"They''re only going to get closer to me from now on. As for you? You''ll end up with nothing. Face it, you''ll never get your family''s love. So what if they''re your blood? Your parents, your brothers, they care about me, not you!"


    Lisette clicked her tongue in mock sympathy. "Honestly, you''re just pitiful. You think taking control of thepany means anything? No one respects you for it. Everything you''re holding onto, I''ll take it back sooner orter."


    She stepped in close, smug as ever. Now that the Jewell family had weed her back, Lisette feltpletely untouchable, convinced Calliope couldn''tpete.


    Lisette didn''t care what Calliope did next; the worse she acted, the more the Jewells would coddle her.


    She knew exactly why the Jewells treated Calliope so welltely. It wasn''t really about her, just what she could give them. She''d bought them expensive gifts, and that was all they cared about: the price tag, not who handed it over.


    Meanwhile, whenever she brought them something cheap, she''d act like it was from the heart and that''s what won their affection. They valued her "thoughtfulness," not Calliope''s.


    Calliope had already lost, and Lisette knew it. No matter what mistakes she made, all it took was a half-hearted apology and the Jewells would forgive her. She understood them inside and out, and now it was easy to manipte them. After all, she''d lived with them for years. She knew where all their skeletons were buried.


    Calliope just watched Lisette, a small, knowing smile ying on her lips.


    "Funny, isn''t it?" Calliope said softly. "Everything you want from me is just trash I was going to throw away. You want it all back? I''ll be watching."


    "And I''m curious. If you do manage to get it all, what then? Do you honestly think owning thepany will make you lucky? That this family is really worth all that?"


    Her smile was enigmatic, unreadable.


    Lisette couldn''t figure her out, but she didn''t care. She was convinced: sooner orter, she''d get what she wanted.


    Out of nowhere, Lisette asked, "So,


    Calliope you still treating


    Or


    Horatio


    zing to back out now?


    Pét


    nning to keep your promise?"


    Calliope''s lips curled into a smirk. "Of course I am. Why wouldn''t I? I went through


    hell to get those ingredients for his treatment."


    Lisetteughed. “Right, you can''t


    back out now. The board put you in charge of thepany. If you refuse to help Horatio, everyone will call you heartless. They''ll even start to wonder if your reputation as a miracle healer was all just hot air."


    She leaned in, voice dripping with


    false concern. "You''d better do


    good job, Calliope. Don''t screw ?t up. Or else, poof! There goes your Doctor'' title."


    Her gaze was sharp and challenging.


    Calliope looked back at her, calm and unimpressed. "nning to sabotage me?"


    Lisette just shrugged, lips twitching in a sly smile. "Who knows?"


    Calliope met her eyes a moment longer, then just smiled and turned away, refusing to give Lisette the satisfaction.


    Lisette soon swept out of Calliope''s office and made her way to Horatio''s.


    Inside, the rest of the Jewell family were already gathered, deep in discussion about how they could win Calliope back over.