A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

"I told you before, there's no such thing as a hundred percent guarantee. But I'll

do my best. Things won't get any worse than they are now."

She took a thoughtful bite of her cheesecake, her gaze distant.

Valerian nodded, but he still looked like he had something on his mind.

Calliope glanced up at him. "If you've got something to say, just say it. If you're upset with me, I'd rather you be upfront. It's not like you all haven't complained before."

She was the picture of calm.

Valerian felt a little uneasy. But he couldn't help himself. "Callie, are you really that close to those brothers of yours?"

He kept thinking about what Lance had said earlier. Were those so-called adopted brothers of hers really that amazing? Did she actually like them that much? They weren't even her real brothers, so why did she care about them so much? Shouldn't she care more about her actual family?

Truth was, Valerian had once tried to look into Calliope's three "brothers." They'd met a few times before, but when he tried to dig deeper, he turned up absolutely nothing. It was like there was some kind of invisible firewall blocking him.

Whether it was Quentin Sutton, Norton Shepherd, or Julius Quillen, every lead went nowhere. They were all mysteriously out of reach.

He'd always known she had these "brothers," but he'd never given it much thought.

Now, though, it bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

"You mean Quentin and the others?" Calliope nodded, completely serious. "Of course I'm close to them. They spoil me rotten. How could I not be?"

She glanced at Valerian and Horatio like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Thinking back on how she'd sometimes neglected her "honorary" brothers for them, she felt a pang of guilt.

Quentin and the others had always treated her best. Christmas was coming up, they would be back soon, and she planned to spend as much time with them as possible. She really should get them some gifts.

Usually, Quentin and the guys were the ones who showered her with presents.

This year, she wanted to surprise them for once.

Calliope's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she considered what to buy.

"Callie, they might be great, but they're not your real brothers. You should be careful," Valerian said, a hint of concern in his voice. "People talk, you know, and you could get hurt by that."

"Who's talking? You?" Calliope shot back, clearly annoyed. "Or is it Lisette? She does love to gossip."

"Callie, I'm just looking out for you. You don't need to get so defensive," Valerian said, frowning.

"So far, no one's said a word about me and them...well, except you." She stared him down, unwavering.

Valerian shut his mouth, feeling even more unsettled.

"Alright, Callie, let's drop it and eat," Horatio said gently. "Dad told you, right? Dinner at home tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Calliope nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be there."

She wasn't about to miss the chance to ruffle Lisette's feathers She could already picture the on Lisette's face, that would be a Christmas surprise. noveldrama

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