As soon as the waiter left, Monty turned to Calliope with a grin stered across his face, his tone as sugary as a fresh batch of maple syrup.


    "Callie, I''m really d you decided to join us for dinner today! All this talk about leaving or not leavinge on, even if you signed that agreement, you''re still a Jewell through and through. Family doesn''t hold grudges overnight, right?"


    Monty shot a cheerful nce at Horatio and Valerian. "They really do care about you! When they were kids, you know, didn''t know any better. And Lisette, well, she''s younger than you, she didn''t get it either. Maybe she was just scared we''d favor you over her, so she put on that little act! These things, they happened so long ago. Can''t really me anyone, can you?"


    "Horatio, Valerian, you guys know you owe her an apology, right?" Monty''s gaze urged the two brothers to make amends with Calliope.


    Calliope watched them with an amused expression. "Was it really just because you were kids?"


    Valerian didn''t seem too thrilled with Calliope''s tone. He frowned but stayed quiet.


    Horatio piped up, "Callie, yeah, we weren''t great. We just believed whatever Lisette said back then, but you should''ve nudged us a little. Even if we didn''t believe you at first, you could''ve tried a bit harder!"


    "It was all so long ago, don''t hold a grudge against Lisette or us. We were just kids, everyone''s forgotten about it. Sure, you might''ve been falsely used, but no real harm was done, right?"


    "And about your education, yeah, we might''ve misunderstood. But you never showed us your side of things. How were we supposed to know? If you''d been as vocal as Lisette, there wouldn''t have been any room for misunderstanding."


    "Anyway, it''s all ancient history now. You''re healthy and grown up, and honestly, there''s no need to be so petty about it."


    Horatio spoke as if it all had been just a minor misunderstanding, easily brushed aside.


    Calliope looked up at them, then chuckled softly to herself.


    "Yeah, all these things are in the past."


    She leisurely poured herself a ss of water. If she hadn''t been given a second chance, it would''ve truly ? been in the past-while they enjoyed their lives, she''d have been nothing


    more than a forgotten ve


    After taking a sip, she looked back up. "But what if Lisette wanted to kill me? What if I had died because of Lisette''s actions? Would that be something you could just move on from? Or would it still be all about Lisette, even if I were gone?


    Valerian suddenly mmed his fist on the table, anger shing in hisz eyes. "What are you talking about? Lisette wouldn''t murder you. Sure, she said some nasty things, but she''s not some viin!"


    "Calliope, don''t project your dark thoughts onto Lisette, okay? She might''ve been


    a bit dramatic, sure, but she never actually hurt you. It''s you who''s always been so confrontational."


    Calliope just stared at him.


    Even now, their attitude hadn''t changed a bit. Thankfully, she''d long since stopped considering them as part of her family.


    She smirked, "How exactly am I being confrontational? You guys invited me to dinner, remember? I didn''t exactly twist your arm into inviting me, did I?"