I asked a passing maid where Eric was, and she directed me toward the sunroom. I walked off, giving my thanks before she could even finish speaking. How dare he treat me in such a manner? I am not a child he can simply restrict from going out; I am a grown woman, and my son's life is currently at risk.
I didn't knock; I just barged in. At that moment, I didn't feel the need for pleasantries, but as the doors swung open and numerous pairs of judgmental eyes stared back at me, I instantly wished I had. The silence lasted for a minute at most before it was shattered by a sharp, familiar voice.
"How dare you, you street trash, walk in on a private family meeting?" a woman spat. I realized now that the room was full of people I assumed were members of the Kingston and Hawthorne families-many of whom I recognized from the dinner the night before.
"You let people like this into your home and they suddenly start acting like they own the place," someone else muttered, their ears turning red with anger at my intrusion. How dare they treat me as something less than human?.
"Honestly, I blame Eric and Chloe," Eleanor remarked, never missing a second to ridicule her brother. I searched Eric's face, looking for any sign that he was affected by their vitriol, but he maintained a bored expression, looking as though he didn't want to be there at all.
"I only came here to speak with Eric-" I tried to speak up, but Eleanor ruthlessly interrupted me again.
"Address him by his proper name. Absolutely no manners; trash like this should be kicked out," she said, waving her hands at me as if I were a waste product. I felt absolutely humiliated, a deep heat rising in my chest. I wanted to crawl away and die. But then, a sudden realization hit me: this was all Eric's fault. He was the one who refused to let me leave, and he was the one who had insisted I call him by his first name.
Before I could respond, Eric walked over to me. I felt a wave of relief; I didn't want to engage in a verbal battle against twenty people alone.
"Let's go," he whispered. I followed him out, hearing someone call after him, but Eric just waved them off, stating his presence wasn't needed anyway.
We walked until we reached the same office a few days ago. My mind recalled every heated second we had shared there as Eric locked the door. Before I could speak, he advanced toward me.
"So, it seems I am not the only one who was unhappy about last night's intrusion," he said, the air between us suddenly thick. "Eager, huh? Don't worry, I won't make you wait long," he added, caressing my hair.
"That's not why I'm here," I said, trying to shake him off.
"Then what did you come for?" he asked, his lips grazing my neck and shoulders.
"I want to leave," I stated firmly. He pulled back instantly to look at me. "I was told I couldn't leave without your permission. That's what the guards said."
"And what is so important that you want to leave so badly?" he asked, returning his touch to me. I knew lying was useless. If I wanted to get out of those gates, I needed his trust-or at least his cooperation.
"I want to see my nephew," I blurted out.
Eric recoiled as if I were made of acid. The sudden distance made me ache. "Your nephew? He is here in London?" Eric asked, surprise tinging his voice.
"Yes, and I think he is in danger," I said, trying to keep my voice steady and honest. He stared at me for what felt like hours before he finally answered.
"No," he said, his tone cooling and devoid of warmth.
"What?" I was floored.
"You heard me. I know this is just an excuse for you to run away again," he accused.
I couldn't take it any longer. Every logical sense of fear or pride was replaced by undiluted desperation for my baby. I dropped to my knees, clutching at his pants leg.
"Please, Eric, I beg of you! I promise I am not seeing anyone else," I sobbed, the tears mixing with snot as I held onto him. "You can send someone with me. I just need to move them to a different hotel. If not for me, then for the times we shared... I would do anything for him to be safe". It was a shameless, disgraceful move, but my son's life mattered more than my pride.
******
After I had cried for what felt like an eternity, Eric finally agreed-on the condition that he came with me. Panic flared; I had to find a way to prevent him from seeing Finlay's face.
We took his helicopter, a journey that sent me spiraling down memory lane, though I forced myself to stay focused on the present. When we reached the hotel, I hurried out, practically barreling past the guards.
Inside, the room was a complete mess. My heart dropped into my stomach, and my feet felt like lead. This couldn't be happening. I collapsed into Eric's arms, sobbing as I pulled out my phone to try the number one last time.
Then, I heard it-a familiar ringing coming from behind the bathroom door. I bolted toward it, but Eric tackled me back.
"Autumn, are you insane? What if it's a trap?" he hissed.
"Sarah! If you're in there, it's me! I'm here! Open up!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.
The door creaked open. Sarah stood there, tears streaming down her face, shielding Finlay in her arms. I found a surge of strength I didn't know I possessed, pushed Eric off me, and ran to hug them both.
****
One thing was certain: they weren't safe. I wanted to fight Eric on where to take them, but I was simply too exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the day to resist any longer.
