Callie lowered her eyes and opened the envelope to find a stack of photos inside.
In the photos, Charlotte was dressed modestly and meeting with a teacher. Under the teacher’s guidance, she began learning how to paint.
Callie couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. It seemed what she said that day at the Ellison family had caught Charlotte’s attention. She was imitating everything about Callie, including the overlooked painting skills.
She desperately wanted the Ellison family’s trust.
“All we know is that she hired this teacher for a month without informing anyone.”
Callie heard this and put the photos back in place. “How did you find out?”
Joaquin looked a bit embarrassed and scratched his head. “It’s my area of expertise.”
Callie smirked. “You’ve learned quite a lot in over a year at Club Paradise.”
It was hard to imagine that Joaquin used to be so reckless, causing his family endless worry. Now, he seemed to have shed that rebellious streak. It appeared Bridger and Mollie had done a good job of guiding him.
“I’ve changed,” Joaquin said nervously as he saw her staring at him. “Callie, I used to be a mess, but I’ve really turned over a new leaf. I can take care of Dad and… you.”
It was rare to hear such words from him. Callie’s heart warmed, but then she sighed as she thought of something.
“I know, I’m happy for you.”
The waiter brought their coffee, and Callie stirred the latte art with her spoon absentmindedly. “I’ll need your help in the future. Just keep an eye on Charlotte.”
“Can I ask why?” Joaquin studied Callie. It had been a while since he last saw her, and he noticed that her face no longer held the innocence of yesterday but was filled with worry and determination.
Callie looked up, not planning to tell him the truth just yet. Her eyes twinkled as she said, “We’re rivals in love. Didn’t you know?”
Joaquin was taken aback. “So the gossip is true…”
Callie nodded along. “Yes, it’s true.”
“So you… still have feelings for Nelson?”
Her divorce had been a hot topic throughout Ylosea, but Joaquin hadn’t asked much about it since she was always so decisive. However, the photo scandal had left him worried, and he had even gotten into a fight defending her honor.
He had shouted then, “She’s not that kind of person!”
Callie’s eyes sparkled again. “You could say that.”
Joaquin seemed conflicted. “Actually… Nelson is great, but you can find someone better. You don’t need to take this risk.”
His clumsy attempt at comfort made Callie laugh at his naivety.
“Just keep an eye on her for now and let me know if anything happens. We’ll talk about it when I’ve moved on.”
Joaquin agreed, though confused, and then asked, “How’s Dad doing lately?”
He had been busy and hadn’t seen Reuben in a while.
This question made Callie’s back stiffen. Only a few people knew about Reuben’s disappearance…
“He’s fine, just like before,” Callie said carefully. Joaquin was too young and impulsive to know the truth.
“Oh, is he living with you now? I’ll find some time to visit him. He must be cursing me out for not seeing him,” Joaquin said casually, taking a sip of his coffee and grimacing at its bitterness.
“Well… you do have some self-awareness.” Callie instinctively tightened her grip on her clothes, trying to stay calm. “We’ll see. I’ll have someone keep an eye on Charlotte. She’ll have someone watching me too, so it’s not good if she sees us meeting.”
Her calm voice was convincing, and Joaquin didn’t realize anything was wrong or question why their meetings would be problematic.