Chapter 357
It was evening.
Damien dropped Calliope off at the entrance of the Pearl Tiger Club. She brought Million along for the ride. Million had run alongside the car all the way there. With its snow-white fur, it looked like a creature straight out of a fairy tale, making it impossible to miss at the restaurant entrance. Passersby couldn’t resist snapping a few photos of Million.
Calliope patted Million on the head. “Million, we’re here to crash the party and grab some free food. Don’t hold back, just eat your heart out!”
“Woof!” Million nodded excitedly.
Meanwhile, the Jewell family was oblivious to this. They had just arrived, parked the car, and were making their way to the entrance. At first, they didn’t see Calliope. They just noticed this creature that looked neither fully like a dog nor a wolf sitting there. It was so large, it radiated an intimidating presence.
“Does this place keep a wolf at the door?” Monty muttered. “Is it to keep out non-VIPs? Having a beast as a bouncer is a first. This place must be something special, and the owner must be quite the character to keep such a thing.”
Valerian suddenly noticed Calliope standing next to Million, her hands in her pockets. He couldn’t help but say, “That creature wouldn’t happen to be Calliope’s pet, would it?”
Horatio, seated in his wheelchair, looked over skeptically.
In the dim light, Calliope was dressed in a casual outfit, standing beside Million. She looked like she had stepped out of a painting, and the ethereal white wolf beside her only added to the dreamlike scene.
They quickly approached Calliope.
With a warm smile, Calliope waved at them. “Hey there, you all made it!”
Zelda huffed in response.
“Oh, Mrs. Jewell, you’re here too!”
She beamed at them. “Perfect timing, I’m starving. Can we head in and eat?”
Zelda couldn’t help but grumble, “Calliope, do you know how much a meal here costs? A few million! Are you doing this on purpose, wanting us to spend all this money?”
The Jewell family’s business had been struggling lately, and they were on a tight budget. A few million wasn’t a small sum for them. If it were an investment, it might be different, but spending that on a meal felt like a punch to Zelda’s gut.
Every time she looked at Calliope, she felt her blood pressure rise. She blamed Calliope for all the bad luck they’d been having lately. The old superstition about her being a jinx seemed to be coming true.
“Oh, am I not worthy of this meal?” Calliope’s face fell dramatically. “If that’s the case, then forget it… What if we eat you all into bankruptcy? Never mind, I won’t eat.”
“Come on, Million, let’s head back home. We’ll find a food truck and grab something there. This meal is too posh for us. Lisette might be worthy, but we sure aren’t!”
Zelda snapped, “What’s with the sarcasm!”
Horatio chimed in, “Callie, your mom’s just worried about the cost, not you. It’s just a meal. If you want to eat, then eat. Lisette has dined here, so it’s only fair you do too. We’ve always treated you both equally.”
Calliope nodded deeply, a twinkle in her eye. “Oh~ using ‘equally‘ like that is just perfect! Mr. Horatio, A+ on that expression!”
Horatio sighed.
Valerian, unable to take the tension, interjected, “Let’s just head inside. We have a reservation, and don’t worry, we’ll all get to eat.”