Rain hit the window of the car and ran down its body in fast-moving lines. Mud dirt slashed with the speed and stained the clothes of a passerby. She was standing in the middle of the road with sombre expressions as his car crossed her.
Callum turned to look at her as he waved to the driver to slow down.
The woman was still standing where he last saw her. His eyes were not on the car that stained her clothes but at the muddy ground.
He wondered what she was looking for in the muddy water. But something was telling him to stop and inquire her.
If not for Nash who was barking orders at the phone, he might have stopped by. Talked for a minute or two. Offered her compensation for ruining her clothes.
"Can you at least pretend you are serious about the event?" Nash said once he was done barking orders at some poor man. He had burned the midnight oil to get the most useless information he could find on Calliope Wilding.
Nash was one of his best friends. Callum shared a very deep bond with him along with Santiago and Killian, his other two best friends.
"Interested about what?" Callum indifferently glanced at him. "About the fundraising event, the church is hosting?"
Nash stared at him as if he couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Well, he couldn't understand it either.
Calliope had screwed his logic and reasoning beyond words. She had been reminding him of his past ghosts each night he would sleep to another failed attempt.
It could have been something as simple as finding her, handing her to Ronan and then focusing on the upcoming elections. Maybe, it could have been this simple but no. The duchess had to disappear leaving him to bear the consequence of her actions.
It wasn't that simple. He was now aware of all of the occurrences of the future.
Lord knew how but he just knew it.
His becoming the next prime minister wouldn't be as easy as he and the rest of his brothers had anticipated.
The car stopped and he along with Nash got out only to shake hands after hands with the numerous rich privileged men holding the fundraising event. Each richer than the other, trying to flaunt their endless wealth.
Again, who were they raising funds for?
He seemed to have forgotten asking Nash about it.
Since he was the candidate for the post of Prime Minister, it was natural that there would be people trying to fix meetings with him.
"This is the church I told you about," Nash said, pointing at the ancient church once they were alone.
"The church where Calliope Wilding was baptized?" Callum asked with a snicker.
"Come on, Callum. Would you appreciate my efforts for once?" Nash feigned to be offended but Callum knew his skin was as thick as a pig. "It was you who told me that your duchess might be hiding right behind our noses when you were looking for her all over the world."
King Leonardo had told him that he had no time to spare him if he failed once again. He might say goodbye to his dreams and wishes if he couldn't find the duchess this time. Money was a weird thing. It could hide you so well.
"Just because I told you she might be hiding under our noses doesn't mean you would drag me to the church where she was baptised?" Callum spat out. "And she is not my duchess. Hell, she is not a duchess anymore."
When was the last time he went to church?
Never.
His mother wasn't a believer in Jesus.
He had done nothing to bring her a shred of happiness and she had never believed him.
"Stop bitching," Nash said, dragging him inside. "It's about to start. Let's burn our money for something we will never use. Hell, I can imagine my wife throwing me out for squandering once again."
"Henpecked bastard," Callum cursed out.
"You need a woman in your life, Cal," Nash commented. "I can't handle your grumpy ass anymore. I wonder why ladies think of you as a gentleman."
"Because I am," Callum retorted. "I don't curse after every two seconds."
"You seriously need a woman," Nash once again said.
"The woman I want is not made by dear God," Callum's voice was heard as he entered the noisy hall.
The event started just as he had expected but then again, he wasn't here for the event. Like Nash had said the event was organised by the church Calliope was baptized. Of course, he knew there was no way in hell he would get any information on her but what was the harm in checking it out too?
If not for her, it was useful in mingling with men he had recognised straight away, important for his political career. He would just use this opportunity for paving a way for his smooth career.
The smell of expensive and high-quality booze meandered through the air, but so did the odour of those clinging mamas looking for a groom for their socialite daughters. He was a man with no wife and girlfriend and worse at a high position. He was the target of these hungry mamas.
The auction began in a few moments. He hadn't picked up his number even once. It was only when the last item was present he found himself drawn into a different world.
A black and white world.
A ballroom to be exact.
People mingling, laughing and teasing, hiding their sadness.
Only once face had true emotions on her face.
And she was begging for help.
Not from anyone.
But from her beloved.
It was a beautiful world and he could say that the painter had put his soul into his art.
It was this second when he knew that he wanted this painting at any cost. And so shocking many, he raised his number and brought it for an amount Nash could buy his beer stock for a year. But he would be damned if he said every penny spent wasn't worth it.
"What happened to you?" Nash had asked once the event ended but he was in no hurry to answer. He had to find the manager of the event first.
And luckily, he found the manager soon after.
Maxwell Russo was his name.
"Mr Russo, I would like to meet the artist who created the painting," Callum said directly once he came across him.
"Mr Facci, I am afraid the artist was not able to attend the event for some reason. I can fix your appointment with another fine artist who presented their art at today's event," Maxwell Russo said with an apologetic expression.
"I'm ready to buy the artist's other works straight away if you set the meeting now,"Callum found himself saying.