Chapter Fifty-six Estera Roberts’ POV (Ten Years Before)

“What are you doing?” the chef asked and I paused with the tea tray in hand.
“I thought to take it up for Mrs. Sterling,” I replied with a widened gaze.
“You can’t do that. Mr. Evan Sterling left specific instructions on what you are allowed and not allowed to do. You are only to assist me here in the kitchen, and not to serve anyone,” he explained with a raised eyebrow, his dark eyes shining with amusement. I lowered my gaze feeling the heat of embarrassment burn my cheeks. Evan must have made it too clear that my supposed employment in his parents' house was just a visage. That is if the promise ring on my engagement finger was not clear enough.
“I just thought maybe I could help Mabel—”
“No, she knows her duty and would soon come to take the tea upstairs. If you feel the need to help anyone, help me, peel some potatoes,” he insisted.
“Okay,” I said and walked behind the industrial-sized Island table to do as he asked. The sound of the door to the kitchen opening made me raise my eyes in the direction, and a tall sturdy man I recalled was one of Evan’s father’s bodyguards peered in.
“Miss Roberts?” he called, directing a pointed look at me, completely ignoring the chef. I stopped what I was doing and gave him my full attention, feeling a tad apprehensive that he knew my name.
“Yes?” I answered.
“Mr. Sterling would like to see you in his study,” he said in a toneless voice, and in reflex, I threw the chef a puzzled look. He shrugged, raising his eyebrows seeming equally perturbed by the strange request.
“Is Evan back?” I asked, wondering if when he said Mr. Sterling he meant Evan Sterling.
“I wouldn’t know. Why did you ask?” the other man retorted, raising his eyebrows at me and looking somewhat exasperated.
“You said, Mr. Sterling—”
“I meant Edward Sterling. Could you please come? I am to accompany you to his study,” the man snapped rudely. I swallowed, nodded, and slowly removed my apron, silently hoping I looked calmer than I felt because I was in panic mode full gear. And I was glad I was wearing one of the former dresses Evan bought for me on our last trip to Paris. The off-white, cashmere dress was a fit and flare dress with pockets. It clung to my upper body and was loose below my waist. But instead of wearing the champagne-colored Stuart Weitzman Rita Hayworth heels he picked with it, I wore simple lace-up sneakers for comfort.
I have never actually met Evan’s father except afar. And I met his mother Charlotte Sterling one time when Evan brought me in to introduce me. The other woman had seemed friendly enough, although I had the impression that she didn’t quite think Evan and I were serious. I wished so much that Evan was here now. But he had to go for an emergency board meeting in Aspen. He called earlier to say he would be coming back later today. I wondered if all was well with him. The last time I was summoned like this I ended up finding out I had lost my parents. I slipped a hand inside the pocket of my dress, wrapping my fingers around the new phone he bought for me, wanting to call him or send a text message at least.
“This way, Miss,” the man said, making me jump as he put a hand on my back, shepherding me down a flight of stairs that descended to a lower deck in between the foyer’s double staircases. I swallowed softly. At the end of the hallway, he pushed open a double mahogany door and made me go in first.
I felt highly uncomfortable with the man behind me. It was as if he was trying to hinder my way of escape. I just felt like something was off. My heart began to beat faster than normal and I could hear my blood pounding in my ears.
The study was dimly lit. I recalled the last time I came in here, Evan was the one standing behind the imposing desk smiling at me. Unlike Evan the man there now regarded me with an air of uppity, making me feel quite small.
Edward Sterling was almost as tall as his son. I could see they share similar build, but this man’s eyes were gray and icy cold. His jet black hair was trimmed military style. His aquiline nose cast a shadow over his thin lips. He was good-looking, but there was an aura around him that made me feel like I had walked into the lion’s den.
I looked back in reflex and saw the bodyguard was literally blocking the doorway now. He stationed himself firmly by the door standing with legs apart and arms folded over his bulky chest. ‘God, what is this?’ I thought to myself, took a calming breath, and slowly raised my face to meet Evan’s father’s gaze.
“G - good evening, sir,” I greeted, squaring my shoulders to give the man my attention but was also alert to every movement behind me.
“A lovely evening to you too, Miss Roberts, Please take a seat,” he replied, gesturing to the two chairs facing his massive desk.
“I … I will rather stand, sir,” I said, feeling like a little insignificant animal at the bottom of a food chain.
The older man regarded me with cold disdain and I noted the hard edge in his eyes as if he was trying and failing to contain his emotions.
“So be it … Let’s get to it then,” he said and left the back of his desk to stand in front of it. He slowly lowered himself to the edge to perch on it, folding his arms against his chest. “Miss Roberts you will forgive my forwardness, but I felt if I help you speed up your future plans then getting you to see things my way would be easier. You see … I did some digging and found out from your school that you applied to study medicine at Harvard. I had your professors and the Dean of your faculty write a letter of recommendation for you which was quite easy because I found you have such excellent grades and there was hardly any need to influence anything and fortunately today this came in,” he said as he picked an envelope on the desk and held out his hand for me. I took a few steps forward and took it from him. “Go on open it,” he urged and I did.
My hands shook as I read the letter of admission to study medicine at Harvard Medical school and with the letter was the receipt of full payment of my entire course: accommodation, books, medical allowance, etcetera, all the bills that had constantly given me nightmares had been paid for. I was stunned. I raised my face to meet the older man’s gaze with my eyes darting hurriedly in their sockets. I have no idea why he would do something like this. If I was scared before I was terrified now.
“That is my copy. It is just to serve as evidence. I believe your copies should be in your mail. And now that I have your attention, there is something that I need you to do for me in return, and I am hoping you would be reasonable enough to not give me a headache about it,” he said. And he must have noticed my puzzled expression because he added, “Give me a minute and this will make sense to you.” I nodded gingerly. “Sterling banks and industries are being investigated by the government and as a result, our accounts have been frozen. The government hasn't found anything incriminating yet thanks to Evan, but we are in a business whereby trust is paramount. If the words get out, we will lose clients. And if we lose clients there would be no business and if there is no business, my family will be bankrupt. And our reputations will be in shambles. The situation could ruin my family including Evan. Are you following me, Miss Roberts?”