Chapter 21
Evelyn clutched the medical report, her heart sinking into a pit of dread.
When she got home, there was an envelope wedged in the doorframe.
Inside–nothing but a severed, bloody finger and the address of an abandoned factory outside the
city.
Her mind spun. Revenge? A grudge from Vincent’s mercenary days?
But when the shadowy figure turned around, Evelyn froze in disbelief.
“Callum.”
“Sweetie. You finally came.”
His voice was soft, almost wistful–but Evelyn felt the panic rise, her throat tightening.
“What do you want from me?”
Callum frowned, eyes dark with pain. “Why are you looking at me like that? I just wanted to see you. I want you to come home.”
Evelyn thought Callum had gone completely insane. He dragged a steel pipe across the concrete floor–metal screeching against cement, echoing like a warning.
“Come with me. Please.”
Evelyn wrapped her arms around herself. “Callum, it’s over. We’re over.”
Suddenly–click. A lock disengaged above them.
A body dropped from the ceiling with a sickening thud, caught mid–fall by a rope.
“No!” Evelyn cried out.
Vincent. Bound and bloodied, dangling like a lifeless puppet.
Callum’s voice turned ice cold. “You have two choices. He dies, or you come home with me.”
Evelyn laughed bitterly, eyes rimmed red.
So he hadn’t changed. Not one bit.
Somehow, she’d hoped her leaving might change him–that regret would soften his control.
Chapter 21
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How naive.
Callum Rivers would always be Callum Rivers: The untouchable heir who bowed to no one.
“Sweetie,” he said, voice low, “I know how good you are. You’d never let someone suffer in your place, right?”
He was right about one thing–she cared.
But why hadn’t he remembered that when Estelle framed her? When he shattered her trust and loyalty?
She looked at him–really looked.
“Callum. Where was this kindness when Estelle set me up? Where was this belief in my character
then?”
He flinched.
“You didn’t care. Because you were in love with her. And people always believe the ones they love.”
“That’s not true. I was just guilty–trying to make things right—”
“Don’t lie to me!” she shouted.
Tears burned down her cheeks.
“When you chose Estelle over me, where was your guilt?”
“You didn’t love me. You just love yourself. You were nice to me because I was a substitute for Estelle, and you were nice to Estelle because of your guilt. Wasn’t it all for yourself?”
Callum was silent.
Then, he laughed. Low. Unhinged.
So what? You’re still mine.”
The pipe came crashing down.
Vincent groaned, shaking his head violently–Don’t. Don’t come closer.
Callum smirked and started counting down.
“Three.”
“Two.”
Chapter 21
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