Nigel''s expression was frosty, his whole demeanor issuing a clear warning: if Jett intended to try anything, he''d have to go through him first.


    "I thought you didn''t get along with Ss," Jett said with a quizzical brow, "and yet you seem awfully concerned about his wife. Why do you care so much?"


    Nigel''s face hardened. "Mr. White, let''s not jump to conclusions. There''s nothing more between us than a friendship. If you''re looking for specifics—she once saved my life. That''s it. The most you could say is that she''s my benefactor, and I''m the man she helped-nothing more."


    "Of course, if she and Ss ever split, maybe things would be different," he added, shrugging with affected indifference, “but for now, nothing''s changed.”


    “Alright, I get it,” Jett replied after sizing Nigel up for a beat. He was about to follow after Calliope, but Nigel mped a strong hand down on his shoulder.


    "Mr. White, why are you following her?" Nigel demanded. "You''re not nning to hassle a young woman, are you? She''s just an up-ander, hardly your equal.” "You''re getting the wrong idea, I just want to ask her a few questions,” Jett replied.


    "I can handle losing," he added, ncing thoughtfully at Nigel. “Seems like she''s pretty well-liked, though. You and Ss can''t stand each other, but you both get along with her. Just earlier, she was having dinner with that whole group, and they all seemed to think highly of her."


    "So what?" Nigel shot back. "She''s decent, so people like her. Simple as that."


    "Fair enough—no hidden agenda, I just think she''s impressive. And interesting,” Jett said. “Nigel, let me go―I need to speak with her. You have nothing to worry about, I''m not going to hurt her or cause her any trouble."


    Nigel finally let go.


    "If I hear that you''ve caused her trouble, you''ll answer to me," he warned, before striding off with Lnd.


    Jett resisted the urge to rub his shoulder, unsettled by the unexpected steel behind Nigel''s warning. Pushing down the unease, he hurried to catch up with Calliope, reaching her just before she slipped into her room.


    "Ms. Jewell, can I have a moment?” Jett called.


    Calliope turned, a frown cutting across her usually cid face. "Mr. White, is there something you need? I don''t see that we have much to


    There


    discuss—unless you''re here


    because


    you can''t stand losing, and want to


    take back what you and your


    daughter lost tonight?"


    "That''s not it at all," Jett said quickly, caught off guard by her assumption. "I really just have a question."


    "What is it?" Calliope replied, her tone cool and distant.


    To everyone else, Calliope was gracious and polite; but with Jett, she was curt and visibly disdainful The way she looked at him made his


    skin prick skle


    though with difort He ran


    though their past in his mind, turning over every stone, but


    couldn''t think what he might have done to deserve it-and the mystery gnawed at him.


    "Ms. Jewell," he said sincerely, stepping in front of her, "is there something I''ve done to make you dislike me, just get the sense there''s a real hostility, but forthe life of me, I can''t work out why."


    "Is it because of Blythe? Even if you and Blythe are rivals, that''s no reason for this kind of attitude with me."


    "Blythe is Blythe—we''re her parents, and of course we love her. But that doesn''t mean we''d make you our enemy because of her."