Chapter 20
After saying her piece, she turned on her heel and walked briskly toward Damien.
Damien glanced at Calliope, his eyes sparking with a newfound curiosity. Everyone at Myers Manor had heard of Calliope’s name. To be honest, most of them hadn’t thought much of her, believing she wasn’t worthy of Mr. Myers. But now, his opinion was starting to change. She handled things decisively and efficiently. With that petite frame of hers, she had just flipped Gideon over her shoulder with ease. Interesting.
The rumors about her being head over heels for Gideon seemed greatly exaggerated. If she were so smitten, why did she marry Mr. Myers instead? And when Gideon tried to force a kiss on her, she gave him a sound slap and a firm toss to the ground. Truly it was incredibly satisfying to watch.
“Ma’am, Mr. Myers asked me to accompany you today,” Damien said. “Wherever you need to go, just let me know.”
“Alright.” Calliope settled into the back seat and handed Damien an address. Without hesitation, Damien drove off.
Gideon, just having picked himself off the ground, watched as the car sped by, leaving him in a cloud of exhaust. His face turned ashen with shock and anger.
Calliope… couldn’t possibly not love him. But if she kept acting like this, he might just give up on her for good. Family dinner, huh? Then he’d like to go back home and demand some answers from his grandfather.
In the café, Calliope sat with Mavis Shepherd and Portia Sutton, explaining the wedding fiasco. She didn’t need to say much; Portia and Mavis had already pieced most of it together.
After she finished, Portia gave a thumbs-up. “Nicely done! Gideon was a deadbeat. You should’ve ditched him ages ago!”
“Gideon must be fuming, huh?” Mavis chuckled.
Calliope nodded. “Oh, he’s beyond furious. He can’t even wrap his head around it.”
“But, Callie, are you really sure about this? You’re not going to fall back into that lovesick mindset, are you?” Portia asked cautiously. “Honestly, if you’ve married Silas, you should give it a real shot with him!”
Mavis nodded in agreement. “Silas seems like a good guy, but… Callie, he’s got a certain edge to him. You can’t trust him completely. There’s a lot about his past that’s murky. I’ll check with my mentor to see what I can find out.”
Calliope smiled. “Don’t worry. Silas is just helping me out. We have a marriage agreement.”
Thinking of the agreement, she remembered how she’d drafted one herself, only for Silas to amend it to her advantage. He’d made a few changes that ensured she wouldn’t be at a financial loss.
“Do you love him?” Mavis asked, stirring her coffee, eyes lifting to meet Calliope’s.
“Of course not. We barely know each other,” Calliope said, her tone a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Yet, the memory of Silas cradling her after her death lingered. That moment had left an imprint, stirred something deep inside her. But she was determined to stay rational. After everything that happened with Gideon, she wouldn’t let herself fall in love so easily again.
No more falling head over heels.