Too Late Mr. Sterling

Chapter 3

Elowen's POV

I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks before walking into the office with my head held high, even though I felt like I was falling apart inside. Alistair and Ambrose immediately stopped talking when they saw me, and I noticed the sympathy in Ambrose's eyes while Alistair looked at me with the same cold expression he always wore whenever I was around.

Alistair stood behind his large desk, looking every bit like the powerful CEO he was. He was still the most handsome man I had ever seen, with his slightly messy dark hair, sharp jawline, broad shoulders, and intense green eyes that had once made my heart race. There was a time when simply looking at him was enough to make me nervous. I used to crave his attention and spend countless nights wishing that one day he would look at me the way I looked at him.

But that part of me was finally dying.

None of it mattered anymore.

Maisie's life mattered more than my feelings for a man who had never looked at either of us with love. It still hurt to accept that, but I had no choice. If giving Alistair a chance to be a father for one month was the only way to make Maisie happy, then I would swallow every bit of my pride and do it.

My eyes fell on the document lying on the desk, and I walked over to pick it up without wasting any time.

“This must be the divorce agreement,” I said quietly.

Alistair nodded.

I opened the file and carefully went through the papers. Everything was already prepared, from the terms of the divorce to the arrangements for our property and finances. There was nothing unusual, and I found no reason to argue about any of it.

I closed the file and placed it back on the desk.

“Everything is in order,” I said calmly. “Maisie is waiting for you at home, and your responsibility as her father starts now. Spend time with her, come to her birthday, and give her the memories she has been asking for all these years. After her birthday, I'll sign the agreement and make the divorce official.”

I turned around and started walking toward the door before he could respond.

Alistair's eyebrows pulled together as he watched me leave. I could tell my calm attitude had surprised him. He was probably used to seeing me cry, argue, or beg him not to leave, so perhaps he had expected the same thing today.

But I was tired.

I had finally accepted that there was nothing left to save.

Before I could reach the door, it opened, and Seraphina walked into the office as if she belonged there.

The change in Alistair was immediate.

The cold expression disappeared from his face, and his eyes softened the moment he saw her. A small smile appeared on his lips as he straightened and walked toward her.

“Hey,” he greeted warmly.

I couldn't stop myself from looking back.

This was a side of Alistair I had rarely, if ever, seen directed at me. His entire face looked different when he looked at Seraphina. There was warmth in his eyes, and his voice carried a softness that I had spent years wishing to hear.

Seraphina pushed her blonde hair over her shoulder, and her pale blue eyes immediately settled on me. The warmth in her expression disappeared, replaced by a flash of jealousy.

“Oh, Alistair,” she said softly. “I'm sorry. I didn't know you were busy with your wife. I can come back later.”

Alistair's smile disappeared.

“Don't call her that,” he said sharply. “I've told you before that this marriage means nothing to me.”

Seraphina's lips curved into a small smile, and I knew she had chosen those words on purpose.

Ambrose looked uncomfortable, but I said nothing.

I tightened my fingers around the divorce papers as embarrassment spread through me. Even after everything Alistair had said, hearing him dismiss our marriage so easily still hurt.

He turned his cold gaze toward me.

“You can go,” he said. “I'll come by for dinner.”

I nodded without saying anything and walked out of the office.

Behind me, I heard Seraphina laugh softly as Alistair said something to her in a much gentler voice.

I kept walking.

I refused to cry in front of them.

The moment I got home, however, everything changed when I told Maisie that her father was coming for dinner.

Her face immediately lit up.

“Really?” she asked, her eyes widening with excitement. “Daddy is really coming tonight?”

“Yes, baby,” I said with a smile. “He's coming for dinner.”

Maisie stared at me for a moment as if she was afraid to believe me, then she suddenly clapped her hands and jumped to her feet.

“I'm going to wear my favourite dress!” she announced excitedly. “The yellow one with the butterflies!”

She ran toward her bedroom before I could answer.

I watched her disappear down the hallway, and my smile slowly faded.

I knew better than to get my hopes up, but I prayed that Alistair would not disappoint her. Maisie had spent most of her life waiting for her father to give her even a little of his time, and I couldn't bear to see that small piece of hope crushed again.

