The interviews hadn''t started yet, but the director and the rest of the team were already settled in, prepping for the day. As soon as Calliope walked in, they waved her over with easy smiles.


    "We''ve already done a first round of cuts," one of them exined. "Everyoneing in now is a pretty solid fit."


    "We''ve handed out the sides already. The actors will be reading with one of our assistants. All that''s left is to see how they do."


    Calliope took a seat next to Zachary. He slid over a stack of headshots and résumés for her to look through.


    "These are the ones who look and fit the part best," he said quietly. "And their acting chops aren''t half bad, either."


    "But we can only pick five. So, even with this smaller group, the pressure''s on. Our job is just to find the ones who really click with the roles and, of course, can act."


    Calliope nodded, flipping through the files. Halfway through, she paused,


    surprised to see Ulysses'' name staring back at her.


    She hadn''t expected that. Ulysses was auditioning, too?


    Then again, it made sense. Zachary was a big name in the industry, and the script had been getting some buzz. Plus, with a powerhouse productionpany backing this show, pretty much everyone in the business would want a shot.


    Ulysses was just another actor trying his luck. Nothing strange about that.


    Still, she wondered what his reaction would be when he realized she was here as well. Odds were, he''d be shocked, maybe even think she didn''t belong.


    The Jewell family had made it painfully clear they weren''t her biggest fans these days. They seemed to believe she''d stolen everything from them when her grandfather passed, inheriting what they thought was theirs by right.


    Calliope didn''t let it bother her.


    Noticing her brief pause, Zachary nced over, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "What''s up, Callie? Spot someone you know? You know I''m not usually one for favoritism, but if it''s someone you vouch for, I could bend the rules for once."


    He grinned. Zachary was usually all business, a total stickler for the


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    he trusted


    Calliope''s judgment. She''d helped him out plenty of times before, and he knew she had a good eye for talent.


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    Calliope shook her head with a lightugh. "No need. Let''s just stick to the process."


    "Fair enough, Zachary agreed,


    clearly unsurprised. If she''d wanted


    to cast someone without an


    audition, no one would''ve b


    After all, she was the show''s biggest investor. She could have anyone she wanted.  s


    But that wasn''t her style.


    Soon, the auditions began. One by one, the actors came in, reading their parts. They''d already been screened for skill, so every audition was solid, nothing really toin about. The challenge was picking, the best from an already strong group.  s


    "Honestly, these are all good choices," one of the producers murmured. "It''s tough to narrow it down."


    "No kidding. They''ve all got the basics down."


    "A few need a little tweaking, but nothing major. With a bit of coaching, they''ll be great."


    "And everyone''s got a strong sense of who their character is. That''s half the battle."


    "Let''s keep going. We''ll make the call when we''ve seen everyone."


    A few more actors came and went. Someone leaned toward Calliope, asking quietly, "See anyone you really like, Callie?"


    She shook her head. “Not yet. But honestly, the overall quality''s pretty high. I think any of them could work."


    "Yeah, it''s a tough decision."


    The group chatted for a moment, sharing the sense of how hard the choice was this time around.


    Then, after a short while, Ulysses walked in. He greeted everyone with that easy charm of his. But when he saw Calliope sitting next to Zachary, chatting andughing like old friends, his eyes went wide with shock.