A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

"Enough!" Horatio snapped, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. "If you don't want to help, no one's forcing you. You don't need to go on and on with your explanations."

"Horatio," Calliope replied with a smirk, "don't flatter yourself. I'm not explaining for your sake."

"Oh, by the way," she added, her eyes glinting with something unreadable. "Aren't you curious about who can really heal your legs?"

Horatio froze at her words.

"In this world, other than the Miracle Doctor, there's no one else who can cure you," she continued, a hint of triumph in her voice. "And there's a secret you don't know. Aren't you at all curious why Lisette could once heal you, but now you need the Miracle Doctor? Haven't you ever wondered about that?"

"Was it really Lisette who healed your legs while you were unconscious?" Calliope pressed on. "Even the best doctors around the globe couldn't help you, yet Lisette managed to? If Lisette is so talented, why isn't she a renowned surgeon herself?"noveldrama

Calliope's words were sharp, cutting through Horatio's skepticism like a hot knife through butter.

Meanwhile, Lisette's face had turned as pale as a ghost. "What did Calliope know? Did she realize that it wasn't actually me who had treated Horatio's legs? This lunatic, could this reunion turn into her stage to reveal everything, and humiliate me?"

"Calliope, what exactly are you trying to say?" Horatio asked, his voice steady, but the uncertainty was clear in his eyes.

"Patience, Horatio," Calliope said with a coy smile. "We'll get to the part you're curious about."

"Oh, and aren't you all curious why I've never liked Lisette?" she continued, her tone turning more mischievous. "Well then, let me show you something."

She tapped her phone, and the screen flickered to life with a new video.

The footage showed two little girls. One looked every bit the little princess, while the other seemed to lack that regal aura.

Near a swing set, one of the girls was happily swinging away. There was another swing nearby, but the other girl seemed determined to have this one. With a sudden shove, she pushed the girl off the swing.

The fallen girl began to cry, and the other girl immediately joined in, crouching

down and wailing louder.

A moment later, a group of brothers. rushed into the scene. Before the girl on the ground could say a word, the other one spoke up through her sobs.

UA

"I'm sorry, Sister. This is your swing. I shouldn't have played on it," she

cried, then ran off, leaving the net

20

bewildered girl to face the wrath of her brothers.

The video ended, only to be replaced by another clip featuring the same two girls.

This time, one girl was holding a stuffed bunny. She noticed the other girl's

envious gaze and offered the toy to her.

"Lisette, do you want to play with it too? We can play together."

The other girl burst into tears, catching the first girl off guard.

Minutes later, the brothers appeared again, this time scolding the girl with the

bunny without asking what had happened.

"Calliope, why are you bullying Lisette again?"

"Lisette, are you okay?"

"Lisette, what happened?"

"I'm fine," she sobbed, wiping her tears. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have touched my

sister's bunny. I'm only adopted, after all."

The scene faded, leaving behind a room thick with tension and unspoken accusations.