After getting into the car, Zelda exined Lisette''s situation to Valerian.


    When Valerian heard, his brows furrowed deeply, and his face darkened with anger. "It must have been her. I knew it. She wouldn''t let Lisette off the hook!"


    "What do you know?" Zelda nced at Valerian suspiciously.


    Valerian paused, contemting whether to spill the truth. But then he remembered Lisette''s wish to keep it under wraps. She was afraid of the judgment that might follow if people found out.


    He understood Lisette. She had always been the golden child, praised by everyone, and she didn''t want any blemish on her record.


    But Callie was different. She had never been a model citizen. Even back in school, Calliope always got into fights and caused trouble. She didn''t even graduate properly, unlike the ever-aplished Lisette. Callie didn''t have a good reputation to begin with, so this incident wouldn''t really tarnish her name. But for Lisette, it was a stain she couldn''t afford.


    So, Valerian decided to keep the matter to himself.


    "It''s nothing. Callie''s always had it out for Lisette," he said, concealing the truth even from his mother. If Lisette wanted secrecy, he''d respect that. As for dealing with Callie, he''d figure out how to handle it after determining if she was truly responsible for hurting Lisette. She must have lost her mind, pulling a stunt like this over something so trivial, just to harm Lisette.


    ...


    After the diner quieted down that afternoon, everyone gathered for a card game.


    Calliope lounged back in her chair, blending in seamlessly with the group. They were a rough-and-tumble bunch, each with their own stories, but easygoing nheless.


    "Damn, Callie! You''re wiping us out here!" the bald guyined across the table when Calliope raked in another winning hand.


    "Callie, give someone else a chance.


    We can''t keep up with you. You''re like the card shark of legends. How are you so good at everything, from poker to ckjack?" another yer said.


    en


    Calliope smirked, "Well, my mentor was a legendary card shark. I picked up a few tricks over the years."


    Despite her words, she graciously yielded her spot. She moved aside to scroll through her phone, where


    a video message from Portia awaited her.


    A barrage of voice notes followed the video.


    "Callie, check out this video! Lisette''s gone bonkers! It''s hysterical. She actually dered herself a frog in public!"


    "And the best part? She started hopping around like one! This video''s gone viral. Miss Prim and Proper has made a fool of herself. Her reputation''s shot to the moon!"


    en


    "Callie, this is too satisfying!"


    Calliope listened to Portia''s enthusiasticmentary, caught betweenughter and disbelief. "Guess who''s behind her meltdown?" she teased.


    After a moment of typing, Portia called through video chat, her face brimming with gossip. "Babe, what are you saying? Are you saying you drove Lisette to madness?"


    "Is Lisette''s frog moment really your doing?"


    Calliope chuckled, recounting the


    tale to Portia, who gave her a thumbs up. "Callie, what did you use on her? That was effective! Could you hook me up with some? I want to be well-prepared when I run into a jerk next time!"


    "Of course, I got you!" Calliopeughed.