NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 11: Chapter 11: And Then She Was Gone
The morning light streamed through the mansion's windows—soft, golden, and quiet.
Leonard Castillo stirred in bed, reaching instinctively for the other side.
But the space was cold.
Empty.
He sat up slowly.
No sound of the kettle boiling. No faint footsteps in the hallway. No scent of her tea drifting from the kitchen.
Just silence.
He threw on a shirt and moved through the house.
First the kitchen.
Then the sunroom.
The garden.
Nothing.
He checked the guest room.
Empty.
Finally, her room.
Still.
Then he saw it—her closet… half-empty. One drawer left slightly open. The blanket neatly folded at the foot of the bed, as if she had tried to erase any trace of her.
And on the pillow—one final sign she had been there.
A note.
Her handwriting: soft, familiar, steady.
---
Leonard,
You said there was no us.
So I'm giving you what you wanted.
I won't ask you to choose me.
I won't beg for something you never wanted.
You're free now.
I won't bother you again.
—Arielle
---
He stared at the note for a long time.
So that's it?
He'd told her to leave.
Told her to erase the baby.
Told her she didn't matter.
And now…
She was gone.
Just like that.
No tears.
No goodbye.
No second chances.
Just silence.
And it was louder than anything he had ever heard.
---
Later That Day
His phone buzzed.
Samantha:
Dinner tonight? I booked our table. Let me know what time you want me to pick you up 💋
He stared at the message.
Didn't reply.
Didn't move.
Didn't smile.
He just sat there—in a house that suddenly felt too big, too quiet…
…and far too empty.
She's gone.
It's done.
That's what I wanted… right?
---
End of Chapter 11