Calliope followed Lisette''s directions and stepped out onto the deck.


    She found Lisette almost immediately—alone, her clothes changed, standing against the wind. The breeze tugged at her hair, and for a moment, a sly smile curled at her lips when she saw Calliope.


    Maybe it was the night air, maybe the drug in Lisette''s system hadn''t fully kicked in yet.


    Calliope walked over, putting on an act of irritation and difort. "What do you want? It''s the middle of the night. And why is it so damn hot out here?"


    "Callie, I''m only here because father and the rest of the family want to see you. They want to apologize,” Lisette said, her voice soft and tentative. "They realize they were wrong, but they''re too embarrassed toe to you themselves, so they asked me to reach out."


    "Oh, so now they want to apologize, but they send you to do it?" Calliope folded her arms and let out a short, incredulousugh. “Isn''t that just perfect? Too ashamed to face me, but apparently not ashamed enough to use the messenger. And since when were you and I such close friends?"


    Lisette clearly thought that bringing up Monty and the others, saying they wanted to make amends, was the perfect bait. If Calliope hadn''t known what Lisette was really plotting, she wouldn''t have bothereding out at all.


    "I know you feel like everyone''s let you down, like the whole family owes you," Lisette said, locking eyes with her. "But believe me, we know we messed up. After all these years together, there''s still some kind of bond, right? I''m not asking you to forgive them just talk to them. That''s all."


    "They''re really torn up about it. They feel awful," she added, scratching at her arms and the side of her neck, obviously irritated by something.


    All the while, Lisette kept ncing at Calliope, sure she''d start to see the effects of the drug soon. By now, Robert should be feeling it too-robably going out of his mind. All she had to do was push calliope through that door, and it would be over. The reporters she''d recruited would be waiting, cameras ready. They''d love nothing more than to catch Calliope at her lowest.


    "Is that so?" Calliope raised a brow, pretending to consider. "Well then, maybe I''ll go


    see just what they have to say. How do they n to make it up to me?"


    "You''ll find out soon enough," Lisette replied, her eyes narrowing as she smiled.


    Of course it would work-Calliope always wanted love, always longed for her parents'' and brothers'' approval. That had always been her weakness. Lisette could almost taste victory.


    Lisette''s expression twisted with gloating satisfaction. Calliope was done for. Once she found herself trapped, it''d be far toote to regret. Robert to be there and for every sordid detail


    She''d@lready arranged for gret.


    to the guy on camera. After


    tonight,


    even Ss wouldn''t touch


    her. Would Nigel still stand up for her? Not a chance. Who would want a woman who''d been vited by someone as disgusting as Robert? Even Calliope would hate herself.


    A twisted exhration filled Lisette, making her temporarily forget her own difort. Finally, finally, she''d break Cattiope—for once, she wouldn''t have to watch Calliope glide through life so effortlessly, always brilliant, always protected by her golden circle of brothers. Who was Calliope to lose the Jewell family and still end up surrounded by doting siblings? Lisette was going to shred it all—make sure those brothers turned their backs on her in disgust.


    With a smug look, Lisette led the way and Calliope followed.


    They stopped outside a room. Lisette paused, pulled out a key card, and looked at Calliope. "Dad and the guys are all in there. Go talk to them. I know you don''t want me around, so I''ll wait out here for you."