That evening, I prepared a simple dinner while Maisie helped me set the table. She carefully arranged the forks and spoons, then moved the plates around several times because she wanted everything to look perfect.

Every few minutes, she ran to the window and looked outside.

“Is Daddy here yet?”

“Not yet, sweetheart.”

A few minutes later, she asked again.

“Now?”

I smiled and shook my head.

“Not yet.”

She returned to the table, but she could barely sit still.

Finally, there was a knock at the door.

Maisie froze.

“Daddy!”

Before I could say anything, she rushed toward the door.

When I opened it, Alistair stood outside in his usual dark suit, looking cold and serious as though he had just stepped out of a business meeting. He looked at me briefly before Maisie threw herself into his arms.

“Daddy!”

Alistair looked stunned.

Maisie's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, and for a moment, his hands remained awkwardly at his sides. Then he slowly placed one hand on her back.

“Hi,” he said quietly.

That one word was enough to make Maisie smile like she had just received the greatest gift in the world.

“Come inside,” I said.

Dinner was awkward from the beginning.

Alistair barely spoke and hardly touched his food, while Maisie did most of the talking. She told him about school, her favourite teacher, the drawing she had made that morning, and the birthday party she wanted.

I mostly stayed quiet and let them talk.

At one point, Maisie reached across the table and placed her small hand over Alistair's.

“You're really here,” she whispered, almost as though she still couldn't believe it. “You're not going to leave before dinner is finished, are you?”

Alistair looked at her hand resting on his.

“No,” he replied.

Her smile grew wider.

“Will you come again tomorrow?”

Alistair cleared his throat and looked away.

“We'll see.”

Maisie seemed satisfied with that answer.

After dinner, I began clearing the plates, but Maisie suddenly grabbed Alistair's hand.

“Daddy, will you tuck me into bed tonight?”

Alistair hesitated.

“Please?” she added quickly. “Just this once.”

I stopped in the kitchen and listened without turning around.

For a moment, I wasn't sure what he would say.

Then I heard him sigh.

“Alright.”

Maisie smiled and pulled him toward her bedroom.

I followed them from a distance and stood quietly at the doorway while she showed him her drawings, her stuffed animals, and the little things she had collected over the years.

She was so happy that it almost broke my heart.

When she finally climbed into bed, she looked up at Alistair with sleepy eyes.

“Will you stay until I fall asleep?”

He nodded and sat on the edge of her bed.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“I'm your daughter, right?”

Alistair looked at her for a moment before giving her a small nod.

“Yes.”

Maisie smiled.

“Okay. Goodnight, Daddy.”

She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, still wearing a small smile.

Alistair remained beside her for several minutes, watching her sleep. His eyes moved over her face, and I wondered if he was noticing how much she looked like him for the first time. She had his nose and his dark hair, although her blue eyes were mine.

Then his phone vibrated.

Alistair looked at the screen, and the corner of his lips lifted slightly.

I didn't need to ask who had messaged him.

It was Seraphina.

His phone vibrated again, and his expression changed.

He looked at Maisie, who was sleeping peacefully while holding her favourite stuffed bunny against her chest. For a moment, he seemed reluctant to leave.

Then he quietly slipped his phone into his pocket, leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss against Maisie's forehead.

I watched him from the hallway without saying a word.

When he straightened, his eyes met mine.

He froze.

His expression immediately hardened, as though being caught showing affection toward his own daughter embarrassed him.

He walked past me without saying anything.

“Where are you going?” I asked as he reached the front door.

He stopped but didn't turn around.

“I have something urgent to handle,” he replied coldly.

I stepped closer, trying to keep my voice calm.

“Maisie will be heartbroken if she wakes up and you're gone.”

He remained silent.

“She asks about you every night,” I continued softly. “She keeps asking when you're coming, and I keep making excuses because I don't want her to think her father doesn't want her. She believes every excuse I give her because she trusts me.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“If you hate me as much as you say you do, then at least pretend to care about her. You don't have to love me, Alistair. You don't even have to forgive me. Just give your daughter the father she has been waiting for.”

He finally turned his head slightly.

“I'll come back in the morning and take her to school.”

Before I could say anything else, he opened the door and walked out.

I stood there alone, staring at the empty doorway long after his car disappeared from the driveway.