The phone rang a few times, the silence stretching out like a taut string, until the call connected from the other end and a pleasant male voice greeted her with a "Hello~".
However, Lily froze, her mind going blank for a moment as the voice washed over her like a chill down her spine. Because, It was the same voice that echoed in her mind at least once a day. Before she could question whether she was imagining things, she heard the voice again from the phone, "Hello~" This time, the voice carried an expectation, like he was waiting for some kind of reaction, his tone laced with a hint of curiosity.
Eli was on his way out of the city for a meeting with a secret organisation founded by the army, the one he'd got a message about early that morning to attend and which took several days to return back again. As he drove, his phone, connected to the car's speaker system, buzzed to life. He glanced at the dashboard screen to check the caller ID. A glimpse of the number sent a jolt through him, and Eli instinctively swerved the car to the side of the road, tyres screeching on the asphalt. It was the call from his grandfather's saviour's number, the same number he'd called relentlessly earlier. If he was lucky, the caller might be the one person he'd been longing to hear from, his beloved. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and answered, "Hello~"
He waited for a response but he didn't get one from the other end even after a minute, so he called again, his voice laced with expectation, "Hello~"
This time, Lily was jolted out of her frozen state, her mind still reeling from the familiarity of the voice. She responded softly, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with bewilderment, "Yes‽" She cleared her throat slightly and continued before he could reply, "May I know who you are and why you called me? There are too many missed calls from your number. " Lily tried her best to sound normal, like she was questioning a stranger, her tone measured and controlled but her heart racing with unknown anticipation.
The recognisation of his beloved voice is immediate in Eli's ears as he listened to the voice from the other end of the call, and he instantly closed his eyes to calm himself. A wide smile spread across Eli's face and the warmth in his heart radiating through every inch of his being. How could he not identify the voice of the one he'd been waiting for, dreaming about, and longing to hear again for the past 15 years!! Relief washed through him like a soothing balm, calming the restless years of uncertainty and longing.
Now, as Lily waiting eagerly for his response, Eli spoke calmly even there's a lump stuck in his throat, his tone carrying the warmness that spreading through his entire being despite the slight tremble "I'm Elisha Allen. I heard your family saved my grandfather from an accident yesterday. The cops gave us your number, and I'm calling to extend our heartfelt gratitude."
A sudden realisation dawned on Lily when her mind reeled as she pieced together the events that had led to this moment. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she thought to herself, 'Fate was really cruel sometimes, sigh.' It was crazy to think that they were talking on the phone now because his grandfather had been in an accident, and her family had been the ones to save him. 'Isn't this coincidence usually called as Fate?' she felt gladness that his grandfather was okay. While she lost in her thoughts, Eli's voice came through again, breaking the silence, "Hello~?"
Lily snapped back to reality and replied, "Yes... I am listening." Her tone become softer as she continued "The accident just happened before us. So we did what we could. There's no need for any gratitude. My family was glad that your grandfather was fine."
On the other side, Eli's mind was racing, his thoughts turning to ways to see her as soon as possible and he swiftly came up with something and asked her, his voice sounded so calm "My grandfather wants to meet your family to thank you all personally. He's still in the hospital. So, would you and your family be able to come meet him once?"
Lily silently raised her eyebrow at his request, and her heart beating eagerly at the thought of seeing him, she thought for a moment and replied "Well, Mr. Allen, we're not from the city, and my parents are already at work". She hesitated for a moment, unsure of her decision before adding "However, I have some work in Lyra city today, and I should be free after work. If you don't mind, I'll come to meet your grandfather in the hospital. But I might arrive at late evening, is that okay?"
Eli's voice was calm on the surface as he agreed to her plan, "Yes, that's fine." The conversation seemed to end there. Lily hummed in response, before ending the call with a "see you soon."
Eli remained in his car, still processing that it wasn't a dream, the warm sun beating down on his shoulders through the window and casting long shadows. After what felt like a century, he made a few calls, his voice low and apologetic as he informed the SAO about his sudden absence from the meeting. His presence was needed there, but Eli's ultimate priority was Lily, and there was no doubt he would always choose her without hesitation. After the call, Eli went straight to Allen Conglomerate.
Meanwhile, Lily stared blankly at the phone after ending the call with Eli. Even we couldn't guess what she was thinking at that moment. Then she booked a cab for herself. It didn't take long for the cab to arrive. Lily climbed into the car, and the driver started driving toward Lyra City.
It took almost two hours to reach Lyra City. Throughout the journey, Lily kept reeling from Eli's call. His voice sounded exactly the same as the voice she heard every time in her mind. She wanted to be sure it was him and that she wasn't mistaking someone else for him. But she couldn't understand why everything inside her was screaming that it was him, like she just knew it was him.
