A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

"Callie, what are you doing here? Why are you even auditioning? Do you have any connection to this production?"

As soon as Ulysses spotted her, he straightened up, staring at her, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Does it really matter?" Calliope met his gaze coolly.

"I'm just... surprised, that's all." Ulysses pressed his lips together, clearly picking up on Calliope's frosty tone. He looked uneasy, frowning a little.

"You don't want to talk to me, do you?"

"I-I know... I know how the family treats you, but I couldn't get through to them." "I'm sorry, Callie."

Calliope shot him a look, surprised. She'd thought Ulysses was thick as thieves with Lisette and the others, but from the way he was acting now, maybe he wasn't? Was he here just for the role?

Could be.

"If you're trying to cozy up to me just for a part, don't bother. I'm not the only

blinked in shock,

this for the audition... I know I'm not getting

treated you badly before. And... no matter what, you're still our sister Maybe not by blood, but you moved in when you were just a kid. That means something. I really do see you as

He couldn't quite explain it, but lately, he'd realized just how

so many times-Horatio's legs, Valerian's accident. And Ulysses

And there was more...

out something

in the day, when he

role, it hadn't actually

pulling strings. It

Calliope. He'd run

nto the old

and producer from that