Chapter 23
Evelyn let out a mocking laugh and leaned back against the pillow.
She turned on her side and closed her eyes.
She was exhausted.
Just as she was about to drift off, her phone screen lit up again.
Matthew was calling.
She reached over, flipped the phone face-down, switched it to silent, and closed her eyes to sleep.
---
City A, the Perkins estate.
The engagement party was coming up. Matthew and Marigold were at the Perkins Estate trying on formal wear.
Matthew sat before a full-length mirror while a tailor knelt on the floor adjusting his pant hems.
Marigold wore a champagne-colored gown, a tailor nearby adjusting her waistline.
"This one's better than the last." Emma looked on approvingly. "Really brings out Mary's complexion."
"Matthew, what do you think?" Marigold looked up at him.
Matthew glanced up briefly. "They all look fine. You decide."
Marigold smiled and nodded without comment.
Suddenly, light footsteps pattered down the stairs.
Jasmine came running over with a plate of cake, stopping at Matthew's feet and beaming up at him.
"Matt! This cake is so good! You gotta try it—"
Before she finished, she tripped. Her whole body pitched forward.
The plate of chocolate cream cake landed squarely on Matthew's chest.
The living room went silent for two seconds.
Jasmine sat on the floor, looking at her brother covered in cream, her mouth trembling like she might cry.
Matthew looked down at the mess all over his front, his brow furrowing.
He had a thing about cleanliness—it was ingrained.
Marigold quickly stepped forward, helping Jasmine up, then grabbed tissues to clean him off.
Matthew took half a step back, smoothly avoiding her hand.
"Help keep an eye on Jas." That was all he said before turning to head upstairs.
---
The sound of running water lasted nearly twenty minutes.
Matthew stood under the shower spray, Evelyn's face suddenly surfacing in his mind.
Evelyn... she should be asleep by now.
The water stopped.
He grabbed a robe, tied it loosely, and walked out of the bathroom.
In the outer room, Marigold sat on the sofa, holding his phone.
The screen was lit—just unlocked.
Matthew's steps paused.
Marigold looked up, expression unchanged. "You got a call just now."
"I thought it might be an urgent work matter, so I answered. It was Miss Arden."
She paused, her tone calm. "But she didn't say anything. Just said wrong number and hung up."
The atmosphere grew slightly tense.
Matthew said nothing. He took the phone and checked the call log.
One call from Evelyn. Duration: eleven seconds.
"Matthew?" Marigold asked softly. "For this dress, do you think pearl or diamond cufflinks would be better?"
Matthew didn't look at her.
"Either's fine," he heard himself say. "You decide."
His mind was still on that phone call.
Evelyn never called him without reason.
Matthew dialed Evelyn's number again.
No answer.
He hung up and redialed.
Still no answer.
By the thirty-third call, she still hadn't picked up once.
In three years, she'd initiated calls to him only a handful of times.
Every single one had been urgent. No exceptions.
So this time, something must be wrong.
But Evelyn wasn't answering. Had something... happened to her?
An inexplicable panic seized Matthew's chest.
He pulled up Kevin's number and called.
Two rings, then it connected.
"Yeah?" Kevin's end was noisy—probably at a bar.
"Is Evelyn back in City A yet?" Matthew skipped pleasantries, getting straight to it.
Kevin paused. "She should be flying back tomorrow morning. Why?"
"Is she at the hotel now?"
"This time of night..." Kevin seemed to check his watch. "Should be, yeah."
Matthew was silent for two seconds.
"Go check on her," he said. "Now."
Kevin hesitated, his tone turning helpless. "Oh come on, it's late. The girl's probably sleeping. What's it gonna look like if I show up knocking on her door?"
"Besides, what could possibly—"
"She didn't answer my calls." Matthew cut him off.
"I've called her multiple times. No response."
The other end went quiet.
"Alright." Kevin dropped his casual tone. "I'm heading to the hotel now."
The call ended.
Matthew stood there, phone in hand hanging at his side.
The wait stretched endlessly.
Ten minutes later, Kevin called back. Matthew answered immediately.
"She's not here." Kevin's voice was heavy. "Front desk said she went out tonight and never came back."
"Also," Kevin paused. "I just noticed she called me too."
"Around nine tonight. I was at the club, phone was face-down on the table. Didn't hear it."
Silence on both ends.
Matthew's Adam's apple bobbed.
After nine.
Right around when she'd called him.
She hadn't only called him—she'd tried Kevin too.
Matthew was almost certain something had happened to Evelyn.
A fierce sense of dread clamped around his heart.
"Get someone to check security footage. Don't miss any details," Matthew instructed Kevin.
He hung up and dialed another number.
The voice on the other end was rough and surprised. "Mr... Mr. Perkins?"
Lucas was an old hand in S City's underworld, retired for years now.
He hadn't expected a call from Matthew at this hour.
"Lucas." Matthew's tone was flat but carried undeniable pressure. "Someone of mine has gone missing in S City."
He gave Evelyn's details. "Find her. Fast as you can."
"All expenses tenfold. The favor's separate."
Lucas was silent for two seconds on his end, as if he'd never heard the Perkins heir speak with this kind of urgency.
"Understood." Lucas answered seriously and hung up.
Matthew arranged everything in under two minutes, but still felt his chest tightening. He forced himself to take a deep breath.
---
Downstairs in the living room, Marigold sat on the sofa.
She watched Matthew come down the stairs quickly, heading straight for the door.
"Matthew, where are you going this late?"
"S City." He didn't turn around.
"Now?" Marigold sounded shocked. "Tomorrow's family gathering—both sides' elders will be there. If you just leave suddenly..."
She didn't finish.
Because Matthew had already opened the door and left without looking back.