Chapter Sixty-one Evan Sterling's POV (Present Time

"I introduced her to you because I trusted you to help me take care of my woman while I was away. I brought her into that house, thinking I had an ally. But I was wrong. I made a terrible mistake trusting you. And you stab me, your son, your only son, in the back, and for what? I actually appreciate Edward now. He never hid who he was. He is scum and he made sure I knew it. But you, mother… You knew the truth about Estera, you were part of the plan to screw me over. And you let me think -- for all these years -- that my Estera was a fucking whore who got paid off. You did that to me. And I rewarded you for it. I stripped Edward of his shares and left yours to you. I brought you into my home to live with me, provided for all your needs and every day you watch me live in this shell of a body and you kept mute. You, mother, are far worse than Edward." I stood up and slipped my hands into the pockets of my trousers, watching her cry silently, and for the first time, her suffering didn't get to me. I was living with my enemies. Every fucking person that I had in my life was there because it benefited them. I knew this, but I thought my mother wasn't one of them. I thought I had her in my corner and she would always watch my back. It hurt as hell to know she was the master minder.
"Your father was going to have her roughened up and thrown out with Sophia without a dime. Sophia had worked all her life with us and was responsible for Estera. Sophia was more than an employee to me; she was a confidant — a friend. I made the mistake of letting it slip that I know who you meant when you said you were taken. I have lived with that guilt all these years. I figured I could make it better if I lessened Sophia's financial burden by asking him to pay Estera’s med school bills. And pay off Sophia to retire. Your father was against it, so, I shouldered the finances. I swear it to you, son, that I didn't know he would go crazy. He made sure I didn't know when he summoned her. But when the chef got wind of what was happening he ran to tell me. We all love Sophia even if we haven't gotten the chance to really know Estera for that long. I went out through the backdoor and with the help of the chef got to Sophia's chalet. I thought she would come there but she didn't. I packed her admission papers that had been delivered to the chalet, took the car you bought for her and went looking for her."
My mother was crying openly now and the horror my Estera went through was evident on her face. My eyes got blurred and I shut them, clenching my jaw, as I listened to the horrid story.
"When I saw her she was naked and covered in blood…" she continued. I released a shaky breath. "She begged me to let her go and that I will never see her again. Christ, I wanted to go back and shoot that bastard in the head when she yelled at me that Edward tried to rape her."
"Oh, God--" the word escaped my lips and I started to pace.
"I persuaded her to come with me and drove her out of Charlestown. She thought I was going to just leave her there, but I told her you bought the car for her and it was hers. She told me she didn’t want anything from me, you or your father…"
"She didn't want the money?"
"She didn't want anything, she just wanted to get away," she replied. I nodded. That sounded more like the Estera I knew.
"I literally told her she will be a fool to not accept the offer for her school. I urged her to seize the opportunity and turn the ugliness into motivation. I will never forget how she looked each time she mentioned your name. I hated what we did to her and you. She was too young. She didn't deserve all that. I almost broke down when she said her only sin was loving you. I am so sorry, Evan. I was ignorant of how much you both love each other. If I had known I would have fought harder to find a way for the two of you. And of course, I couldn't tell you. Edward had already sowed the seed in you when you returned. I didn't know what he did show you until you told me. Even then, I didn't believe it. I couldn't. But when you fully took charge of everything and it all fell into place, I figured perhaps you weren't that invested in the girl. And thought she would do just fine without you. I couldn't even face Sophia. I haven't been able to go and see her in her new place since she left. I am so happy to hear she is now a doctor…"
"She returned the money spent on her school bills…" I said that with so much pride now that I know what happened. My baby, she made it, despite everything. And to think she kept herself for me too.
"I am so sorry, baby. I hope I would get the chance to meet her again and apologize for the part, I played that night."
I look at my mother unseeing. I found I could not process my feelings where she was concerned. Yes, she helped Estera get away, but she had helped to put her in harm's way in the first place. And afterwards, she kept quiet. She had wanted the outcome they got. She had just wanted to take a gentler approach.
Between her and Edward, they had made Estera go through a traumatic journey and I understood perfectly now why she had run from me. And now I just need to find her and make things right.

'I need to find her,' I thought, turned to walk away then halted my stride, recalling that I was still in the entanglement Edward had caused. And going after her now would trigger a lot of trouble and not just for me, Edward and my mother but for the company and all the people depending on me now to keep the company afloat. It dawned on me then, that finding my way back to Estera would not be immediate. I have to plan for it. And also I needed to know if she even wanted to have anything to do with me again. My heart constricted. Damn you to hell, Edward. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you.

"Evan... son, there's something you should know--"