Forgotten Blue Eyes

Chapter Two: The Call

He looked back at the reports.

"That isn't the behavior of someone running away out of fear."

"It's the behavior of someone who planned every step."

The head of security lowered his eyes.

"...We didn't consider that."

"You should have."

Ray's voice remained calm.

"She knew we'd start with airports."

"Then train stations."

"Then hotels."

"She knows exactly how we operate..."

"...because she grew up watching us."

His eyes hardened.

"Every trail you've been following..."

"...she wanted you to follow."

The realization slowly spread across the room.

"She misled you."

The head of security hesitated.

"Do you really believe she planned all of this months in advance?"

Ray closed the folder in front of him.

"I don't believe it."

He looked directly at the man.

"I know it."

He straightened.

"Start over."

"And stop looking for Elena Von Klein."

A heavy silence followed.

"Start looking for a girl trying to disappear."

For the first time in an entire week...

Everyone in the room realized they hadn't been chasing a victim.

They had been chasing Elena herself.

Silence settled over the study once again.

Then Lord Von Klein finally spoke.

"It's been a week."

No one answered.

He looked toward the head of security.

"She hasn't answered a single call."

A brief pause.

"But she's reading the messages."

Ray turned toward him.

"How do you know?"

Lord Von Klein didn't hesitate.

"If she truly wanted to disappear..."

"...she would've destroyed the phone on the first day."

His voice remained perfectly calm.

"But she kept it."

"That means she wants to know what's happening..."

"...without giving us a way to reach her."

Another silence.

Then he turned toward his secretary

"Send her a message."

The secretary unlocked his tablet.

"What would you like me to write, sir?"

Lord Von Klein spoke slowly.

Elena.

Your silence ends tomorrow.

At sunrise, your bodyguards will lose their positions, their honor, and every privilege this family has given them.

You know I never revoke my decisions.

Do not mistake this message for a warning.

It is your final opportunity.

If you have anything to say... now is the time.

— Father

The vibration of my phone shattered the silence.

Once.

Then again.

I already knew it had to be someone from my family.

For the past week, they hadn't stopped trying.

Slowly, I reached for my phone.

The screen illuminated the darkness.

My heartbeat faltered for the briefest moment.

Father.

Of course.

I stared at his name in silence.

For seven days, I had ignored every call.

Every message.

Every attempt to bring me home.

I should have ignored this one too.

Instead...

My thumb slid across the screen.

A single message waited for me

The blood drained from my face.

"...No."

The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

Hans...

Viktor...

They were never just my bodyguards.

For as long as I could remember, they had been there.

At the estate.

On every trip.

At every family gathering.

Quietly watching over me without ever asking for recognition.

Some people become such a constant part of your life...

That you stop noticing their presence.

Until someone threatens to take them away.

They had done nothing to deserve this.

The only thing they had failed to do...

...was stop me from leaving.

I tightened my grip around the phone.

Of course.

Father knew exactly what he was doing.

He wasn't trying to find me.

He was forcing me to make a choice.

And he had chosen the only people I couldn't bear to sacrifice.

I closed my eyes.

"Damn it..."

I whispered.

"He got me.

I should have seen it coming.

This was how Father always won.

He never attacked what people protected.

He attacked what they couldn't bear to lose.

And tonight...

That was enough.

I opened the conversation once more.

The cursor blinked inside the empty message box.

Waiting.

So was he.

For a long moment...

I simply stared at the screen.

Then, with a quiet sigh...

Every instinct told me not to do it.

The moment I called...

He would know he'd won.

But Hans and Viktor...

They didn't deserve to pay for my decision.

I closed my eyes and let out a slow, defeated breath.

"...Damn you."

My thumb hovered over his number.

Just one tap.

One call...

And everything would change.

After a long moment...

I pressed Call.

The line began to ring.

Once

The line rang twice.

Then—

"Elena."

He didn't sound surprised.

As if he'd been expecting my call.

