Calliope had picked a cozy restaurant not far from the hotel for the cast dinner. The ce was buzzing practically everyone important from the crew had shown up, including Ulysses, who''d made enough of an impression in his role to warrant an invite. The staff had pushed together several tables, and the air was thick withughter and chatter.


    Calliope was seated with the directors and the lead actors. When Ulysses arrived, he was hoping to fade into a quiet corner, keep his head down, and avoid drawing any attention. It startled him when Calliope suddenly called out, her eyes finding him across the room.


    "Ulysses! There''s an open seat here," she said, motioning him over.


    He froze, a wave of panic rushing through him. Thest thing he wanted was to be in the spotlight, especially since he wasn''t sure if Calliope even wanted him there. He knew that seeing him might sour her mood, so he had nned to stay out of her way as much as possible. But Calliope''s invitation left him standing awkwardly.


    "She''s talking to you!" Miranda whispered from nearby, giving his arm a little tug. "Come on, just go over! You''re one of the key yers-you should be at that table anyway, and they''re bound to talk about filming soon."


    Trying to disguise his nerves, Ulysses made his way over and took the empty seat, offering polite nods all around. Years ago, the Jewell family saga and all the drama between him and Calliope had yed out on TV screens everywhere-talk shows, news segments, even live inte streams. Pretty much everyone at the table knew exactly what was between them, so there was a certain curiosity as he sat down. People stole nces at Calliope, trying to read her intentions.


    But with Calliope inviting him to join, everyone kept things courteous. Ulysses settled in, careful not to take up too much space, wishing he had Miranda as backup, but she''d already found a spot at the agents'' table. She shot him a reassuring look over her shoulder-her version of a pep talk.


    He swallowed hard, nerves jangling. Ulysses had never been the timid type, but he was painfully aware how small he must look right now. He kept quiet, terrified of saying the wrong thing and making things worse with Calliope. The guilt and regret that had weighed on him for so long pressed even heavier; he knew it would take more than an apology to erase the years of neglect. Broken rtionships weren''t fixed overnight.


    So he sat in silence as the conversation swirled around him. A few people greeted him in passing. Every so often, Calliope would lean in, discussing scenes with the directors or sharing her vision for the show, talking through what inspired the script and how she hoped everyone would embody their roles. The whole table listened with rapt attention-she had a way of making everyone feel included, drawing them in with effortless warmth.


    When Calliope finished, the whole group broke out in apuse.


    "That was amazing!" someone cheered.


    "You really are our star screenwriter C!"


    On the heels of the apuse, someone piped up with a teasing smile, "So, Callie, when are you finally going to out yourself? People are dying to know who wrote this show! You''ve kept it hidden for years."


    elr


    The whole table turned expectantly to her. Calliope took a sip of her wine and let out a lightugh. "Oh, don''t know. Maybe one of these days she joked. "But honestly whether the show is good really doesn''t depend on who wrote it. My identity isn''t what matters."


    “Sure, but don''t you want to give your fans a little something to go on?" another chimed in.


    “Yeah, I get asked about screenwriter C all the time. It''s endless!”


    “Ha, anyone who''s worked with you knows that feeling!" someone else added, grinning.


    Calliope grinned back. "Well, that''s only because you''ve all helped keep my secret. Without you, I would''ve been found out ages ago. So, let me make a toast, to thank you all for your loyalty!"


    She raised her ss and knocked


    back the wine in one go. No one


    pressed her further; everyone was in


    good spirits. She had a knack for conversation, for smoothing things over and bringing the group together, and she was always willing to share the heart behind her script Even people who just met her found themselves drawn in-her old friends, of course, were already under her spell.