How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod's gaze was utterly indifferent. He could see how exhausted and sickly she looked, but there wasn't the slightest bit of concern in his eyes.

They'd been married for three years, sharing the same house, the same routines, day in and day out.

Even a pair of stray cats or dogs, thrown together for three years, would have developed more of a bond than this.

But for Jarrod, the only thing that ever seemed to matter was Sylvie.

Whether Elodie lived or died didn't seem to make any difference to him. Elodie's eyes flickered, landing for a moment on Sylvie's stomach.

She quickly pulled away from Ivan's hand as he tried to ruffle her hair.

Ivan had spotted Jarrod and his group. Glancing at Elodie, he greeted them, "Mr. Silverstein, not feeling well today?"

Jarrod nodded with his usual poise, "I brought Sylvie in for a checkup."

Ivan, remembering some gossip he'd just overheard, raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Good news, then? I heard it was a prenatal appointment?"

Sylvie arched a brow, exchanging a glance with Jarrod before giving a small, knowing smile.

Jarrod's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Careful what you say, Mr. Harcourt. Rumors like that aren't good for Sylvie."

Elodie sat quietly, staring at the back of her own swollen hand, puffy from IV fluids.

Jarrod had grown up with a classic British elite education-elegant, polished, always the perfect gentleman. Even if he was cold at heart, on the surface he never slipped up. It was all for show, never for anyone's sake but his own.

Except, of course, when it came to Sylvie.

attentive-he wouldn't tolerate the slightest mistake. "Oh, so it's just a misunderstanding," Ivan said, realization

Sylvie burned her hand a little. I wanted the doctor

Elodie looked at Sylvie's hand. It was slender, pale, and almost

call it an "injury," it was barely a scratch, yet Jarrod had made a big show of bringing her in to see a

fainted right in

the saying

love you, even if you hang yourself, they'll think you're

a graceful nod. "I'll go find the doctor. You

hadn't said a word to Elodie, and though her expression remained gentle throughout, there was a quiet disdain

with Jarrod and Ivan either. She stood up, murmured, "I'll let you two talk," and excused

finally

looked thinner than

loosely on

conversation the way she used to her voice gentle,

seemed so

her a

you're so wrapped up in Ms. Fielding these days that I have to keep an eye on Elodie for you. She's running a fever-how

longer an employee of the Silverstein Group. Didn't

genuinely surprised and hesitated for

tell him everything, big or small. He supposed she

at her temporary hospital bed, Elodie searched for

warm water. "I'll drive you home

be seeing a lot more of this place in the future,

Alex. I

looked her up and down, then gave a short laugh. "Let's be honest, I'm more reliable than