Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Richard's POV
The entire atmosphere had been tense, with no one willing to say a word.
Emma approached cautiously, a forced smile on her face. "Kathy, Lily, would you like some fruit? They say we can take home whatever was picked this afternoon."
Kathy and Lily ignored her. Instead, they turned to me.
"Dad, we need to go find Mom and Max."
"Not allowed," I said firmly, not looking up from my phone. My tone left no room for argument.
But Lily wasn't deterred. "The activity's almost over. Everyone's getting ready to leave. Mom and Max haven't come back yet."
"I'm sure they're fine," I replied coldly. "Your mother is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and Max."
Kathy's small hand tugged at my sleeve. "But Dad, what if they're not safe?"
I looked down at my daughter, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes. For a moment, something twinged in my chest. Then I hardened myself again.
"Emma," I called, my voice low and commanding. "Take the children to the bus. We're leaving."
"But Dad—" Kathy protested.
"Now," I said firmly, silencing any further argument.
The disappointment on both children's faces was obvious, but I remained unmoved.
I watched as Emma led the reluctant children away, ignoring the hollow feeling in my chest.
---
Elena's POV
"Hello? Is anyone there?" I called for what felt like the hundredth time, my voice growing hoarse.
Nearly an hour had passed since our fall. Max sat quietly beside me, his small face dirty and scratched. The injuries made climbing back up difficult.
"Mommy, I'm cold," Max whispered, shivering slightly in the cooling air.
I pulled him closer, wrapping my arms around him. "I know, baby. Someone will find us soon."
Just as despair was starting to set in, I heard voices from above.
"Elena? Max?"
Relief flooded through me. "We're here! We fell down the slope!"
Minutes later, several farm workers appeared at the top of the incline, ropes in hand. One carefully made his way down to us.
"Ma'am, are you hurt?" he asked, reaching our position.
"Just some scrapes, nothing serious."
Ten minutes later, they had safely hauled us both up. Patty's mother rushed forward as soon as we reached level ground, her face pale with guilt.
"Elena! Oh my God, are you alright? We've been looking everywhere for you!" She hugged me tightly before examining Max's scratched face. "I'm so sorry! We got separated from the group, and by the time we realized, you had gone looking for us."
"It's okay," I assured her, though my body ached all over. "We're fine now."
I glanced around at the concerned farm workers and the few remaining parents. "Is... is Richard still here?" I tried to sound casual.
Patty's mother's expression told me everything. "I'm sorry, Elena. Most of the participants left about an hour ago, including your husband and the other two children."
He'd left. Without even coming to look for Max and me.
I swallowed hard, forcing back the hurt. What had I expected?
"Elena, should we head back to the city?" Patty's mother asked hesitantly. "It's getting late, but we could still make it before dark."
I looked down at Max's exhausted face, feeling my own body's protests at the thought of a long car ride.
"I think I'll stay here tonight," I decided. "Max has had quite a shock, and I don't want to travel while he's in this state."
---
The farmhouse bedroom was simple but comfortable. Max had fallen asleep almost immediately, his small body curled against mine. Outside, the unfamiliar sounds of the countryside created a symphony so different from the city noise I was accustomed to.
I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess. Logically, I knew Richard's cold departure was exactly what I wanted—proof that our relationship was over. So why did it hurt so much?
A soft knock at the door interrupted my brooding.
"Elena?" came the farm owner's voice. "Sorry to disturb you, but there's someone here to see you."
Confused, I carefully extricated myself from Max's arms and limped to the door. "Who would be visiting at this hour?"
Opening the door revealed William standing in the hallway.
"William?" I asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been trying to reach you, Elena," he explained calmly. "There's an urgent situation with the project Dennis is handling. When I couldn't contact you, I tracked your phone location."
"What happened?"
William handed me a tablet. "That recent project you've been working on with Oliver has caught the attention of the regulatory commission. Oliver wants you to come back immediately to handle it before they find any evidence."
I scrolled through the files, my blood running cold. "These transactions... this is fraud, William. Oliver has been falsifying data."
"Oliver's always been reckless," William said, his tone measured. "I'm not surprised."
The implications hit me like a bucket of ice water. If this information became public, we could all face charges.
"I need to fix this immediately," I said, rushing back into the room to gather my things. "I have to go back right away."
I gently scooped up the still-sleeping Max, grateful he didn't wake. "Let's go. There's no time to waste."
---
Richard's POV
I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white, pushing the Bentley well beyond the speed limit. The night air rushed past as I raced toward the farm.
Remembering what Kathy and Lily had said, something had shifted inside me. If something had happened to Elena and Max, it would be unbearable.
Thirty minutes later, I pulled up to the farmhouse, not bothering to close the car door as I strode to the entrance. My fist pounded against the wooden door.
"Open up!" I demanded, my voice carrying in the quiet night.
The farmer appeared, bleary-eyed and startled. "What's going on?"
"Where are they?" I growled.
"Who?" he stammered, clearly intimidated by my presence.
"The woman and child who stayed here tonight," I snapped impatiently.
The farmer's confused expression suddenly brightened with recognition. "Oh, they've already been picked up."
"By whom?"
"A man came for them. About your age, wearing glasses. Said there was some emergency at work."
William. It had to be.
"Where did they go?" I demanded, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"To the airport, I think," the farmer replied, taking an instinctive step back. "Is something wrong?"
I didn't answer, already turning back toward my car. My mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.