Chapter 100: Kent of all places

"We will modify the budget to cover a full time, private medical nanny to travel with them, and we will pre-arrange a direct medical liaison at the top pediatric facility in Kent to match her child’s specialist care in Madrid." Maria said.

Alejandro nodded slowly, factoring in the logistics. Kent is close, which means she can still face Calus Sterling across a desk when needed. We also need to secure immediate enrollment for the triplets at a reputable primary school in the Kent area." he said.

"And we cover the travel expenses for her family," Maria agreed. "We tell her that her deputy is automatically taking over the domestic portfolio starting Monday, so her focus can remain entirely on the project and her children." she added.

"That eliminates her operational and maternal objections before she can raise them," Alejandro said.

"We present it as a complete package. She gets direct control over the transport security budget, an strong medical framework for her child in the countryside, and school placements for the kids." he said

"When is she scheduled to return from the art audit?" the legal advisor asked.

"Her car is expected to arrive back at the office in four hours" Alejandro replied, checking his watch.

"I will have the formal deployment papers, the Kent housing and school structures, and the briefing file on Calus Sterling ready by then," he said.

He looked at Maria. "I want you in the room when I break the news. We will present her with the finalized budget, the family accommodation data and her itinerary.

We give her the facts, we show her that her children are fully protected, and we do not leave room for a counter-proposal." he said.

"Agreed," Maria said, standing up from the table. "She will be furious about the short notice, but she is a professional.

Once she sees Sterling’s file and realizes her family’s needs are entirely covered in a safe environment, she will accept the assignment." She said with too much confidence.

Selen rushed into Alejandro’s office. She dropped her portfolio onto the table. "An official recall from the Prado audit? Alejandro, what is so urgent?" She asked him.

Alejandro gestured toward the armchair opposite his desk, where Maria was already seated. "Sit down, Selen. Please." he said, motioning to the chair across from him.

"If this is about the National Gallery delays, I am already drafting a formal response," Selen said, remaining standing. "It has escalated," Maria said, sliding a file across the desk.

"The British committee is gridlocked. The ministry has voted unanimously to deploy you to England for the next four months." She said casually.

Selen let out a short laugh. "Four months? Absolute nonsense. My triplets are seven years old. Diana is barely nine months out from a bone marrow transplant, and her entire medical team is here in Madrid. I am not leaving David and Daniel behind, and I am not dragging them all to a crowded London flat." She said,

"We are not sending you to central London," Alejandro countered, turning his computer screen toward her. "We have secured a private country estate in Kent." He said.

Selen froze. The word hit her like a physical blow. The breath caught in her throat, and for a terrifying second, the office around her blurred.

Kent Of all the places in England, they had picked the exact geographic center of her darkest memories. It was the place where her life had fractured years ago, leaving scars she had spent a lifetime trying to outrun.

"Selen?" Maria asked, her voice laced with concern at Selen’s sudden, total loss of color.

Selen forced her hands into her pockets so they would not shake. "No. Absolutely not. Pick another county. Anywhere but kent" she said.

"The air is pristine, Selen," Alejandro said, completely misinterpreting her reaction as medical concern for her child. "The grounds are isolated. It provides the exact clean, quiet environment Diana needs to finish healing." he said.

"I said no, Alejandro," Selen snapped, her defensive walls slamming up. "Do you have any idea what private rural care costs in the UK? I have a healthy savings account, but I will not gamble my children’s financial security on a temporary assignment just to live in a place that does not suit us." She said,

"You won’t spend a single cent of your own money," Maria said reassuringly. "The ministry is classifying this as an emergency cultural deployment. Every medical checkup, specialist consultation, and lab panel for Diana will be billed directly to our embassy’s healthcare account. We have already retained a top pediatric hematologist from the Kent regional network." She said,

Selen stood in a rigid, calculating silence. As a single mother of triplets, she considered her personal savings a sacred shield for her children’s future. She fiercely protected her money, hoarding it against any potential medical relapse for Diana, while ensuring David and Daniel had complete stability.

She did not want to spend her own capital, and the panel was offering total financial insulation. "And the triplets’ education? Their food? The living expenses?" Selen demanded, pushing back, desperate for a logical reason to reject the location.

"Covered," Alejandro stated. "The school fees, uniform allowances, and a full-time medical nanny to assist you at the estate are fully subsidized. Furthermore, your monthly stipend covers all household groceries, organic food tailored to Diana’s restrictions, and all utilities.

Your personal capital remains completely untouched. You will not pay for a single thing out of pocket." He said.

Selen looked away, her mind debating between the ghosts of her past and her protective maternal instincts. She still did not want to agree. The financial package was flawless, but the psychological toll of returning to Kent was overriding.

"Kent has some of the cleanest air in western Europe, Maria added softly, leaning forward. "Think about it, Selen. Madrid’s smog is heavy right now.

In Kent, she can play in a private, walled garden with her brothers. This is not just a career move. This is a chance for your daughter to fully recover in a safe environment, and for David and Daniel to run around safely." she said to Selen.

Selen was now silent at the realisation that they had covered any logical reason she could have to not want to go.