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.

tolerate the slightest mistake. "Oh, so it's just a misunderstanding,"

burned her hand a little. I wanted the doctor to have a look at it," Jarrod

looked at Sylvie's hand. It was

yet Jarrod had made a

right in front of him, he

did the

hang yourself, they'll think you're just playing on a

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

Elodie, and though her expression remained gentle throughout, there was a

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

away, Jarrod finally gave her a

thinner

suit jacket she was wearing hung loosely on her frame, making her look frail and

seek out conversation the way she used to her voice gentle, always trying to find some topic to

seemed

her a little

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

"Elodie is no longer an employee of the Silverstein

surprised and

used to tell him everything, big or small. He

at her temporary hospital bed, Elodie

of warm water. "I'll drive you home after

was more than happy to leave the hospital; she had a hunch she'd be seeing a lot more

Alex. I appreciate

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