

Who could erase someone’s entire existence from the internet so cleanly... yet leave such a terrifying booby trap for anyone curious enough to dig?

At the same time, the employees also felt a deep, unexpected sense of relief. Doubts or reservations they might have harbored about the company’s mysterious new owner evaporated like mist under the midday sun. If someone had the power to do this, then NexaByte Technologies was in very, very capable hands.

Only awe and respect remained in their hearts.

***

Meanwhile, from NexaByte Technologies, Eleanor had quietly gone home while Teresa remained behind at the office to handle a few pressing matters.

When Eleanor stepped inside her home, the soft strains of piano music greeted her ears. Following the sound, she found herself standing at the door of her living room, where a beautiful scene unfolded before her eyes.

There, in front of a large piano she didn’t remember owning, sat one big and one small one. Ethan was seated beside Freya, gently guiding her small hands across the piano keys.

They were so engrossed in the music, so wrapped up in their world that neither noticed her arrival.

Eleanor watched silently for a few moments. But as an adult werewolf, Ethan’s senses were sharper than any humans. He was the first to detect her presence. He turned his head slightly, his expression softening as he caught sight of her.

"When did you come in?" he asked with a smile.

Eleanor walked closer and asked instead, "When did you bring a piano here?"

"Just a few hours ago," Ethan replied casually. "Freya mentioned she wanted to learn, so I ordered one and got it delivered immediately. Figured I’d start teaching her."

"Mommy!" Freya chirped happily, bouncing on her stool. "Daddy’s amazing! He can play any song I ask for!"

Eleanor arched an eyebrow. "When did you learn how to play piano? You never mentioned it before."

Ethan chuckled softly, his hand absently ruffling Freya’s hair. "My mother taught me when I was a kid. I even earned a professional certificate. Besides, I performed a few times during university events."

He paused, his smile faltering slightly. "But... you never attended those performances." His voice turned softer, almost wistful.

Eleanor immediately understood. Those were the days when she had been dating James Clifford, too consumed by that toxic relationship to notice the small but important things happening around her.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Eleanor quickly changed the subject. "Freya, go take a bath and get ready for lunch."

"Yes, Mommy!" Freya agreed readily. "Daddy’s making Shepherd’s Pie for me!"

Ethan laughed. "Alright. I’ll start preparing lunch. You go get ready, and I’ll send your nanny to help you."

"Okay, Daddy!" Freya sang, skipping away happily.

Eleanor turned and left as well, heading toward her room. Her mind, however, was far from peaceful. She noticed how quickly and deeply Freya was becoming attached to Ethan. It made sense... he was warm, loving, patient. Everything a father should be.

But a nagging fear gnawed at Eleanor’s heart.

What if Ethan eventually moved on? What if he married someone else and built a new family? What would happen to Freya then? Would her little heart shatter from the loss?

Eleanor decided she needed to have a serious talk with Ethan. Sooner rather than later.

Just as she was about to enter her room, she sensed another presence inside. Instinctively, she paused, probing carefully.

She realized it was Ophelia, her shadow guard. She relaxed and entered her room.

Closing the door behind her, Eleanor asked calmly, "Ophelia, do you have a report for me?"

Ophelia stood straight, her expression composed. "Yes, Ma’am. I have gathered information about June Osborne, the girl you instructed me to investigate."

Eleanor arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "Alright. Tell me. Short version or long?"

Ophelia’s lips twitched into a faint smile. "It’s quite an interesting story. I recommend the long version."

Eleanor smiled faintly and moved to sit in the plush chair by her bedside. "Then take a seat and tell me everything."

Obediently, Ophelia took the chair opposite her and began.

"June Osborne’s mother was Kelly Wilson. In every official document, no father was listed. However, there was a record of a ’local guardian’ who paid for Kelly’s hospital bills when June was born."

Eleanor leaned forward slightly. "Who?"

Ophelia’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Cole Palmer. The former Archdeacon of Manchester."

Eleanor’s eyebrows shot up.

Ophelia continued smoothly. "Kelly Wilson came to Manchester with a Ghanaian passport, though her appearance was pure British. According to the documents, she was an orphan raised in a church-run orphanage in Ghana. She came here on a religious exchange to learn from the Church of Manchester. Strangely, within a year, she acquired British citizenship through the church’s sponsorship."

"She was already pregnant when she arrived," Ophelia added. "She lived in a house owned by the church, and all her expenses were covered by Cole Palmer. Interestingly, there is no record of any protest from his family about this arrangement."

Eleanor frowned. "So, the father wasn’t Palmer?"