"Text me your bank detailster, I''ll send you your first month''s pay in advance."


    "Alright," Zane replied without hesitation.


    After a quick word with Zane, Calliope headed off to find Quentin and the others.


    "I''m back!" she announced brightly.


    All four of them turned to look at her, brows creased with concern.


    "Callie, are you feeling okay?" Quentin asked, "You were in the bathroom forever.


    Are you sick or something?"


    "No, no!" Calliope shook her head quickly. "I just took a call in there. Archie''s got a


    bit of a situation, and I need to help him sort it out. You guys go ahead and head


    home without me. I''ll catch upter!"


    "When you get back, could you start prepping for dinner? Wash the veggies, get


    things ready for dinner? If I make it back in time, I''ll do the cooking!"


    She looked at them hopefully.


    Calliope was a natural at telling little white lies, and the group didn''t seem to doubt


    her story. Still, they pressed a little.


    "Callie, is your friend okay? Anything we can do to help?"


    "If you can''t handle it alone, we coulde with you!"


    "Yeah, an extra pair of hands never hurts. We can tag along."


    Everyone watched her, waiting.


    Calliope shook her head. "It''s nothing major, actually. More people would just


    make itplicated. I''ve got this! It''s gettingte anyway, you all should head


    home and get started on dinner."


    Ss and the rest shrugged and left without any more fuss.


    Calliope turned and walked over to Zane.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    "Yeah," Zane nodded, leading the way.


    Once they were in the car, Calliope asked, "Where''s Oliver?"


    "He''s at one of his regr houses in Capitalton," Zane replied as he drove.


    "A regr house? I thought he lived


    abroad most of the time? Last I saw


    him, he was staying at a hotel,


    Calliope frowned, sensing


    something off.


    "He fixed up one of his old houses," Zane exined, "Looks like he''s nning to


    stay in Capitalton for a while."


    "So he''s digging in for the long haul, trying to convince Ss, huh?"


    Calliope could guess what was going on. Oliver probably had only one reason to


    stick around.


    "Exactly," Zane said tly.


    "So Oliver''s n is: if he can''t


    convince Ss to be his heir, he''s not


    leaving? What''s his obsession-


    anyway? He basically cut Ss out


    of his life back then, practically ran


    him out of town."


    Calliope''s voice was edged with annoyance.


    "Because he is strong, really strong.


    Our boss likes powerful people. Back


    then, he didn''t realize Ss would


    turn out this impressive. But now he


    does, and there''s no way he''ll let him


    go. He''s getting old, and his


    business empire needs someone to


    take over. His other son''s a disaster.


    Ss is the only one who''s worth


    anything, so of course he wants


    him."


    Zane sounded matter-of-fact about it.


    Calliope understood, but doubted Ss would ever go back. Maybe when he was


    a kid, he''d wanted a dad.


    But now? He was nearly old enough to be a dad himself.


    Oliver was dreaming, as far as Calliope was concerned.