Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World



Sara wasted no time and rushed back to the fair in Paris. Hailing a carriage, she urged the coachman to hurry towards the station of the Axelsen and Nielsen company.

As the carriage pulled up to the station, Sara swiftly disembarked and made her way toward the office, where she spotted Jonathan and Caroline engaged in conversation.

"Sara?" Jonathan stood up, his face etched with surprise. "Why are you here? I thought the ship left six hours ago? Where is Poul?"

Sara's eyes welled up with tears, and she shook her head. Jonathan and Caroline instantly grasped the seriousness of the situation, although they couldn't pinpoint the exact details.

"Poul... Poul... has been taken by Prince Alexander," Sara revealed, her voice trembling. "He's been forcibly taken aboard a ship bound for London... They discovered... they discovered everything!"

"Damn, it..." Jonathan cursed. "So he found out about your relationship, huh?"

Caroline placed a comforting hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "What should we do, Jonathan? Should we contact Morgan?"

"Morgan is our only hope right now," Jonathan affirmed, nodding his head. "Arrange an urgent meeting with him immediately. Tell him it's a matter of utmost importance."

"Alright, I'll head back to the hotel and call him over. In the meantime, please take care of Sara," Caroline offered, her concern evident.

Jonathan nodded his head, and Caroline made her way out of the office, leaving Jonathan and Sara alone.

Sara, unable to contain the emotions swirling inside of her, burst into tears. She collapsed into a nearby chair, her whole body trembling with grief and fear. Jonathan rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. He held her close, offering solace amidst the storm of emotions that threatened to consume them both.

"I can't bear the thought of losing him," Sara sobbed, her voice muffled against Jonathan's shoulder.  "This is all my fault."

Jonathan hushed and held her even tighter. "Calm down, Sara. We'll find a way to bring Poul back safely. No one is at fault here. Don't worry, Morgan is definitely going to help us." 

Sara sniffled, her tears subsiding slightly as she looked up at Jonathan with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "But how, Jonathan? How can we possibly rescue him from Prince Alexander's clutches?"

Jonathan took a deep breath and asked. "Tell me how did they arrest Poul?" 

"Uhm…there is this letter of authorization from the French government, that authorized the British to arrest Poul in their country. Alexander wanted to take me away as well but Poul was able to talk it out," Sara explained.

Jonathan's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "Letter of authorization? Even if that was granted by the French government, Poul is still an Avalonian citizen, they don't have a right to extradite him like that. This is going to be a diplomatic blunder. That's it, that's how we are going to help Poul." 

"How?" Sara looked up at him and asked.

"We're going to make this a diplomatic issue," Jonathan said firmly, his mind already working on a plan. "We need to get the Avalonian government involved, and fast. They won't take kindly to their citizen being forcibly taken away like this, especially by a foreign power, and more especially if that citizen is Poul." 

Thirty minutes later, Caroline arrived with Morgan.

"I got here as soon as I heard the news. Explain to me why Poul was captured by the British," Morgan asked.

"Morgan, what you are about to hear is something that would cause a scandal, I want you to promise that you won't tell a soul about it." 

"Jonathan, how can I help you and Poul if you are not going to provide me with all the information?" Morgan looked at Jonathan with a mix of curiosity and concern. He knew that Jonathan wouldn't keep such secrets without good reason. 

"Don't worry, you'll still understand the issue despite me not telling the whole truth," Jonathan assured. 

"Okay fine," Morgan relented, understanding the gravity of the situation. He trusted Jonathan's judgment and knew that certain details might need to be kept confidential for the time being.

Jonathan took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "This lady beside me, Sara Olsen, is not really originally Sara, but a princess of the British Empire. She is the daughter of the Duke, who is the Prime Minister of the British Empire, and a former candidate for the Crown Prince's wife." 

Jonathan paused, allowing Morgan to process the revelation. Sara looked at Morgan, her eyes filled with trepidation and uncertainty. She had kept her true identity hidden for so long, fearing the consequences it might bring. But now, she had no choice but to trust Morgan with this delicate information.

Morgan's brows furrowed as he absorbed the weight of Jonathan's words. "You mean to say that Sara is Penelope? The princess that had gone missing and murdered?" 

"I understand that it is hard to believe, Morgan," Jonathan replied, his voice filled with empathy. "But Sara here is indeed Penelope, the princess who was presumed to be missing and later declared murdered."

"Then what is she doing along with you?" Morgan asked, getting more curious about Sara's relationship with the industrialist duo.

"Poul and Penelope were lovers, like a very long time ago, I can't tell you the specifics but that's the story. Poul had come up with a plan to extract her from the country since Poul and Penelope being a couple won't be accepted by her family, especially the British.

"Wait…wait…wait, am I the only one who is not informed about this" Morgan interrupted. 

"Me and Caroline are the only one who knows the truth, now that you heard it, that makes you the third. Morgan, I was hoping you could help us get Poul back. I know you have connections with the government and I was thinking if maybe you can convince them to do a diplomatic action towards his arrest by the British."

Morgan's eyes widened with astonishment. The magnitude of the revelation sank in, and he realized the enormity of the situation. 

"My God, Jonathan, do you realize what this means? 

"I know, Mr. Morgan, but please, I'm begging you, to help my partner get out of this. If you help us, I swear, we are going to let you into our future enterprises and let you all reap the benefits." 

"Jonathan, I know what you are doing. You think I only care about money but you are wrong, Poul is a close friend and I will help him. Give me a day or two, I'll reach out to my friends in Washington, and see what our options are." 

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan. Your support means the world to us," Jonathan expressed sincerely. 

"Thank you…Mr. Morgan," Sara said bashfully. 

"So how are you going to plan it?" Caroline asked Morgan.

"Let's go to the United States embassy tomorrow morning." 

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