"I''m Callie''s real brother-her second oldest, actually. Which pretty much makes me your half-boss, don''t you think?"


    "If you''re polite to Callie, you should show us the same respect. You only get to eat because of her. Keep up that lousy attitude and I can have Callie fire you in a heartbeat."


    Valerian was sure Calliope was only giving him the car because she was under his thumb. She couldn''t do anything to him. If he told her to fire Franco, he was certain she''d do it.


    "Oh, so you''re my half-boss? Have you ever paid me half a paycheck, then?"


    Franco couldn''t help butugh, shaking his head. "I''ve known Callie for years. We''re not just colleagues. We''re friends. Compared to me, what are you? You''re her brother, sure, but you don''t know her a fraction as well as I do. Don''t go waving your family card around. Callie can cut you off anytime she wants."


    "And Valerian, I''m being nice here, telling you not to touch this car for your own good. It''s not yours. If anything happens to it, you couldn''t afford to pay for the damages. You know how much this car is worth, right? Even the tiniest scratch would bankrupt you!"


    Franco''s handsome face was set and cold. He was trying to let Valerian save face, but apparently Valerian didn''t care about that, so Franco wasn''t going to bother either.


    So what if he was Calliope''s brother? To be honest, Franco knew he wasn''t even her real brother.


    "Why would I need to pay anything?" Valerian shot back. "This car was a gift for me. If I want to drive it into the river, that''s my business, not yours!”


    "Franco, don''t think you can boss me around just because you''re Callie''s assistant and a little closer to her. You don''t get to order me around!"


    Valerian t-out ignored Franco-stubborn, arrogant, and absolutely convinced he was right.


    Franco just stared. This guy was impossible. No matter how clear he made things, Valerian just wouldn''t listen.


    A crowd had started to gather, people whispering and craning their necks to see what would happen. Everyone was wondering: if Calliope showed up, whose side would she take?


    Ulysses, another of Calliope''s


    so-called brothers, was tempted to step in and reason with Valerian. He thought Valerian was being way too


    self-important. Calliope was too


    the


    same girl she used to be. She was powerful now.


    And she had other brothers, too. Guys like him and Valerian weren''t as special as they thought.


    It almost felt like someone else had taken


    their little sister away f them, like she didn''t really bene


    anymore. Content 6 met


    them anymore.


    Suddenly, a cold, authoritative voice rang out, "How exactly did Franco boss you around?"


    Everyone turned to see Calliope standing there.


    Valerian spun around, ready to say something, until he noticed the three men nking her.


    Quentin, Norton, and Julius stood


    shoulder to shoulder, looking effortlessly stylish in expensive, custom-tailored clothes. They were movie-star handsome; it was the kind of entrance that made people stop breathing for a second.


    All around, the crowd gasped.


    "Whoa, who are those guys?"


    "Are you kidding me? They''re gorgeous!"


    "Seriously, who are they to Calliope?"


    "Are they celebrities or something? They look like they just stepped off a magazine cover!"


    "Wait a sec. Isn''t that Julius? He''s been all over the newstely!"


    "Oh my God, it really is him! And he''s with Calliope? Our boss knows everyone.


    She''s literally a superstar."