Calliope and Silas went out for breakfast at Essence Delight.
Valerian tagged along too. He didn't eat much, just picked at his eggs Benedict, but when the check came, he
was the one who paid.
It was only then that he realized how outrageously expensive the place was. Still, when he thought about how
Calliope was planning to gift him an insanely pricey car, he felt the scales tip right back in his favor.
A little out of pocket, but a lot to gain! Yeah, he was definitely coming out on top.
If he just treated her a bit better, she'd surely return the favor. Maybe she'd even shower him with more
expensive gifts. After all, Callie was loaded, and she knew he was always strapped for cash. She'd probably just
slip him sextra money, no big deal.
Valerian was starting to really warm up to the idea of having a sister like her. With her fiancé being the richest
guy in Capitalton, just a flick of his finger could send a fortune raining down.
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After Silas left for the office, Calliope headed back to the Jewell Group.
As soon as she walked in, Franco swooped over, launching into a rapid-fire rundown of the day's business. Franco
was a powerhouse. He kept the company running like a well-oiled machine. With him around, Calliope honestly
didn't have to stress much about the day-to-day stuff.
That left her plenty of tto focus on researching Hudson's treatment. His case was a tangled mess. She'd tried
every approach she could think of, but none of the results were promising. She couldn't even figure out how to
give him that much more time.
It gnawed at her. She was supposed to be "the Miracle Doctor," yet when someone close to her needed help, she
was left powerless.
Every now and then, Horatio, Valerian, and Monty would swing by her office. Sometimes they'd stop in to talk
business; other times, they'd drop off pastries, coffee, or lunch-clearly hoping to win her favor.
But Calliope rarely touched what they brought. She'd usually set the food aside or share it with the rest of the
staff.
Lisette, meanwhile, had no idea any of this was happening. It wasn't until she ducked into the ladies' room that
she overheard what was really goingon. While she was in one of the stalls, a group of women chatting by the
sinks caught her attention.
"I just adore Calliope. She's not only gorgeous, but she's got the kindest heart!"
"And she's so competent! Haven't you noticed how much smoother the company's running lately?"
"Totally! | heard she used to be overlooked, but now she's in
of
. Meanwhile, Lisette's"no
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"Ugh, Lisette's the worst. She's got that witchy look, and she's always so full of herself."
"Exactly! Calliope's like an angel. She's so sweet! She even improved the cafeteria food for all of us!"
"Calliope genuinely cares about the company. She's doing it for everyone, not just herself."
"Lisette always acted nice, but honestly, she's got a mean streak."
"For sure, she'd compliment you to your face and then stab you in the back. We asked her a million times to fix
the cafeteria, and she always promised she would, but never actually did it."
"Yeah, but Calliope didn't even need anyone to ask. She saw something was wrong and just fixed it!"
"Honestly, | bet Calliope still resents how her family favored the adopted daughter over her."
"Oh? How come?"
"I heard that lately, Horaand the others are always trying to win her over by bringing her food and stuff!"