Too Late Mr. Sterling

Chapter 9

Elowen's POV

I switched off my phone and removed the SIM card before tossing it into the trash. I stared at it for a moment, knowing that I was cutting myself off from everyone I had known, but I didn't care anymore. There was no one I wanted to hear from, and there was no one I wanted to explain myself to. After losing Maisie, the last thing I needed was to listen to people asking questions I didn't have the strength to answer.

I walked for about fifteen minutes before reaching the main security gate of Sterling Holdings' private estate. The two security officers on duty looked surprised when they saw me approaching with a bag hanging from my shoulder. They glanced at the bag, then at me, as if they couldn't understand why the wife of Alistair Sterling was walking out of the estate alone.

"Mrs. Sterling?" one of them asked carefully. "Are you going somewhere?"

I stopped in front of the gate and gave him a small smile. "Yes. I'm leaving."

"Alone?" The concern in his voice was clear. "Mrs. Sterling, at least let us arrange a driver for you. It's late, and you shouldn't be travelling alone."

"No," I replied calmly. "I don't need a driver."

The two men exchanged an uncomfortable look, and the older one stepped forward slightly. "Please, ma'am. You shouldn't leave like this without anyone with you. There have been reports of robberies along the road recently, especially around this area. We would feel better if someone from the company drove you wherever you're going."

"I'll be fine," I said, tightening my grip on the strap of my bag.

"Mrs. Sterling, please," the younger guard said, sounding more worried now. "If something happens to you after we allow you to leave alone, we'll be blamed for it. Mr. Sterling will—"

"Alistair won't care," I interrupted.

The words made both men go quiet.

They looked at me for a moment, but neither of them moved away from the gate. I could see that they were frightened about getting into trouble. They weren't trying to stop me because they cared about where I was going. They were afraid that if something happened to me, their jobs would be at risk.

I understood them. They were only doing their work.

"Just let us call him," the older guard pleaded. "We can at least tell him that you're leaving, so no one can say we allowed you to walk out without informing him."

I almost laughed.

Alistair had not called me once since Maisie died. He had not asked where we were, whether she was alive, or whether I needed anything. I had no reason to believe he would suddenly care because I was leaving his estate.

Still, I nodded. "Fine. Call him."

The guard quickly took out his phone and dialled Alistair's number before putting the call on speaker. It rang twice before someone answered.

The background noise immediately reached me. There were several voices, along with music playing somewhere nearby. Then I heard Seraphina's laugh, followed by Ottilie's excited voice as she talked about something that had clearly made her happy.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

Alistair was probably celebrating somewhere with them.

He had probably forgotten that today was Maisie's birthday.

The guard cleared his throat. "Mr. Sterling, I'm sorry to disturb you. Mrs. Sterling is here at the main gate, and she—"

"Don't call me about that woman again!" Alistair snapped.

The guard's face went pale.

Alistair continued before anyone could speak. "I don't want to hear anything about her. Don't disturb me with her problems, and don't call me for anything concerning her. I have more important things to deal with."

The call ended.

For a few seconds, nobody moved.

The guard slowly lowered the phone while the younger man stared at me with an uncomfortable expression. I could see the apology on his face before he even spoke.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sterling. We didn't know he would—"

"It's fine," I said, cutting him off. "You're only doing your job."

The older guard stepped aside and opened the gate. "You can go, ma'am. If you're sure this is what you want."

I nodded and walked past them without another word.

That was how I left Sterling Holdings behind.

There was no dramatic goodbye, no one chasing after me, and no Alistair suddenly appearing to ask me to stay. I simply walked through the gate with one bag over my shoulder and left the life I had spent years trying to hold together.

I had taken a map from some of Alistair's old files before leaving the house. It showed several roads outside the city, and I used it to guide myself towards a small town where I hoped I could find a cheap place to stay. I didn't know what I was going to do after that, and honestly, I didn't care. I just knew that I couldn't remain anywhere near Alistair.

I kept walking until the pain in my legs became difficult to ignore. My stomach was empty, my head felt light, and every part of my body was exhausted, but I refused to stop. I was carrying grief that was heavier than my bag, and all I wanted was to get far enough away from Sterling Holdings before I finally allowed myself to fall apart.

The road became quieter as I moved farther away from the city. There were fewer cars, fewer streetlights, and almost no people around. I kept checking the map on my phone, even though the battery was already running low. I knew I should find somewhere safe to rest, but I was afraid that if I stopped, I would lose the courage to keep going.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

I stopped.

For a moment, I told myself it was probably someone else walking along the road, but the footsteps came again, louder this time. My entire body became tense as I slowly turned my head.

Three men were standing several metres behind me.

They looked rough and unkempt, and none of them appeared to be carrying anything that made me feel safe. One of them stared directly at my bag, while another looked me up and down.

My stomach dropped.

I had heard about people being attacked on quiet roads outside the city, especially women travelling alone, and suddenly every warning I had ignored came rushing back to me.

One of the men took a step towards me.

I stepped back.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

I didn't answer.

The second man moved closer, and I realised they were spreading out so that they could block the road ahead of me. My heart began pounding so hard that I could hear it in my ears.

"Give us the bag," the first man said.

I tightened my grip around the strap.

There was nothing valuable inside except a few clothes, Maisie's drawing, and her blanket, but I wasn't ready to hand them over. The drawing was the last thing my daughter had left behind, and the thought of losing it made something inside me panic.

"Please," I said quietly. "I don't have money."

"Then give us whatever you have."

I took another step backwards, but my heel caught on a stone, and I nearly lost my balance.

Fear finally took over.

I looked around for someone who might help me, but the road was empty. There was no security officer, no driver, and no one nearby who could hear me if I screamed.

I was completely alone.

After everything I had lost, I had thought nothing could frighten me anymore.

I was wrong.

One of the men suddenly rushed towards me.

I turned and ran.

I didn't know where I was going, and I didn't care. I only knew that I had to get away from them. My bag bounced against my side as I ran, my legs burning from exhaustion, while the sound of their footsteps followed closely behind me.

For the first time since Maisie's death, I felt something stronger than grief.

I wanted to live.

I wanted to survive.

And I didn't know if I was going to make it.