A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

It was Ulysses' idea to go see a movie. He'd thought Calliope and her group had

already left town, so running into them at the theater was the last thing he

expected.

Even from across the theater, with just their silhouettes against the flickering

screen, Calliope's group had that unmistakable air about them, you couldn't help

but notice.

And the moment Ulysses heard someone mutter "the outlet store version" as he

walked in, he started to regret this whole movie plan.

They really, really shouldn't have come tonight. And of all the movies playing, did

it have to be this one?

As luck would have it, their seats were right behind Calliope's group. Just great.

Now they were even closer than he'd like, so close Ulysses was tempted to just

turn around and leave.

"Hey, we're already here. Let's just stay," Horatio whispered, nudging him forward.

With a sinking feeling, Ulysses followed, bracing himself as they walked past.

Oddly enough, Calliope and her group didn't seem to notice them at all. They

were deep in conversation, laughing and chatting like they owned the place.

Not wanting to attract attention, Ulysses and his group slid quietly into their seats,

barely daring to breathe. They couldn't help but eavesdrop as Calliope's group

talked about their plans for a post-holiday road trip. The conversation drifted from

travel plans to random stories and inside jokes.

At some point, Quentin brought up a tricky problem he'd been struggling with.

Calliope listened, thought for a moment, and then laid out a solution so clear and

simple that Quentin just laughed.

"Callie, you're a genius," Quentin said, shaking his head. "I've been stuck on this

for weeks, and you solve it in five minutes."

"You're just overthinking it. Happens to the best of us," Calliope replied with a grin.

Then she turned to Julius. "By the

way, Julius, I honestly think it's time

for you to switch things up a bit.

Your last couple of roles? Really

impressive. I'll keep an eye out for

some good scripts for you. You

should go for more challenging

stuff. You're ready for it."

"Whatever you say, Callie. Your advice is always spot on," Julius replied with a

grateful smile.

Then, out of nowhere, Norton asked, "So, Callie, when are you finally cutting ties

with the Jewell family?"

At that, Ulysses and Horatio tensed up, eyes wide. They hadn't expected that.

Was Calliope really planning to walk away from the Jewells' company?

Calliope's voice was calm but resolute. "It's only a matter of time. I'm already not

involved with them anymore. Once the Christmas is over, I'm gone for good."

Valerian suddenly snapped, his voicenoveldrama

echoing off the theater walls.

"What's that supposed to mean,

Calliope? You're just gonna quit?

Take the company for yourself? Cut

us off completely? So why bother

with the family portrait and the

spare room. What was that all

about?"

He was furious, and the rest of the

group was just as shocked. Ulysses

and Horatio exchanged uneasy

glances. They were starting to

realize this time, Calliope really

might be leaving the Jewells behind

for good.

That thought left everyone more than a little anxious. The Jewell family had been

on shaky ground lately, and the only reason things hadn't gotten worse was

because of Calliope's steadying hand.

If she truly walked away, the company, and the family, might not survive the

fallout.

Valerian's voice was desperate now. "Callie, you're one of us. No matter what

happens, you're a Jewell. You can't change that. Nothing will ever change that."