"Exactly. You only get what you give, right?"

"No one's going to bend over backward for someone who treats them like dirt."

"Maybe at first, yes, but if you keep giving and get nothing back, sooner or later, you'll stop."

"People only keep trying if the other person is trying too, you know?"

"Honestly, I think Norton's the better catch. A six-figure check? That's more than I'll ever see!"

"The Jewell family couldn't scrape together that much if they sold their whole estate. Those brothers just don't measure up."

"It's not even about money. If they showed some real effort, even without a dime, I bet Calliope would be happy. But they waste everything on that adopted girl, neglecting their real daughter. Why should she like them?"

"Yeah, I think she did the right thing. No point in giving endlessly for nothing."

"Seriously! Remember when she spent a week at the lake house? All they cared about was Lisette. Half of us had to put up with Lisette's attitude, too!"

The staff weren't blind; everyone knew the situation. Valerian was furious but speechless. He couldn't argue; he'd never given Calliope anything truly memorable.

Ulysses, aside, wanted to disappear. He should have stopped Valerian sooner. It stung seeing Calliope defend those who weren't even her real brothers.

"Come on, Callie. Valerian's still your brother. Cut him some slack," Ulysses pleaded.

Calliope glanced at him, impassive. "When have you ever cut me any slack?" Ulysses fell silent. Calliope didn't hold back; they couldn't handle her.

Norton pulled up and hopped out, beaming. "Callie, this is awesome! Seriously, thank you!"

"I'm glad you like it!" Calliope grinned. "If you're happy, I'm happy."

"Oh, Quentin, Julius, I've got gifts for you two as well. They're upstairs. Want to come grab them with me?"

Before they could answer, Valerian cut in, scowling. "This is Jewell property. We can't just let random people wander around."

Calliope shot him a look, then turned to Quentin and Julius. "Forget it. This dump isn't worth seeing anyway. I'll grab your gifts and bring them down."

She disregarded Valerian's opinion, disappearing inside. Nearby staff exchanged sympathetic glances. He really knew how to make things worse.

Valerian snapped at the staff, "Don't you all have work to do? Or do you just get paid to stand around and gossip?"

People scattered, grumbling. Valerian's annoyance grew. He and Ulysses stepped into the elevator Calliope had just taken. The doors slid shut, leaving only Calliope, Franco, Valerian, and Ulysses inside.