Once upon a time, when Calliope was chasing after Gideon, everyone felt a bit sorry for her. She treated him so well, yet he seemed as indifferent as a cold pizza left out overnight.


    And then there was Yvette.


    People always said Yvette was different from Calliope, but when a man was being nice to a woman, it was rarely just a tonic thing.


    "Gideon, listen. Calliope and Ss make a great pair. You never really liked Calliope, so stop entertaining those crazy ideas! You''re not getting any younger, you know. It''s about time you settled down.


    You and that Yvette seem to be getting along well. When are you bringing her home to meet the family?" Verity was like a kid in a candy store, watching Gideon squirm with delight.


    To be fair, even though Fleur wasn''t Calliope''s biggest fan, she had to admit Calliope was way better than Yvette.


    Not to mention, Calliope was the daughter of the Jewell family, even if she wasn''t exactly the apple of their eye. But hey, she was still a properdy with a respectable background.


    Yvette, on the other hand, was a whole different story.


    She came from a small town with no notable family ties, her parents divorced ages ago, and her mom remarried three times. Her dad was a notorious gambler. Even though she got a college degree, it wasn''t like she graduated with honors or anything.


    Now the work she had wasn''t something to be envied of, just a secretary from a tinypany - no money, no house, no car. Sometimes she even had to y nanny for her mom''s kid from her third marriage. Just hearing about her background was enough to give them a headache.


    In families like theirs, marrying into the same social standing was a given. But Gideon? He had his eyes on Yvette, the wild card.


    Naturally, Fleur wasn''t thrilled about Yvette either.


    But Verity found it all entertaining. She loved to see Fleur and the rest suffer, thinking that if Gideon actually married Yvette, it would keep Fleur''s family on their toes. If he really did end up marrying someone like Yvette, it''d surely be the biggest joke in Capitalton.


    Gideon''s face was stormy. Sure, he liked Yvette, but he knew she wouldn''t help his career one bit. That was why he''d been set on marrying Calliope, though that wedding never happened.


    He nced at Verity, wondering if Calliope would be upset if he married Yvette instead. She couldn''t possibly not care about him at all, he assumed.


    Gideon squinted in Calliope''s direction. Meanwhile, Calliope had just finished a game of chess with Eamon.


    "You still got it, Eamon! I concede defeat!" Calliope said with a yful salute.


    "You cheeky girl, always ttering me!"


    Eamon gazed at Calliope, his eyes twinkling with affection. "Ss, take good care of Callie. It''s gettingte, you two should head home."


    "Alright," Ss nodded.


    Calliope stifled a yawn; she was definitely getting sleepy.


    "Alright, Eamon, we''re off. We''lle by when we''re free."


    "Good, good. I need my rest too. Everyone, let''s call it a night."


    With Eamon''s farewell, the gathering wrapped up.


    Usually, everyone went back to their own homes; they didn''t stay at the family house except during holidays to keep Eamonpany.


    Calliope and Ss were the first to leave.


    Gideon''s car was parked nearby, and as he was leaving, he caught sight of Ss shielding Calliope''s head as she got in the car, looking at her with such tenderness.


    "Uncle Ss," Gideon called out.