"Honestly? I think I kind of like her, too," Jett admitted, looking at Calliope with an amused sort of surprise.


    There was just something about Calliope that drew them in an inexplicable fondness, hard to pin down.


    Of course, Calliope had no idea what was going through their heads. Once she exchanged her chips, she made her way over to Portia.


    Portia had already scoped out the casino floor and decided to start with a game of high or low.


    "It''s a fifty-fifty chance, right? There''s no way my luck is that bad," Portia said, rolling the poker chip between her fingers thoughtfully.


    "Only one way to find out," Calliope grinned.


    "Alright, let''s do it!" Portia nodded, scooping up a few chips and heading to the table. After a moment''s hesitation, she bet on "high."


    Calliope didn''t jump in right away; instead, she stayed by Portia''s side, just watching her y. She didn''t offer any advice.


    Damien sidled up next to Calliope and whispered, "Is she betting on the right one?"


    Calliope shook her head.


    "Shouldn''t you warn her?" Damien asked, picking up on Calliope''s expression— clearly, Portia had made the wrong choice.


    "If I tell her, it takes all the fun out of it," Calliope replied with a softugh. "It''s fine. If she loses, I''ll win it back for her."


    Damien just stared at her for a second. She seemed awfully confident.


    Could she really win it all back? He was skeptical-casinos aren''t exactly easy to beat. But then again, this was Calliope. If anyone could do it, it''d be her. She was a lot like Mr. Myers in that way-he''d always find a way to win, so maybe she could too.


    Just as Calliope predicted, Portia lost her first round.


    Portia groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "Seriously? I thought my luck couldn''t be that terrible!"


    "No worries. Keep ying! If you lose, I''ll win it back for you," Calliope said with a wink. “Just leave me, like, five or six grand, okay?"


    "Callie, you''re the best. I love you! If you''re gonna say that, then I''m just gonna go for it,” Portia said, eyeing Calliope with a grin.


    Calliope gave her a reassuring look.


    Instantly, Portia rxed, rolling up her sleeves and getting into the game with renewed enthusiasm.


    Calliope was about to follow her when someone caught her attention with a wave.


    “ckhawk?" Calliope nced at the man who''d called her name. She nodded, then turned to Damien. "Hey Damien


    , could you keep an eye on Portia for a bit? need to talk to


    someone."


    Damien eyed ckhawk warily. "Who''s this?"


    "He''s a friend," Calliope said. "Don''t worry, he''s not trouble. Just stick with Portia, okay?"


    Damien nodded, not pressing for details, and followed after Portia.


    Calliope joined ckhawk over by the wall, leaning casually against it as she looked up at him.


    ? ??


    ckhawk was someone she knew from an intelwork-super connected, scary smart. He got the nickname ckhawk for his dark skin and sharp features, but it suited him. He was handsome in a reque kind of way.


    "Did you find what I asked about?" Calliope asked quietly.


    He nodded. "Yeah. About your real parents... Turns out your guess was right. Jett


    and his wife-they''re your biological parents."


    He paused, then added, "I sent the DNA results to your email just now."


    He lowered his voice even more. "And listen gotta warn you. Something''s about to go down on this cruise. I don''t know exactly what, but someone might be after you. Theard things while doing a favor for another client. Just... be careful."


    ckhawk shrugged. "We''ve been friends a long time. Had to give you a heads-


    up."