"What the hell are you doing, Vanessa?" Callum asked in a low voice as he nodded at the man in front of him.
"Come on, Callum," Vanessa raised the glass to someone he didn't see. "I am doing something that will benefit you. Please don't say you don't need positive publicity now. Joseph's party got lucky after his death. There is no way he would have the chance of winning elections if he doesn't have the sympathy of the people. Damned man died of a heart attack yet they make suspense stories of his death. Your close relations with His Majesty has put you in a spot. So, friend, suck the positive publicity you are getting like a sponge sucks water. And use that handsome friend of yours sometime. Don't you know women of the Maisean empire are crazy after his looks?"
"Who Nash?" Callum murmured.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Nash De Luca. Lord save the women who find him charming. I'm talking about the brooding Alpha who rarely appears in the public."
"Don't even think about him," Callum shuddered. He had a premonition that Persephone would add poison in pasta if he ever did something like that. As much as he loved that little sister of his, he feared her territorial and possessive nature.
"Leave my friends out of this messy life," He added. "I want to know why you are doing this?"
"Because I don't intend to be a mayor for life, " Vanessa smiled.
"You are ambitious," Callum replied.
"I learnt from the best of our batch," Vanessa said while gesturing to him to follow her. They stopped when a priest appeared. Vanessa respectfully greeted him. "Callum, this is father Francis, he founded this shelter with the help of Duchess of Orin."
Callum's eyes perked up. "Duchess of Orin? Lady Calliope Wilding?"
Father Francis smiled gently and declined. "It was the late Lady Rosemary Wilding. She left the world too soon and couldn't see how greatly she was helping the society."
So, it wasn't Calliope.
Calliope Wilding was a mystery no one could solve. But he intended to solve this mystery and drag her with him to the fiery pits of hell. That was where she belonged after tormenting him with her absence.
Vanessa began talking about how great Rosemary Wilding's contributions were to society. The backward duchy developed in the era of Calliope Wilding and would receive tremendous development in Amadeo Wilding too.
Amadeo Wilding, the son of the duchess, was now declared an heir.
Poor boy didn't know how his mother's one crime saved his life.
And how she did it was the story of another time.
"Mr Facci, we would like to thank you for your generous donation," A woman said with a smile. She was wearing a white suit and pearls on her neck.
Callum's eyes darted to Vanessa who shook her head as if she didn't have anything to do with this.
"We didn't think Calli's painting would catch your interest. She is a gifted artist. Just a bit reserved, " The woman started the conversation and he would be damned if he said he wasn't happy where this was heading.
Dammit, how on earth did he not know his Calli stayed in the same shelter?
"Where is Calli?" Father Francis asked Mary.
Yes, where is his girl? Callum wanted to ask too.
Before Mari could reply, a loud ringing voice was heard in the hall room.
"It's a fire alarm!" Someone shouted.
"The west wing caught a fire!"
…
Calling was dressed to attend the event in the hall room. Even if she had no desire of joining a swarm of people, she had to because Mary involved Father Francis again. She was exiting her room at the exact time when she saw smoke coming out of her door.
The next moment she heard people shouting that the wings had caught fire. Her eyes widened in fear as she looked at her room which was filled with her paintings, some were dried and some were drying on the balcony.
She gathered her paintings and stored them in a container. Seeing that her side of the window had yet to catch fire, she opened the window and threw her painting after covering them in plastic on the ground to save them from fire. Her room had around twenty paintings finished and unfinished. She couldn't let them burn. What would she tell Brody that she had a fire accident?
Someone appeared near the window and shouted at her. On getting closer, she saw Jessica, the girl who shared the room with Liana.
"Jessica, please put them somewhere safe," Calliope shouted, pointing at the paintings that were more valuable than her life.
"Calli, the fire has intensified. You have to leave the room. Jump from there!"