Chapter 296

Did Calliope do something?

“Why, why is she so important?” Monty asked, still baffled, as he looked at Mr. Lopez sitting across from him.

“That’s not something you need to know,” Mr. Lopez replied curtly. “Please escort Mr. Jewell out.”

The assistant promptly ushered Monty out of the room, leaving him no chance to speak further.

Once outside, Monty felt his frustration boiling over. Mr. Lopez had made it clear: without Calliope, he wouldn’t consider partnering with the Jewell family. They were just one option among many for Mr. Lopez, who could easily find other suppliers. In contrast, the Jewell family desperately needed Mr. Lopez’s business.

As Monty reached the exit, he spotted Lisette waiting nearby. A wave of irritation washed over him. If it hadn’t been for her insistence, he would’ve brought Calliope instead.

Lisette had assured him she could talk things over with Mr. Lopez and seal the deal. And what happened? Mr. Lopez had shown her the door.

What a mess!

“Dad, how did it go?” Lisette asked, still convinced Mr. Lopez couldn’t truly need Calliope.

“Mr. Lopez said he needed to meet with Callie. He won’t work with us unless she comes to the table. If not, he’ll cancel everything,” Monty muttered, scratching his head in frustration. “Call her. Apologize if you have to. She wouldn’t have been jealous and left in a huff if we hadn’t been too good to you!”

Lisette gaped at Monty, stunned. She hadn’t expected him to pin the blame on her. Though she felt wronged, she knew better than to argue right then. The Jewell Group couldn’t afford to lose a crucial client like Mr. Lopez.

She reluctantly pulled out her phone to call Calliope. But a few minutes later, she turned to Monty, defeated. “Dad, it’s not that I don’t want to call her. Callie blocked me. I can’t get through.”

“She blocked you too?” Monty frowned, pulling out his own phone to call Horatio. He asked Horatio to try reaching Calliope and plead for her help.

A few minutes later, Horatio called back, “She’s blocked me as well. I can’t reach her by calls, texts, or even Twitter.”

Monty called Valerian and Ulysses, urging them to try their luck with Calliope. But it was the same story. They were all blocked.

In desperation, Monty called Zelda.

“You have to try reaching her. She might not have blocked you. You’re her mother!”

“And why should I?” Zelda snapped on the other end. “You think she’ll want to help after everything?”

Monty was stunned by his wife’s response and felt his temper rise. “You think I want to beg her? Do you have any idea what crisis our company is in? You spend your days playing bridge and living like a socialite. Have you thought about what would happen if the company went under? How will you keep up that lifestyle then?”