Horatio nced at Lisette and said, "Hey, this isn''t your fault."
Ulysses gave her a quick, indifferent look. "Yeah, you''re not to me for any of
this."
Lisette let out a small sigh of relief. At least they weren''t holding it against her. But
as her nerves settled, a new idea crept in.
Maybe she could take a shot at winning over one of Calliope''s brothers. If only
she''d known how loaded they were, she would never have wasted her time flirting
with Valerian. Compared to Calliope''s brothers, poor Valerian was way out of his
league.
Sure, she couldn''t be their sister, but maybe... she could be Calliope''s
sister-inw. That would put her in a whole different league. And wouldn''t Calliope
just have to put up with her then? The thought sparked a new wave of confidence
in Lisette.
Meanwhile, Calliope and her crew had just left a fancy jewelry store and were
already ducking into another chic boutique. Her three brothers showered her with
gifts-designer handbags, sparkling earrings, the works. Even Ss joined in,
picking out some cool gadgets for her. Of course, Calliope didn''t just take; she
picked out thoughtful presents for each of them too.
By the time they finished their spree, they were loaded down with shopping bags
from all the most exclusive stores. Everyone was grinning, arms aching with
luxury.
Lisette and her group watched from across the street, eyes bugging out at the
mountain of high-end loot Calliope and her brothers had snagged. It was obvious
-even Quentin had been treated to Calliope''s generosity. They looked like a
scene straight out of a glossy magazine, so polished and joyful it almost hurt to
look at them.
Lisette''s envy burned hotter. Sure, Horatio and the guys had bought her nice
things before, but never anything close to this level. They had money, but not the
kind that let you drop a fortune on a whim. Compared to Ss and his brothers, it
was no contest.
It stung even more remembering how miserable Calliope''s childhood had been-
Lisette had made sure of that. Yet now, here was Calliope, living the dream:
morous, adored, and surrounded by the best of everything, including brothers
who looked like they belonged on the cover of GQ.
The group drew stares as they
strolled down the street, people
actually stepping aside to let them
pass. A few passersby even
whipped out their phones, snapping
photos like they''d just spotted
celebrities.
Lisette watched, equal parts envious and bitter, as the crowd parted for Calliope.
Her group didn''t say a word, just stared in their direction, each lost in their own
thoughts.
Later, after arranging for their
shopping haul to be sent home,
Calliope and her brothers headed off
to the movie theater. They''d nned
to catch Julius''stest film before
heading back to prep for dinner.
Calliope had even invited Portia
Sutton and her friends to join them
for dinner and a night of card games
andughter.
Inside the theater, they found their seats. Calliope right in the middle, nked by
Ss and Quentin. Their entrance didn''t go unnoticed; heads turned, and
whispers spread through the crowd.
"Wow, those guys are seriously good-looking..."
"And that girl in the middle! She''s gorgeous! Are they all dating her or something?"
"Nah, they''ve gotta be siblings."
"Or maybe just really close friends! Either way, that''s living the dream."
When Lisette''s group walked in a minuteter, someone nearbymented,
"Hey, those guys are cute too!"
"Meh, not even close," another person replied. "They''re like the outlet store
version of the first group."
Lisette heard it all, the sting of
lights dimmed, she couldn''t help but
wish she was sitting in Calliope''s
ce surrounded by attention, gifts,
and the kind of family that made
everyone else in the room jealous.