Chapter 8
This line was only for Butler. Butler, all formal, said, "Sylvester, Jack's here. Probably wants to chat about the marriage with John. Wanna check it out?"
"Not my problem!"
He slammed the phone down and went back to sleep.
In the living room, Jack sat there, all careful-like, sipped his coffee, and waited for John to show up.
Calliope was a real pain. He had no choice but to come and talk to John himself. If he didn't play by Calliope's rules and she spilled the beans, the Gray family would be toast!
Meanwhile, Jack was cursing Calliope in his head for being such a pain. No wonder she was the daughter of a hooker; she was a total embarrassment!
After a bit, John walked into the living room. Jack jumped up and greeted him all respectfully, "Mr. Moore, finally!"
John, looking all serious, sat on the sofa. Jack, feeling awkward, sat back down. He knew John wouldn't be in a good mood.
"When did you get another daughter? With this mess, how are you gonna fix it? Waiting for everyone to laugh at the Moore family?"
John's voice was calm but had that boss vibe.
Jack started sweating. If he pissed off John and he called off the marriage and didn't invest in River Corporation, it would be a disaster!
"Mr. Moore, how about my younger daughter marrying Sylvester? She's been studying abroad, has great grades, and a sweet personality. Plus, I think Sylvester likes our Calliope..."
Before Jack could finish, John sneered, "Jack, what do you take me for? I want Vivian! Vivian!"
The Moore family had checked out Vivian. Her education, looks, personality, and social skills were all considered, and she barely matched Sylvester. That's why they picked Vivian.
Jack was panicking, unknown what to do.
Just then, Sylvester strolled in, wearing black silk pajamas, holding a glass of water, and casually asked, "What's her name?"
Jack was momentarily confused. Was Sylvester asking him?
Sylvester, looking annoyed, said again, "The one who slept with me."
"It's my younger daughter, Calliope!"
Jack suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. Could it be that Sylvester was interested in Calliope? After all, she had slept with him, so he should be interested, right? Sylvester was also a looker.
Calliope?
"Her, then."
Sylvester's tone was like he was picking veggies at a market, and to him, those women were no different from veggies, maybe even less.
John couldn't help but ask, "Do you like her?"
Sylvester's lips curled into a roguish smile. The Moore family wanted Vivian to marry in, but he deliberately wanted to go against John.
He had no interest in the Gray family's women, but if he had to choose one, he would deliberately not choose Vivian!
Yep, messing with his dad was his current joy in life.
"Sylvester, thank you for your generosity! It's a pity Vivian doesn't have this luck. However, Calliope has a gentle personality and is very beautiful. She will definitely please Sylvester!"
Gentle personality? Sylvester's lips curled into a playful smile. Back in the hallway, Calliope's behavior was like a proud and unruly wildcat.
But that suited his taste. If she were a gentle lady, he would find it boring. If it were Calliope, his married life shouldn't be too dull.
Seeing Sylvester's reaction, Jack felt relieved. The matter was finally resolved. Calliope was quite capable, managing to make Sylvester like her. Good, good.
But how the heck was he gonna bring up the secret marriage? How could he get the Moore family to agree to it?
But then, like a miracle, Jack felt like even the universe was on his side!
"In that case, let's keep it on the down-low," John suddenly said, and Jack's eyes nearly popped out of his head, thinking he was hearing things.
Sylvester didn't even flinch. He just bent down, grabbed a grape from the fruit bowl, popped it in his mouth, and walked off, treating John like he was invisible. Ever since two years ago, he hadn't given a damn about his dad.
Jack thought, 'Yeah, the rumors are true; their relationship is trash.' But he was more focused on the secret marriage.
"Mr. John Moore, are you for real? You really want them to keep it hush-hush?"
Jack looked at John, totally shocked, needing to hear it again.
For John, the whole situation was a mess, and everyone was waiting to laugh at the Moore family next month. Marrying anyone would be a joke, so he might as well cancel the wedding.
John shot Jack a cold look, "What? Not up for it? If you're not, get lost! My son doesn't need to marry a Gray girl!"
"Yes! Yes! Whatever you say! Whatever you say!"
Jack was over the moon. Why wouldn't he be? This was exactly what he wanted!
Finally, it was settled. Jack let out a sigh of relief. Vivian didn't have to marry into the Moore family, and his wish was finally granted!
The next day, the Moore family started making moves, shutting down the media's nonstop reports and online gossip. They also put out a statement saying the wedding on the 28th of next month was off for now. Sylvester needed some time to chill and sort out his feelings.
Basically, they announced that Sylvester's marriage was still up in the air. He wasn't marrying Vivian, nor was he marrying the Gray family's surprise daughter, Calliope. This whole drama ended just like that, whether people liked it or not.
Seeing the Moore family's announcement, Calliope let out a sigh of relief. This was good; David wouldn't find out about her marriage.
She wanted to pack some stuff but realized there wasn't much to pack.
She walked out of her room and saw Rose putting on makeup, getting ready for work. Calliope said casually, "I'm heading out for a few days."
Rose didn't even look up and said, "Go wherever you want!"
If Calliope hadn't paid back that eighty grand, Rose would've probably cursed her out. She was used to cursing, and not doing it for a day felt weird.
As the sky outside got darker, Calliope walked out like she was just going to buy something, but when she stepped out of the grimy alley, a luxury car was waiting for her.
A bunch of residents couldn't help but stare. A car like that was rare in this working-class hood.
Under the envious eyes of the onlookers, Calliope got into the car. Even though it was her first time in such a fancy ride, she felt no joy or excitement.
Calliope didn't expect the Moore family to actually agree to a secret marriage and even let her move in right away. She thought they'd never go for it, so she wouldn't have to marry into the Moore family.
But now that it was happening, she had nothing to fear. Whatever came her way, she'd face it head-on.
Calliope looked out the window, her eyes full of determination. The scenes of the working-class neighborhood slowly faded away, hinting that her life there was becoming a thing of the past.