3 Chapter 3 - Relentless Pursuit 3 Chapter 3 - Relentless Pursuit "Isn't it a little... obvious?" Caroline's best friend Lila raised an eyebrow as she sipped her latte at the corner table of the university café. 1 Caroline smiled sweetly. "Obvious gets things done." Across campus, Mason had just left his financial ethics lecture, walking with that same purposeful stride she could recognize from a mile away. She waited five beats, then stood up casually, gathering her books. Lila groaned. "You're not seriously-" "I'll see you at choir." Caroline caught up with him outside the library. "Mason." He turned, expression neutral. "Caroline." "I didn't know you had class here," she said breezily. He gave her a half-smile. "You did." She didn't deny it. "I was wondering if you'd look over my essay on M\&A liability. Your last paper was cited by the dean." A pause. Then, he reached for the file folder she offered. "I'll skim it," he said. That was enough. Caroline transformed pursuit into an art form. She co-hosted charity auctions that his family supported. She learned his assistant's schedule, sending thank-you notes to the exact people Mason respected. She joined his sailing club again-armed this time with motion sickness patches, waterproof mascara, and custom monogrammed gear. Every move was calculated, but never desperate. That was her secret-strategy wrapped in poise. 10:06 115 < 3 Chapter 3 - Relentless Pursuit One rainy Friday, she stood outside his favorite café with an umbrella, "by coincidence." When he offered to walk her across campus, she tucked her arm into his without hesitation. He didn't pull away. Her pulse leapt. Their families noticed. Caroline's father, a real estate tycoon with ties to Wall Street, began arranging golf meetings with Mason's uncles. Mrs. Rutherford invited Caroline to a board dinner. At one point, Caroline overheard Mason on the phone with his mother. "Yes, she's... persistent," he said. A pause. "No, not annoying. Just-present." Caroline smiled to herself. *Present* was better than invisible. - But the biggest threat arrived quietly. Iris Caldwell returned from Paris. Mason didn't say a word, but Caroline found out through a conservatory program bulletin. Iris was back. And she'd deferred another year. Caroline acted swiftly. She ordered a custom gown from Milan-blood red, slashed neckline, high slit. It arrived just in time for the Rutherford Foundation's spring gala. As Mason helped her out of the limo, his gaze paused at her collarbone for a beat too long. 10:06 27507 < 3 Chapter 3 - Relentless Pursuit She smiled. "Still think I'm just 'present"?" He didn't answer. But later, he offered her champagne without being asked. The whispers started soon after. "Caroline Monroe's dating Mason Rutherford," people said. "She's practically a fixture." "Bet they're engaged by summer" They weren't. But it felt close. That summer, she memorized his football team's history. She started sketching again-designs inspired by things he liked: clean lines, sharp contrast, crisp symmetry. She even sat through two hours of cryptocurrency lectures to impress him. He appreciated the effort, even if he didn't reciprocate warmth. One night, during a rooftop dinner arranged by both families, Mason's father clinked his wine glass and said, " You two would make one hell of a merger." Caroline didn't flinch. "We'd make one hell of a team." Mason glanced sideways but said nothing. Later that night, she asked him quietly, "Do you hate this?" "No," he said. She smiled. That was the closest thing to a yes she'd ever get. 10:06 3/5 < 3 Chapter 3 - Relentless Pursuit But the shadows never quite left. Caroline noticed how Mason's eyes lingered on old photos of Iris when he thought no one was watching. How he excused himself whenever Iris sent a message. How, during a charity recital, he clapped a beat too long when Iris took her final bow. Caroline noticed everything. And she never said a word. She met Iris only once that summer. It was in a florist on Madison. Iris was buying tulips. "Caroline Monroe," Iris said with a soft, ironic smile. "The girl who can't take a hint." Caroline tilted her head. "I prefer 'the girl who doesn't quit."" Iris stepped closer, voice low. "He used to laugh at how hard you tried." Caroline didn't blink. "He doesn't laugh anymore." Iris's smile faltered. "No. I guess now\... he just stares." Later that night, Caroline traced her engagement ring design in her sketchbook. It wasn't an if anymore. It was a when. Mason would choose her. Not because she was convenient-but because she was *constant*. Love didn't have to be spontaneous. Sometimes, it was earned. 4/5