How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Sylvie stepped out of Jarrod's office, and the other assistants from the secretary's team hurried over, one respectfully taking her bag. "Ms. Fielding, Mr. Silverstein is waiting for you in the dining room for lunch. He asked us to bring you over as soon as you're rested."

"This is the coffee Mr. Silverstein prepared for you, so you can enjoy it on the way."

Sylvie's gentle face wore only the faintest smile as she accepted the attention with practiced grace. She radiated calm confidence-a woman who belonged exactly where she stood, with everyone around her treating her as the boss's future wife.

Elodie couldn't help but be surprised. Jarrod's office was a fortress of confidential documents, strictly off-limits to almost everyone. Yet for Sylvie, it had become a private lounge, every detail arranged for her comfort. Elodie thought of how, in three years of living together, she'd never even been allowed into his study at home.

Love or indifference-was there ever really any need to keep questioning it?

"Ms. Thorne, could you please step aside?" Keith, Jarrod's assistant, sounded annoyed as he pointed out Elodie was blocking Sylvie's way.

Elodie pressed her lips together. Even though she'd long stopped caring, this blatant double standard still stung-a reminder of how invisible she'd been, how much she'd given for nothing.

She lowered her head and stepped away, turning to Keith. "If Jarrod has a free moment, could you remind him to approve my res-"

"Jarrod?"

Elodie for the first time when she heard his

thoughtful. "Is

was, but maybe not that she worked for

"Yes, she's Ms. Thorne from

away, her tone flat. "That explains

handle her reputation crisis. It

"Seems like The Silverstein Group is

wasn't even really addressing

already in the elevator, not giving the matter another

forgotten proper office conduct? This isn't some mom-and-pop shop-stop using Mr. Silverstein's first name. Are you trying to give other staff the wrong idea about

on, address him as Mr. Silverstein. Unless you're actually trying

to Jarrod, so much so that even her

just

would expose anything between them. Why should she? That was the confidence of someone who was