"You know, walking a tightrope is risky enough, but you just had to choose the one that leads to the point of no return," Calliope said, her voiceced with a mix of exasperation and amusement as she nced at Gideon.


    "Sometimes, Gideon, I really do admire you. You''re a bit of a madman, you know that?"


    Calliope looked at him with a detached air. Once upon a time, she might have felt a pang of heartache, a twinge of sadness for him. But now, she felt nothing. Once, she thought she wouldn''t be ruthless to someone she once liked, but his actions left her with no choice. He had brought this upon himself.


    "Big shot, do you think that''s enough? If not, I can break another leg. Make sure he can''t stand for a while! If he dares to bother you again, I''ll make sure he''s in a wheelchair for life!"


    Calliope shook her head. "That''s enough. Someone else will deal with him."


    She casually cracked open a few sunflower seeds and nced at Gabriel. "Sit down. Why are you standing there like a statue?"


    "I''m good," Gabriel chuckled, albeit nervously. The truth was, he was terrified of Calliope. He had seen her in action, pulling him out of a tight spot without a second thought. During a hail of bullets, she hadn''t even blinked. Plus, she carried a mysterious air about her, backed by a reputation that was not to be trifled with.


    And now, she was married to Ss, another formidable figure he had no interest in crossing. If he''d known it was her he was dealing with, he would never have gotten involved in the first ce. The mother and son duo would''ve gotten a good thrashing instead.


    But what''s done was done, and now he was left to grovel for forgiveness. Calliope patted the seat next to her, prompting Gabriel to sit.


    Reluctantly, he obliged, perching on the edge of the sofa, maintaining a cautious distance. Even in his own house, he felt like a guest, uneasy and out of ce, unsure of what Calliope might do next.


    "Get over here, why are you sitting so far away?" Calliope prompted. "We''ve got time, let''s chat."


    Gabriel scooted closer, though he couldn''tpletely shake his apprehension. When Calliope slung an arm around his shoulder, he nearly jumped out of his skin, darting a fearful nce at her.


    "So, um, anything specific you need from me?"


    "Not really," Calliope replied, her tone casual. "I just wanted to ask when you left the Tiger Squad. Do you know what happened with Frostwolf afterward?"


    Gabriel shook his head. "Not really. You know, our rank wasn''t high enough to get intel on your operations. You guys could keep tabs on us, but not the other way around."


    "When did you leave, big shot?" he asked, a touch of disbelief coloring his voice. "You were a teenager back then, right?"


    It was hard for him to wrap his head around the fact that a teenage girl had been leading Frostwolf. Yet, there she was, proving time and again that she was more capable than most seasoned veterans.


    Calliope shrugged. "Yeah, I was just


    a kid. I wasn''t the actual leader of Frostwolf. The real leader had an ident, so I stepped in temporarily. Those guys were trained by me, so I was the obvious choice to lead


    them. My mentor was the previous Frostwolf leader, so I just yed


    around a bit."


    Calliope''s tone was nonchnt, as if she was talking about a casual hobby rather than a dangerous venture. She had done many things, but he yful spirit meant she often moved on quickly. Perhaps she had a knack for it, because even her brief stints left legendary tales in their wake.