Chapter 12 Callum didn't waste a second getting on the road . Mason Blake was waiting , a rare smirk playing on his lips . " Didn't think you'd actually show , " Mason said , casually leaning against his black sports car . Callum's eyes darkened with threat . He grabbed Mason by the collar , seething . " You'd better not be messing with me . If you said you know where Evelyn is just to lure me out- " Mason and Callum had grown up together . They were both arrogant , proud , and used to getting their way . Mason knew better than to joke when Callum was this serious . " Relax , " Mason said , his tone losing the humor . " I know you're serious . That's why I didn't joke around . I heard your little runaway bride made it to Norland . Soon as I caught wind , I tapped into my contacts . She's scrubbed her identity clean , changed her name - but her sister , Lily ? She didn't have time to cover her tracks . " Callum's grip loosened . He took the slip of paper Mason handed him , eyes scanning the address . " Thanks , " he said , fist bumping Mason . Mason grinned . " First time I've seen you this spun out over a girl . Don't screw it up this time - drop the prince act or she'll run again . " " Seriously , she is much better than that Estelle . " Mason quipped . Callum glared at him . " Stay away from her . " " Chill . I still want to be alive , " Mason muttered . " Just don't forget to thank me when you get her back . " Callum turned to leave but paused , pulling a folded photo from his pocket - something raw and degrading , printed on glossy paper . " Look into this . You're more connected overseas . You might find something I can't . " Mason's smile dropped . " Your sweet Estelle Moore ? Man , her nudes are making the rounds . She must have more her stories . " Callum's jaw clenched . " She says she was kidnapped . Forced . But something doesn't add up . I need the truth . " Mason gave him a two - fingered salute . " You got it . " With that , Callum took off , address in hand . He drove for hours , until the coastline of Waverly Bay came into view . The small beach town was asleep , the waves crashing rhythmically in the background . A little cottage stood at the edge of the cliffs , windows glowing softly in the early dawn . His pulse raced . He hadn't gone this long without seeing Evelyn since the day he started pursuing her . Back then , he tracked her every move . Had her wearing a GPS tag without her knowing . She lived under his control , whether she realized it or not . And now she'd slipped through his fingers right under his nose . As he approached the cottage , he saw two shadows through the window - one tall and slender , the other childlike . Evelyn and Lily . She looked thinner than before . So much smaller . He remembered all the effort he had made to take care of her , the dietary restrictions , the supplements she needed because of a lifetime of neglect and hunger . But nothing ever stuck - her body rejected rich foods , and even his carefully sourced vitamins only made her sicker . She needed soft , simple meals . Comfort . Warmth The smell of homemade chicken soup wafted out from the slightly cracked kitchen window , triggering a memory so vivid it stopped him cold . He thought back to the first time they met . It had been three years after Estelle's death . He was still deep in his spiral , sleeping around , drinking too much , barely feeling Chapter 12 18.97 % anything . That night , Mason and a few others dragged him to an exclusive lounge just to cheer him up . Everyone knew Callum didn't sleep with the women who threw themselves at him . He toyed with emotions , never their bodies . That was his control . They made a bet - whoever walked through the door first , you had to seduce her . Everyone thought it'd be some wannabe heiress or a VIP girl sent up to please the trust fund crowd . But in walked a soaked delivery girl in a cheap windbreaker , holding a plastic takeout bag , looking confused and entirely out of place . " Excuse me , " she said , blinking rainwater out of her eyes . " Delivery for a Mr. Brown ?" The guys laughed , confused . How had she even made it up here ? This is the top of the lounge , accessible only to VIP members with elevator cards . How had she gotten up here ? Was this some arranged " Cinderella " scenario to curry favor with them ? The manager rushed over to apologize - an elevator malfunction had accidentally allowed Evelyn to reach the VIP level . " That's 88 floors ! She actually climbed all those stairs just to deliver takeout ? Damn ! " Mason exclaimed , unable to tear his gaze from the drenched girl . " VIP level ? This is the 88th floor ? " Evelyn suddenly checked the order slip in her hand , realizing she'd misread the floor number and accidentally barged into the VIP area . Mortified , she bowed out quickly , leaving wet footprints behind . Everyone waved her off , but Callum stood up , showing his hand of cards . " I lost , " he said . " She walked in first . " They thought he was joking . But the next day , he started showing up wherever she worked . He pursued her relentlessly . The crown prince declared with deadly seriousness : " When I say I'll chase someone , I always catch them . " Yet Evelyn treated his advances with utter indifference . She rejected every gift , returned every designer bag unopened . When he baked a Michelin - grade cake, she gave it to the kids at the community center . The more she rejected him , the more obsessed Callum became . So many women threw themselves at him , and yet she wouldn't even look at him twice . He thought she was just another girl trying to play the long game , make him fall , then cash out . So he told himself he'd play along . Seduce her , then break her . He humbled himself to visit her tiny rented apartment , lavishing praise on her simple home - cooked soups . Accustomed to gourmet delicacies , he found unexpected comfort in her beef and barley soup- it tasted like the warmth of family . Convinced his efforts would soon pay off , he waited for her to finally succumb , Instead , Evelyn chose to throw herself into the sea rather than accept his pursuit . He still remembered how his chest tightened , how his heart nearly stopped . That was the first time Callum realized - he didn't want to break her . He loved her . A loud cough from inside the cottage snapped him back to the present . He raised his hand to knock . But before he could-