Chapter 33

Rafferty called that guy over. He was blonde, barely in his twenties, but from the way he talked, it was clear he knew his stuff. He had modified plenty of race cars and had a knack for pinpointing exactly what was wrong with a vehicle. Calliope had a chat with him and secured his help for Saturday.

“Money’s not an issue, but I need you to fix that car and make sure it’s running perfectly. I can’t have anything happening to it,” Calliope said seriously to the young mechanic.

“Don’t worry, this is what I do best. If you’re his friend, the money doesn’t matter.”

After he left, Rafferty, ever the curious one, asked, “Who are you helping out?”

“My bro, Norton Shepherd,” Calliope replied, her eyes thoughtful. “You met him once when he came around looking for me.”

“Oh, I remember him. He’s a racer?”

“Yeah, he participates in races from time to time.”

Her thoughts drifted back to her previous life. She’d never received any care from her own brothers since she was a kid; in fact, there were three other brothers who’d always shown her much family affection. These brothers had been adopted by her grandfather and had always looked out for her when she was a child. Even after she returned to the Jewell family, whenever she visited the countryside, they went out of their way to make her feel cherished. She regretted neglecting them, even arguing with them over her biological brothers. Her heart ached at the memories.

In her past life, Norton had been in an accident during a race – the very race that was looming now. The thought of how Norton had suffered haunted her. She had been too late to save him, and his life had become a living nightmare. If only she’d ignored Valerian, nothing would have happened to Norton, and even if there had been an incident, it wouldn't have been that severe. Later on, when she intended to make up for it, it was futile. Norton had already been caught in a miserable state. But this time, she vowed, things would be different. She would protect Norton, ensure nothing happened to him.

That evening, back at home, Calliope was preoccupied with thoughts of Norton and Silas. Silas had left that morning in a huff, and she wanted to make it up to him that night. She even cooked a few dishes herself. But she waited until midnight, and Silas never came home. Instead, she received a text saying he wouldn’t be back – he had to go on a business trip. Calliope’s heart sank; it seemed Silas was really upset.

By Saturday, Silas still hadn’t returned.

On the day of the race, Calliope put Silas out of her mind. She contacted the young mechanic and discussed potential issues. By evening, they headed straight to the race track. The race was set to take place on a winding mountain road nearby.

When Calliope arrived, the place was buzzing with people. She immediately spotted Valerian, who was standing with Lisette, who was wearing a white sundress, smiling warmly at him. As she turned, Lisette noticed Calliope.

“Callie, why are you here?” Lisette beamed, walking over to Calliope. “Are you here to watch Valerian’s race? He’s going to take first place today!”

Valerian followed Lisette over, giving Calliope’s companion a skeptical look and asked grumpily, “Who’s this? What kind of misfit friends are you hanging out with?”