Chapter 1031
Linnea was, without a doubt, a piece of work. At first, she’d assumed Calliope was Julius’s girlfriend, and since she had a crush on Julius herself, she immediately pegged Calliope as a rival. But the moment she learned that Julius and Calliope were just siblings, her attitude did a complete one-eighty—suddenly, she was enamored with Calliope, eager to make her a new best friend.
For the next several days, Linnea attached herself to Calliope like a shadow. Julius and Ulysses, who had both been eager to spend time alone with Calliope, quickly found themselves edged out. With Linnea monopolizing her attention, the two men were left stewing on the sidelines, their frustration mounting with each passing day.
Eventually, Julius reached his breaking point.
“Why are you always glued to Calliope?” he snapped at Linnea.
“It’s called bonding with my future family. Got a problem with that?” Linnea shot back, not missing a beat.
Every time Julius tried to talk to Calliope alone-whether he had something important to discuss or just wanted a quiet moment together-Linnea barged right in, pulling Calliope away for herself. He barely managed to exchange a few words with his own sister, let alone ask her out for a meal. Whenever he suggested dinner, Linnea was already by Calliope’s side, and Julius, not wanting to deal with the other woman, could only keep his distance.
He’d imagined telling everyone back home how wonderful it was to reconnect with Callie—maybe even boasting about all the fun they were having together. The reality? He hadn’t even managed to share a single quiet meal with her. The most irritating part was the thoughtful surprises he’d prepared for Calliope: her favorite foods, little treats he’d hoped would delight her. Inevitably, Linnea would end up enjoying them first, leaving Julius seething.
The more he looked at Linnea, the more his patience wore thin. Sure, they got along well enough when they were in front of the cameras and had to keep up
appearances, but the moment filming wrapped, Julius’s expression turned frosty, his attitude openly hostile.
Linnea just rolled her eyes. “Callie wants to hang out with me. If you have an issue, take it up with her. We’re best friends now, you know p>
It was true: After just a few days together, Linnea was completely taken by Calliope. She realized that next to Calliope, Julius was pretty bland good-looking and talented, sure, but frankly, a little dull. Calliope: though, was astonishing. She was brilliant, seemed to excerat everything she tried, and could win any game without even breaking a sweat. With Calliope on her team, Linnea felt unstoppable.
What was more, anything Linnea wanted-things she’d tried for ages to achieve Calliope seemed able to make happen effortlessly. Before she knew it, Julius had become an afterthought, all that mattered was winning Calliope over as her closest friend.
“Julius, you’re a grown man. Do you have to keep hovering around us? Don’t you realize the paparazzi arez watching? If they get the wrong idea, Callie’s going to end up in the tabloids! Linnea said her tone prim and self-righteous.
Julius gawked at her in disbelief. How could spending time with his sister possibly cause a scandal? He was her brother, for crying out loud! Who did Linnea think she was, wedging herself between them?
“If anyone’s a bad influence on Callie, it’s you,” Julius shot back, frowning. “Seriously, you need to give her some space. You even started sleeping over in her room. Don’t you think that’s a little much p>
“What’s wrong with two girls having a sleepover and sharing secrets?” Linnea pouted, arms crossed. “So I like Callie-what of it p>
“People will talk if they see it!” Julius insisted, his brow furrowing in exasperation. “Callie, you need to keep your distance from her. I really don’t trust her intentions p>