She had always misunderstood Gideon. For a long time, Yvette assumed he was wealthy. Who would have guessed Silas was the true patriarch of the family? Gideon wasn't even considered an heir. So, where was this supposed fortune?

Three million dollars. A staggering sum.

"Gideon, come on, that's enough!"

Yvette couldn't bear to watch any longer. She waited for a distraction, then slipped to Gideon's side. One more hand, and they'd be borrowing money just to survive.

She'd envisioned a life of luxury—brunch at chic bistros, shopping sprees, weekends at a lake house. Instead, she faced constant stress and overdraft fees. Her dreams of leisure? A complete fantasy. She was barely managing.

Gideon frowned, his jaw tight. He desperately wanted to win back his losses, but luck wasn't on his side.

Verity grinned, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Hey, cuz, no need to keep playing. But you're not welching on your debts, are you?"

Dahlia raised an eyebrow, glancing at Gideon. "You do have the cash, right? We agreed, remember?"

Calliope remained silent, but her gaze was fixed on him, cool and observant.

Yvette's face flushed. "Guys, it's just a friendly game! We're family; who's counting?"

Verity snorted. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're broke, Gideon! Didn't we all agree to play big? If you're broke, you should have said so. You can't just take the winnings when you're ahead and then back out when you lose. That's not how adults behave. Nobody likes a sore loser."

Gideon turned on Yvette, snapping, "You have no idea what you're talking about. Stay out of it!"

Then, to Verity, he said, "I never said I wouldn't pay. I lost; I'll settle up."

He pulled out his phone and began Venmoing everyone their winnings.

Verity's eyes widened as her phone pinged. "That's better! We should play again sometime."

Dahlia smiled. "See? Gideon's a good sport."

Calliope received her notification and simply nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The group dispersed, moving to the living room, grabbing pie and oranges from the coffee table, and sprawling onto the couches. Silas quickly became engrossed in a chess game with Eamon.

Calliope noticed Gideon glancing at her and raised a thoughtful eyebrow, giving him a couple of pointed looks. He returned her gaze.

With so many people around, a face-to-face conversation was impossible, so he texted her.

Gideon: [Callie, are you still thinking about me? I can tell, you keep looking over here.]

Calliope hadn't anticipated this. She'd only wanted to warn him, but he'd completely misinterpreted her intentions.

Was this guy serious? Did he really think the world revolved around him?

She stifled a laugh. After a moment, she replied.

Calliope: [You're mistaken. I wanted to tell you, your wife should probably see a doctor. The baby... well, I don't think it's wise to keep it. Something seems off. It's your call whether you believe me or not. I didn't examine her closely, just a hunch.]

She hit send, expecting that to be the end of it. But Gideon wouldn't let it go.

Gideon: [Callie, I know you still... noveldrama... about me! You're worried, aren't you? You can't get close because I'm married, right? But deep down, you still love me, don't you?]

Calliope was speechless. Some people simply never take a hint.