Chapter 64

Conrad's brows drew together instantly. Calliope wasn't even looking at him, just staring off at the dark silhouettes of the trees, her voice barely a whisper: "When I was a kid, my dad was amazing. He used to carry me on his shoulders to concerts, and whenever I got first place, he'd sneak me the newest plushies." "But at some point... he changed." "He started favoring others, acted like I was being difficult whenever I asked for something, even..." She trailed off. Didn't finish. Sometimes she even wondered if she was really his daughter at all. Maybe it was Angelina who was. The man beside her was quiet for a long time before finally saying, "My father never liked me." Calliope's self-pity instantly vanished. She turned to him, raised her hand with a playful look. "Well, we're really in the same boat, huh? Wanna shake on it?" Conrad lowered his eyes to look at her hand - slender and pale, stretched out right in front of him. He took it. His hand was broad, slightly calloused, and su