Chapter 53

Calliope was really enjoying herself, savoring each bite with a grin that only seemed to grow wider. The rest of the group sat there, their appetites vanishing entirely as they watched her.

Once she was finished, Calliope dabbed her mouth with a napkin in a manner that was almost regal. She glanced up. “Wow, you guys aren’t eating at all? What’s the matter? Didn’t I order well? Or are you just not hungry? If you’re not hungry, I guess I’ll just have to take it all with me! Can’t let all this go to waste, right? These dishes didn’t come cheap!”

“Hey, waiter, could you pack all this up for me?” Calliope asked.

The waiter looked at Zelda and the others, but no one objected. So, he went ahead and brought out the boxes. There was a mountain of food, and Calliope had only tasted a little. Some of the dishes hadn’t been touched at all.

In no time, the table was cleared, every dish neatly boxed up. Head bowed, Calliope was now absorbed in her phone, while Zelda and her companions were nearly boiling with frustration. Zelda couldn’t believe Calliope had the nerve to pack everything up when they hadn’t even had a bite.

Monty was visibly upset as well.

Lisette, on the other hand, was staring at Calliope with a mixture of confusion. She remembered when Calliope wasn’t like this at all – always trying to please Monty and the rest of them. But ever since the wedding, it was like she had transformed into someone completely different. Monty and the others didn’t pay much attention to Calliope, so they hadn’t noticed the change. But Lisette had been keeping a close eye on her, mainly because she wanted to outshine Calliope, undermine her, and compete for Monty’s favor. Knowing Calliope’s personality was part of her strategy.

Yet now, Calliope was no longer easy to control. Was it because of Silas? Had he given her some sort of confidence? Did she have something on Silas, or what? Did she think she could thrive without the Jewell family? Lisette was filled with suspicion, trying to figure out what had prompted Calliope’s change.

Regardless, the smarter Calliope became, the bigger threat she posed. And Lisette had always been quite interested in Silas–she couldn’t let Calliope win him over. The Jewell family was just a stepping stone for her; her ambitions were much grander.

Meanwhile, Fleur’s face was a mask of exasperation, but for the sake of the shares, she held her tongue.

“Callie, now that you’re full, feeling a bit better? Can we talk about business? Gideon already apologized. Will you accept it?” She attempted a soothing tone, impatiently and tenderly, she’d never used with Calliope before. “You know, you really love Gideon, and he likes you too. That Yvette won’t amount to much. I never liked her, and I certainly wouldn’t want her as my daughter-in-law.”

Calliope lifted her bright eyes, a soft laugh escaping her lips. “Funny, that’s not what you said before. Didn’t you say you didn’t like me either? You mentioned that Gideon, of all people, wouldn’t choose me. You told me not to get my hopes up.”

At that moment, Fleur wished she could slap herself. If only she’d known Eamon would agree to give Calliope the shares, she might have encouraged Calliope to marry into the family sooner.