Calliope nced disdainfully at Gideon before hopping into her car with remarkable speed.


    She mmed her foot on the gas pedal before Gideon could even react, and the car sped off, leaving a trail of exhaust in its wake.


    Gideon coughed and waved his hand before his face, looking more than a little disgruntled.


    As Calliope drove further down the road, she rolled down her window and shouted back to Gideon, "Gideon, does Yvette know about this?"


    Gideon spat out the taste of exhaust and opened his mouth to retort, but Calliope already sped away. He ground his teeth in frustration, feeling helpless yet determined.


    He had faith he''d win her back. Calliope was not meant to be with Ss but with him. She was his, after all.


    ...


    Later that evening, when Ss returned home, Calliope beamed as she presented him with the ne.


    "What is it?" Ss asked, momentarily stunned as he nced at the box, curiosity piqued.


    "A gift," Calliope replied, resting her chin in her hand and watching Ss eagerly. "I hope you like it."


    "I like anything from you," Ss assured her.


    A hint of surprise flickered across his face as he opened the box and saw the ne inside. "You went out of your way to get this?"


    Calliope nodded. "Yeah, I thought you''d like it."


    "I love it," Ss said, taking the ne out of the box and cing it in Calliope''s hand. "Help me put it on?"


    Calliope took the ne and


    V


    sped it around Ss''s neck. It suited him perfectly. He was so elegant that anything looked good on him.


    Ss admired the ne, clearly pleased. Unable to resist, he leaned in, cupping her face in his hands, and kissed her deeply.


    Calliope wrapped her arms around Ss''s neck, standing on tiptoe to meet his lips.


    But their kiss was abruptly interrupted by the shrill ring of a phone.


    When Ss pulled back, Calliope quickly fished her phone out of her pocket and frowned slightly.


    "Sorry, it''s Portia." She waved the phone at him, shing an apologetic smile. "I need to take this call!"


    After that, Calliope stepped over to therge window and answered Portia''s call. "Portia, calling at this hour-what''s up?" Calliope asked.


    "It''s urgent! Have you seen the crap people are posting online?" Portia was fuming. "You''re not aware, are you?"


    "What''s going on online?" Calliope was genuinely puzzled. She''d been so busy with work, attending auctions and coordinating with the director and crew about their uing project that she hadn''t paid any attention to the inte.


    "There are loads of people trash-talking you! You should check it out. I''m livid!"


    Portia seethed on the other end of


    the line. "Some idiot is spreading rumors, saying you have an affair with some Mr. Lopez and iming you used to mess around with older guys for money. They''re saying you don''t deserve to be with Ss and that Gideon didn''t marry you because he discovered about your past!"


    "It''s infuriating! They''re making it sound so disgusting, sounding like you''d do


    anything for money, even sleeping with old geezers!"


    Portia was practically bouncing off the walls in anger.


    "If Mavis were here, she''d have tracked down the jerk spreading these lies in no


    time!"