Chapter 1009
Ulysses stood frozen, staring at Calliope in open astonishment. For a moment, his voice caught. “Calliope—” he began, but quickly stopped himself and corrected, “Ms. Jewell, I… what brings you here p>
He knew full well Calliope no longer considered him her family; calling her name would only risk offending her further. All he could do was stand there, eyeing her uncertainly, his shock still plain on his face.
Then, reality hit him. He shouldn’t be the one surprised she was here he was the one out of place.
Word had spread: the script was hers, penned by the legendary and elusive
Calliope Jewell. She was the brains behind it all—and the money, too. Without her, this production wouldn’t exist. He’d always imagined she’d loathe him enough to bar him from the project. Yet, against all odds, he was here.
His agent had handled the contract, and he hadn’t even realized whose project it was until the day he arrived on set.
Anxious, uneasy, Ulysses glanced at Calliope, not sure what he should say or do. Regret bit at him, mingled with guilt. His father’s antics at the last gala hadn’t helped matters and only further ruined Calliope’s reputation in their circles. Everyone in the Jewell family seemed to harbor a grudge against her, never missing a chance to slight or snub her.
He alone lived with the sting of remorse.
After a heavy silence, he finally ventured, “Should I… not be here? If you don’t want to see me, I’ll leave right away. It’s just His gaze fell. “I’m not sure I can afford the penalty for breaking my contract p>
He stared at the floor, feeling small. The gift he’d given Calliope had wiped out what little savings he had. The Jewell family’s situation was a mess, and his own career wasn’t exactly on the upswing-he was barely scraping by.
Calliope regarded him, her expression unreadable. “I haven’t asked you to leave,” she said calmly. “Everyone in this cast was chosen for their ability. If you’re staying, put in the work—if the show takes off, the rewards will follow p>
A glimmer of hope sparked in Ulysses’s eyes. “So you’re not kicking me out?” he ventured, almost not daring to believe it.
She replied, “I have no reason to. We’re not mortal enemies-not by my accounting. Besides, this show matters to me. I’m not about to lose money for personal grudges.” She fixed him with a level look. “Of
fixed turnira lousy
course, if you
performance, you can be replaced. There are no free rides here, no playing favorites, and no room for bad acting. If you can’t hold up your end, we’ll find someone who can p>
He nodded hard, almost a little too fast. “I understand. I’ll do everything I can to get
it right. Thank you, Callie p>
His gratitude came out earnest and raw, his eyes shining with a mix of relief and longing.
Zachary, who had been watching from a few steps away, just smiled quietly keeping his thoughts to himself. Then he gestured for
Calliope to follow him to her room.
“This one’s yours, and your assistant’s is right next door,” he told her, nodding in
Damien’s direction after a moment’s thought.
Calliope inclined her head in thanks “Appreciate the help Zachary. some rest first and
can
e dinner together.” et
5:
all have dinner together p>
Zachary smiled. “Sounds good. Just give us a shout in the group chat when you’re ready. I already put you in, right p>
“I’m in the chat,” Calliope confirmed.
Seeing she was tired, Zachary left her to settle in and went off to take care of the rest of the day’s business.