A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

After asking around for a good while, Uriah found out that Silas didn't have a clue about what Yara had planned to challenge Calliope.

Uriah: [Aren't you worried?]

Silas: [I trust Callie.]

Uriah: [But what if she backs out? What if she decides she doesn't want you anymore? What then?]

Silas: [She won't!]

Uriah: [You know what they say, 'When the going gets tough, even lovebirds fly apart.']

Silas: [You can be apart with Mavis if you want, but we're not going anywhere.]

Calliope was quite curious about what challenge Yara had for her. As the final hurdle, it promised to be serious and troublesome. So naturally, her curiosity was piqued.

"So, what's the deal this time?" Calliope asked.

"See over there?" Yara gestured ahead. "I have a pond full of hungry alligators over there."

"I've set up three challenges for you. First, spend fifteen minutes in the alligator pond. Second, stay in that tiger cage over there for twenty minutes. Third, take down those guys!"

"Of course, if you chicken out during the first challenge, you can admit defeat. And the price of admitting defeat is that I won't return Silas to you."

Calliope just stared, speechless.

"That's it?" she finally said.

"What did you say?" Yara blinked, doubting her ears.

The crowd around them was equally stunned. They were about to comment on how ruthless Yara was, making someone stay fifteen minutes in a pond full of hungry alligators. Those creatures looked terrifying. Everything Yara kept was pretty darn intimidating.

"I said that's it. Why would I give up? I like animals," Calliope said with a serious face.

Yara was at a loss for words.noveldrama

n't cute little animals.

"Those aren't

Those are man-eating alligators,"

Uriah earnestly explained to Calliope, thinking she probably didn't

al.ne

understand the difference between cute animals and dangerous beasts.

"They're still kind of cute." Calliope looked at the alligators whose heads were poking out of the water. It was

evident they were hungry, their eyes practically glowing with hunger.

Who knows how long it had been since Yara last fed them?

~

།

"Since you say so, I won't hold back," Yara said "I don't want any fatalities, so if you want to stop once you're down there, just shout for me, and I'll immediately drive the alligators away and get you out."

"Okay," Calliope replied nonchalantly.

She was still wearing an elegant evening gown, and the night breeze was a bit

chilly.

A guy stepped forward, undressed his jacket, and offered it to Calliope. "Ms. Jewell, here, take this."

Calliope turned to look at him. He had thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and smooth skin-a sunny disposition, though she didn't recognize him.

"I'm an acquaintance of Mr. Myers," the guy explained.

"Thanks," Calliope said, accepting the jacket and draping it over her shoulders.

"Are you sure you are going to try this? It's too dangerous. Even if you don't rescue Silas, he could probably get out on his own!"

Uriah warned Calliope.

"It's not the same," Calliope replied. "Besides, it won't be dangerous. I'll have a friendly chat with them."

While Calliope seemed calm, the people around her were decidedly not.

"This isn't going to end in disaster, is it?"

"Maybe we should skip this one, Ms. Xander. Find something else to do!"

"This is a bit too extreme!"