Lily wanted to ditch her work and go straight to the hospital to confirm it was him. To confirm it was her telepathic guy. The guy who constantly thought about her. The guy who somehow knew her and always miss her, The guy who drowned himself in pain for not knowing where she was, but still love her as she told herself.
The cab stopped at the address Lily had marked. Lily took a breath to shake off all the thoughts running through her mind and composed herself before stepping out of the car. Her face shifted back to serious work mode. Some people were already waiting for her outside the office to receive her.
Lily came to Knights Crescent Empire (Conglomerate) in Lyra City. It was going to become the main branch in a few months. That hadn't been officially announced to the public yet but it will be announced in two days.
After winning RHA, Lily spent three months searching for trusted people before starting her Knights Crescent Empire in Isveig City, a northern border state of Freyne Country, when she officially turned 16 years old. But she didn't make her company public right away. She ran her company out of the public eye with her trusted team for nearly a year. Only after she felt secure during that time did she officially announce her company to the public. Still, everyone on her team chose to keep their identities low-key, just like her.
Her team admired her. As a teenage girl who managed everything and gave them a chance to prove themselves, she was nothing short of impressive in their eyes. Lily is the Chairwoman of KCE, and she made Aria Hill the CEO of Knights Crescent Empire. Now, everyone knows Aria Hill as the face of Knights Crescent Empire, but only very few people knows about the hidden power behind KCE is Lily.
Coming back to why Lily chose Isveig City to start her conglomerate is because, it's a place where the Army of Freyne Country is stationed to keep the country's borders safe from harm. She chose to open her first company there to get opportunities to work with the Army. And she successfully got their approval when she secured a high-stakes defense contract with the military of Freyne Country. The project, shrouded in secrecy, tasked Knights Crescent Empire (KCE) with providing cutting-edge technical security and support. Only a select few within the company and high-ranking military officials were privy to the details.
To ensure the project's success, Lily had personally overseen the tightening of technical security measures. Leveraging her expertise, she integrated advanced technologies into the military's systems, including sophisticated cybersecurity protocols to protect against cyber threats, advanced surveillance drones, and biometric identification systems. She also designed and installed specialized technology in military aircraft and vehicles, enhancing their capabilities.
Furthermore, a year later after their contract, her team developed secure communication systems and encryption technologies, ensuring seamless and protected communication between units. With her systems in place, the military could detect and counter threats with greater efficiency, integrating various technologies to enhance overall technical support.
Lily and her Knights' technical expertise and innovative solutions had been a great help in supporting the military beyond the scope of the contract. When Lily proposed the defense technology contract, the military was surprised by the technical security she offered at her age. The military thoroughly impressed and was deeply grateful for her contributions, and a strong connection formed between the Freyne military and Knights Crescent Empire over the span of three years.
The military held Lily's expertise and leadership in high esteem, and Isveig military officers got to know that she was the princess of the Halcyon Kingdom, Lily Crescent Lellen. As a prominent figure in the kingdom, Lily had proven herself to be a capable and visionary leader, working tirelessly alongside Crown Prince Zerus to ensure the prosperity and peace of their people while managing KCE on the other side. Her reputation for excellence and dedication to her work had earned the trust of her kingdom. Even though people in many countries didn't know what she looked like, they had heard of her excellence.
In the first three years of KCE, it reached new heights in Freyne Country. The contract with the military was secret, but they completed so many projects in different sectors that KCE's name was known throughout Freyne Country, and the company began to establish itself internationally. KCE then shifted its main branch from Isveig City to Aelin City, which is in the central state of Freyne Country. The last two years were hectic working days for Lily. She almost traveled throughout the world and found people, projects, investments, and more, making KCE stand alone at the highest peak in the business field internationally.
Too many conglomerates were flabbergasted by the growth of KCE in such a short time. Some were impressed, yet there were still a few who thought that KCE had risen to that height by pure luck and would fall immediately when a crisis came, for not having a strong base or experience.
But they don't know that the people of Knights Crescent Empire are capable knights who wouldn't fall even if a storm tried to sweep them away. And behind KCE stands the girl who built it in her teens. Now she hold the power and support of not just states, but nations. So how could she let her Empire fall?
In two days, Knights Crescent Empire will officially mark five years since its public launch and unofficially mark six years next month. KCE already has a branch in Rome city of Lyra state, the southern state of Freyne Country, but it is moving its main headquarters from Aelin City to main city of Lyra state. Lily made the choice to be closer to her parents, as she is only a year or two years away from reaching her goal.