Chapter 20 Not long after , Callum hung up the phone , his entire body trembling with rage . Vincent Hale . He was the one who helped Evelyn escape to this country . Callum's jaw clenched , fury flooding his eyes . " Mason , do something for me . He took Evelyn away - I want that bastard to pay . Meanwhile , Vincent was experiencing something unfamiliar : peace . Maybe it was Evelyn . That stiff , stone - faced man had started smiling - just a little , but it was there . He took on almost all the heavy lifting at Evelyn's restaurant . He didn't say much , but he was dependable and thoughtful . And easy on the eyes , too - something the younger female customers definitely noticed . They flirted , left phone numbers , even asked him out . Every time , Vincent politely declined . " I don't have much to offer . I'm not the kind of guy you want to build a future with . I'm sorry . " Evelyn overheard once and nearly choked on her drink . " He used to be a top - notch mercenary . After retiring , he was a highly sought - after talent among the young masters and ladies , yet he says he's not the kind of guy . " " Vincent , seriously . You should think about dating . You're not dodging bullets anymore . You deserve happiness , too . " He only gave her a faint smile . " I'm not built for happiness . I'd just mess it up . " Her heart tugged at those words . Still , she teased , " Well , maybe I'm not built for it either . No wonder we're stuck running a restaurant together . " Vincent froze , realizing what he'd said . He glanced at her - really looked - and saw the hint of sadness behind her bright expression . He wasn't great with words . But after a long pause , he managed , " You're … really good . " Evelyn blinked , then burst out laughing . His awkward sincerity - it was oddly adorable . Vincent couldn't help staring . It had been so long since he'd seen her laugh like that . When they first met , Evelyn smiled easily . Even when things were hard , she never wallowed . She pushed forward . Fierce . Resilient . But after her mother died , the light in her dimmed . Until now . Her laughter felt brighter than the stars . And Vincent couldn't look away . Evelyn thought things had finally settled down . She had Vincent . Her life was simple and safe . She assumed Callum would forget her eventually - he had dozens of women orbiting him at all times . Why linger on a woman who'd never truly belonged in his world ? She was just a stand - in . A substitute . And even if the original was gone , she could never be enough . But a week later , after a routine check - up at the hospital … Vincent disappeared .