Chapter 87
While Callisto quietly sipped his glass of wine, he couldn’t help bus stare blankly into space, his mind wandering far from the dimly lit living room The shadows around him seemed to echo the confusion swirling in his thoughts. He wondered what Caroline and Amanda’s real motives were behind pushing so hard for the marriage of Liam and Penelope. It just didn’t sit right with him. Something was off, and Callisto could sense it. His instincts, sharpened by years of dealing with manipulation and deceit, told him that there was more to their plan than what met the eye.
He knew damn well that Liam was nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The guy had this charm about him that could easily fool people, but Callisto saw right through him. Liam was the kind of man who would do anything–absolutely anything to climb the social ladder. He wanted to be at the top, and he didn’t care who he had to step on to get there. It was always about power with people like Liam. Their ambitions blinded them to the destruction they left in their wake.
From the very first moment Callisto met Liam, he could tell that the man was nothing but a pretender. It was as if Liam had perfected the art of deception. He knew exactly how to act, what to say, and when to flash that charming smile to get what he wanted. On the surface. Liam was polite, even friendly. He was the type who would go out of his way to make you feel comfortable, to win your trust. But Callisto knew that beneath that façade lay a man who wouldn’t hesitate to stab you in the back if it served his purpose.
Other people, those who didn’t have Callisto’s experience with manipulators, would fall for Liam’s act. They’d see him as a genuine, likable guy, not realizing that they were walking straight into a trap. They were Liam’s unsuspecting victims, fooled by his charm and led right to their own downfall. But not Callisto. He had grown up with Caroline, and he had experienced firsthand what real manipulation looked like. He knew better than anyone how people could wear masks to hide their inte selves
Callisto’s childhood memories were filled with moments of Caroline’s manipulation. To the outside world, she was the perfect wife and mother. always kind, always giving. She would smile warmly, shower her children and husband with affection, and play the role of the perfect woman in society. But when they were alone–when no one else was around–her true nature would surface. She would turn into a monster, her cruelty and anger directed at Callisto in ways that left him emotionally scarred.
Even now, as an adult. Callisto could vividly recall the trauma. He remembered the fear he felt as a child, the constant tension of never knowing when Caroline would snap. It was a weight he carried with him into adulthood, one that never truly disappeared. It shaped him, changed him, and made him more guarded, more cynical. He had learned early on that people like Caroline and Liam couldn’t be trusted, no matter how nice they seemed on the surface
The only reason he could stand up to Caroline now, the only reason her presence didn’t terrify him the way it used to, was because of the accident. The car crash that had left her with a head injury had somehow weakened her hold over him. Maybe it had shaken something loose in his mind, or maybe the trauma wasn’t as paralyzing now that Caroline herself wasn’t as powerful as she once was. Either way, Callisto was no longer the helpless child be used to be.
In some strange way, Callisto even believed that the events of the past had been a blessing in disguise. Everything that had happened had led to this moment, where things were finally starting to turn in his favor. He had learned how to play the game, how to navigate the web of lies and manipulation that surrounded him. But even now, with Caroline’s power waning, he knew better than to let his guard down. He had been burned too many times before, and he wasn’t about to make the mistake of becoming complacent
Deep down. Callisto knew that Caroline and her crew were plotting something again. He could sense it. They were always up to something, always scheming. And this time, Liam was their pawn Liam was no different from Caroline–he was just as willing to manipulate, just as eager to play the game. That made him dangerous And Callisto had no doubt that Caroline would use Liam to achieve whatever twisted goals she had in mind
The mansion was eerily quiet, the dim light from the chandelier casting long shadows on the walls. Caroline had gone out with Penelope, leaving Callisto alone in the large, empty space. Since his arrival at the mansion, he hadn’t seen much of Cassian either. He wasn’t sure if Cassian was genuinely busy with work or if he was avoiding him. Cassian had a habit of disappearing when things got tense.
But if they did meet, Callisto knew exactly how he would greet his brother–with a tight, suffocating embrace. “He’s hiding from me, too obrious,” Callisto muttered to the air, smirking to himself. His sweet, naive linle brother, who had once stolen Lorraine from him. Callisto still wondered why Lorraine hadn’t ended up with Cassian, and in some ways, he was grateful for it. But the thought lingered, gnawing at him. What if things had turned out differendy! Could he have accepted it? The answer was a resounding no.
When Callisto had first discovered that Lorraine had cheated on him with Cassian, his world had shattered. He didn’t know what to feel. Betrayal. anger, disbelief–it all hit him at once. He couldn’t believe it, not after everything they had been through. He and Cassian had always been close, as brothers should be, and Lorraine. Lorraine had never been the type of woman to fill for someone like Cassian. Or so he had thought
But now, looking back, Callisto realized that maybe it wasn’t so far–fetched Cassian had always had a secret crush on Lorraine, even when they were younger. It was something Callisto had noticed but never paid much attention to. He had assumed it was just a harmless infatuation. But perhaps it had been more than that. And perhaps, during one of Callisto’s many business trips, Cassian had taken advantage of Lorraine’s loneliness.
The possibility of what could have happened between Lorraine and Cassian gnawed at him, but Callisto couldn’t bring himself to blame Lorraine entirely. Maybe he hadn’t been the husband she needed at the time. He had been so focused on his work, so determined to climb the corporate ladder, that he had neglected Lorraine. And when he did come home, he was often exhausted, irritable, and short–tempered. It wouldn’t have been hard for Lorraine to seek comfort elsewhere, especially from someone as deceptively kind as Cassian
Then again, Callisto wasn’t exactly innocent either. He had cheated on Lorrame, too. Maybe it was out of revenge, maybe it was because his ego had
1/2
12:13 PM c &
Chapter 67
been brused, but he had let Amber into his life. He had allowed himself to be manipulated by her, knowing full well that she was just another one of Caroline’s pawni
It was all a vicious cycle–lies, betrayal, manipulation. And yet, here he was, still trying to make sense of it all.
After divorce he wants[/caption]
