How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie instinctively glanced at the person beside her.

Suddenly, a strong, warm body pressed against her back, his arms wrapping her in a loose embrace.

His masculine scent overwhelmed her senses, scattering her thoughts.

Startled, she turned her head.

Jarrod was awake, eyes sharp and clear. He reached over her shoulder and took the phone from her hand.

He glanced down at Elodie in his arms, his tone calm. "No."

A pang twisted in Elodie's chest.

She was supposed to be the wife here, so why did she feel like some secret lover, sneaking around to avoid being caught?

Her back was pressed firmly against Jarrod's solid chest, the heat between them rising.

A flush crept up Elodie's cheeks. She struggled to slip out of his embrace.

Jarrod seemed to realize just how compromising their position was. He was the first to pull away, putting some space between them. "I'll call you back later," he said into the phone.

Once he hung up, his gaze shifted to Elodie.

She sat up as well, smoothing her expression into composure. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was your phone."

Jarrod let out a quiet, humorless laugh and moved toward the bathroom. "Then I'd appreciate it if Mrs. Silverstein could avoid that mistake in the future."

Elodie pressed her lips together, understanding the unspoken warning.

He was worried Sylvie would get the wrong idea... or perhaps he suspected she'd done it on purpose?

Elodie frowned, knowing any explanation would sound hollow.

She gathered her clothes, preparing to get ready for the day.

Jarrod emerged just as she was about to pass him. Earlier, when he'd held her, he'd noticed how frail she felt, and now, without makeup, she looked even paler.

walked by, he suddenly asked, "Are

her

you want me to take you to see a

hit her then-he'd noticed

fine." Elodie refused, unwilling to let Jarrod

only give him another excuse to justify his

her

his tie. "If my grandmother

in that

grandmother, worried she'd complain about his lack

already returned from

couldn't bear to let her efforts go to waste, so she forced herself to drink some, even though

leave together?" his grandmother suggested. Jarrod

from earlier. "No, thank you, Grandma. I

a glance at Jarrod, who didn't

no intention of going

was heading off to meet

of being stranded on the roadside a few days ago was still fresh; she wasn't about

She left with Jarrod.

gone, she watched Jarrod's back as he spoke on the phone and said, "I'll be really busy from now on. I won't

things to his grandmother, being called back to this house again and again would make things awkward for

hoped Jarrod would handle

still

there was no need to hurt

Elodie getting into her

voice rang out in surprise. "What's this, Elodie threatening you

got a whole bag of tricks

replied flatly, "Doesn't matter

by her apartment to freshen up and pull herself together before heading to

meetings with Alexander. Their next project was finally taking shape, and

brought Elodie along as a technical consultant for

Solutions was a subsidiary of The Jett Group. It wasn't until she arrived that Elodie learned Ivan was

she entered the lobby, Elodie immediately noticed a group not

woman clung to a man's arm, chatting easily with the TerraGreen Solutions