I closed my eyes.

"...Cancel your decision."

A brief silence followed.

Then—

"So, you finally answered."

"They've done nothing wrong."

"They failed."

"They failed because of me."

"They were responsible for you."

I tightened my grip around the phone.

"Father... this isn't fair."

Another silence.

Then his calm voice cut through the line.

"The world has never been fair, Elena."

"...Please."

I almost hated how desperate I sounded.

"They've been loyal to this family for years."

"I know."

"Then don't do this."

"I won't change my decision."

My chest tightened.

"They couldn't have stopped me."

"They should have."

"They never stood a chance."

"They accepted that responsibility the day they became your bodyguards."

I closed my eyes.

"This is my fault."

"I know."

His answer came so quickly it stole the words from my mouth.

"I made this decision."

"You did."

Then punish me."

A long silence settled between us.

When he finally spoke, his voice remained frighteningly calm.

"I already am."

A chill ran through me.

Before either of us could say another word...

A knock echoed from the other end of the line.

I heard the office door open.

Then Ray spoke.

"What is it?"

"Sir."

The man's voice was steady.

"We've identified Miss Elena's location."

Silence.

Ray didn't answer immediately.

"Go on."

"She enrolled under her real identity."

A brief pause.

"Falkenberg University."

My heart stopped.

The man continued.

"Faculty of Medicine."

Another silence filled the office.

I could almost picture Ray looking toward Father.

No one spoke for several seconds.

Then Father returned to the call.

His voice was as calm as ever.

"Tell me something, Elena."

I frowned.

"...What?"

"When you left this house..."

A brief pause.

"...did you truly believe we would never find you?"

I looked down at the floor.

"...No."

Because I hadn't.

Not even for a second.

From the moment I walked out of the Von Klein estate...

I knew disappearing forever was impossible.

Not from my family.

Not from him.

That's why I changed my route.

Used different names.

Left false trails in cities I never intended to visit.

I wasn't trying to vanish forever.

I only wanted...

...to buy myself time.

"I thought so."

His voice remained unreadable.

"It was a clever plan."

I blinked.

"You delayed us longer than I expected."

There wasn't an ounce of sarcasm in his voice.

Only acknowledgment.

"But clever plans eventually come to an end."

I said nothing.

Because deep down...

I already knew.

"You've had your time."

Another pause.

"Now listen carefully."

Every muscle in my body tensed.

"Elena..."

His voice dropped even lower.

"Consider this your final warning."

I held my breath.

"Drag yourself back home within one week."

A humorless laugh escaped me.

"And what if I refuse?"

Silence.

Long enough to make my pulse quicken.

Then—

"I'm not asking you, Elena."

My fingers tightened painfully around the phone.

"You can't force me."

"No."

His answer came without hesitation.

"I can't."

A pause.

"But don't force me to send your older brother."

My heart skipped a beat.

Ray.

Of course.

Father knew exactly which name would make me hesitate.

"If Ray comes..."

He let the words hang between us.

"...he won't leave without you."

The room suddenly felt too small.

Too quiet.

Because I knew he wasn't making a threat.

He was stating a fact.

And somehow...

That frightened me far more than anything else he had said.

"You have one week, Elena."

Another silence settled between us.

Then Father spoke again.

"One more thing."

I waited.

"Starting tomorrow..."

His tone left no room for argument.

"...you will answer your mother's calls."

I frowned.

"...Father—"

"That is not a request."

He continued before I could interrupt.

"I won't have your mother worrying herself sick because of your childish rebellion."

My lips parted.

But no words came out.

Then came his final blow.

"And don't become attached to Falkenberg University."

My heart skipped a beat.

"...What?"

"The Faculty of Medicine isn't where you belong."

I felt anger rise inside me.

"You don't get to decide that."

Another silence.

Then—

"I already have."

The line went dead.

I remained frozen, the phone still pressed against my ear.

One week.

That wasn't a warning.

It was a countdown.