"That''s good," Ss said, handing a bag of food to Upton. "This is for Baber. Give it to him when he wakes up tomorrow."


    Then, turning to Calliope, he added, "If there''s nothing else, you should head home. You need some rest too."


    Calliope nced at Upton. "You sure you''re okay on your own?"


    "Yeah, I''m good. I''ll reach out if anythinges up," Upton assured her. "You''ve had a long day. Go get some rest."


    "Alright." Calliope left with Ss.


    Ss handed her a piece of pie in the car and asked gently, "Baber''s doing okay, right?"


    "Yeah, he should make a full recovery this time," Calliope replied, taking a bite of the pie. "Why''d youe? I told you it was okay if you didn''t."


    "I missed you," Ss said, looking at her.


    "We only parted this morning," Calliope teased, tilting her head to look at him.


    "Still missed you," Ss replied, running his thumb gently across her forehead, his eyes filled with warmth. "Callie, promise you''ll stay by my side. Don''t leave me, okay?"


    "As long as you''re not pushing me away, I''m not going anywhere!" Calliope dered, lifting her chin defiantly.


    The more time she spent with Ss, the more she adored him. He was everything she admired: calm, gentle, and strong. He was always there to help her with any problem.


    Her ex, Gideon was arrogant and had a terrible temper. He was never considerate, always trying to manipte her.


    With Ss she often found herself pleasantly surprised. He frequently gave her gifts, always knowing what would touch her heart. Anytime she had a question, he always had an answer.


    He had enough influence and, despite his busy schedule, always made time for


    her.


    Besides, he had such a handsome


    face. And they were perfectly in sync. Calliope thought she would be heartbroken to leave if Ss decided he didn''t want her anymore. The more time they spent together, the more she realized she couldn''t bear to part from him.


    A man like Ss was a rare find. She''d heard rumors that there was someone else


    in his heart. She had tried to find out more, but there were no clear answers.


    She didn''t know why he treated her so well. Was it his sense of responsibility, or did he genuinely love her?


    She didn''t want to overthink it. Nor did she dare to ask. Maybe Ss would tell her when he was ready.


    Exhausted from treating Baber all day, Calliope drifted off in the car.


    Ss let her rest on his shoulder, the car gliding smoothly along. When they arrived home, he couldn''t bring himself to wake her.


    He gazed down at her delicate, smooth face, feeling like he could never get enough of looking at her.


    The driver turned to say something, but Ss gestured for him to leave quietly.


    Calliope slept for quite a while. When she finally stirred, she found herself nestled against Ss. He was handling business on his phone with one hand while holding her with the other. She had no idea how long he''d been in that position.


    A nce at the clock revealed she''d been asleep for nearly two hours.


    "Why didn''t you wake me?" she asked, sitting up from his embrace.