"With your background, it''d really be best if you just cooperated with us. Don''t worry. We''re not looking to shortchange you or anything."


    Calliope just shrugged. "Sorry, can''t help you there. Maybe you guys should be the ones cooperating for a change. Or better yet, how about you just get lost?"


    "Honestly, if you had any real skills, you wouldn''t even be here talking to me. Shouldn''t you be dealing with Ss instead? You''re too scared to go after him, so youe here first. That just proves you''re not up for the challenge, doesn''t it?"


    "You-!" Oliver snapped, her words hitting him right where it hurt.


    Sure, he was satisfied with Ss these days. But trying to convince Ss wasn''t easy, especially now that Ss had grown into someone you couldn''t just push around.


    So Oliver wanted to keep things simple: get Calliope out of the picture, let Blythe get close to Ss, and everything would fall into ce.


    After all, Blythe was on his side. Plus, Blythe genuinely cared about Ss, and she''d made it clear she''d choose him. The two of them had hit it off right away.


    Who could''ve guessed Calliope would be so damn stubborn?


    Oliver had sensed trouble thest time he''d talked to her, but he hadn''t expected her to be this much of a headache.


    She was clever too clever, honestly. She saw right through him. But in his mind, she was also foolish for picking a fight with them. She was just a regr woman, nothing special, except that Ss liked to y knight-in-shining-armor for her.


    "You''re missing something here," Oliver said tightly. "You think Ss will always protect you, but that only works if he''s actually in love with you. What if he''s not? What if he doesn''t care? You really think he''ll stand up for you then?"


    "And another thing: Blythe knew Ss way before you did. They have history together! There''s something real between them."


    "When Ss sees Blythe, do you really think he''ll still have your back? You''re just dead weight to him, he won''t bother."


    Calliope nced over at Blythe. She remembered what Yara Xander had said: Ss had a woman in his heart, someone who looked a bit like her. But Blythe didn''t resemble her at all.


    So, clearly, Blythe wasn''t the one Yara meant. Maybe Blythe and Ss had something, but it couldn''t have run all that deep.


    Calliope gave Blythe a cool look, then turned to Oliver. "Wow. You really don''t know your son at all. And you think he''s going to inherit everything from you?"


    She stood up, grabbing her purse. "Dream on."


    "You''ve never been a real father to him. Never did a thing for him. Why would he ever help you?"


    "Anyway, I''ve got to get home. My family''s waiting for me. We''re having a big Christmas Eve dinner. You''ve wasted enough of my time, and honestly, I''m done being polite.”


    "Calliope, why do you have to be so stubborn?" Oliver snapped, his face reddening in anger. "Do you really want to force our hand? Because we''re not justing after you. We''ll go after your family, too. Aren''t you scared? When the Jewell family goes down, you won''t be living the good life anymore!"


    Calliope nced back, her voice light and even. "Seems like you don''t know


    Ss, and you sure as hell don''t know me."


    With that, she strode out the door.


    Oliver mmed his fist on the table, seething with frustration.


    Blythe could barely hold it together. She gritted her teeth and hissed, "How can


    she be so brazen? So... so impossible!"