How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

4:00 PM.

Outside, the sky hung heavy and gray, and a sharp wind rattled the windowpanes.

Elodie's phone buzzed again—it was her grandmother calling.

"Gran, is everything alright?"

Rosemary hardly ever called her during work hours, not unless something urgent had come up.

There was a pause on the other end before Rosemary finally said, "Elodie, remember I mentioned selling the house a while ago? You wouldn't let me, so instead, I've put your mother's old, closed-down art gallery on the market. It's just sitting there collecting dust, and I thought it'd be better to get you some cash for it..."

She felt Elodie ought to know.

Life in the Silverstein family hadn't been easy for Elodie. Rosemary couldn't bear to see her only granddaughter looked down on, and she was certain Elodie's mother would have agreed.

Elodie's expression shifted.

So that call earlier-it was real.

"Gran, you don't need to worry about whether I have enough money. I'm working now, and my yearly bonus will be more than enough. There's no need to sell the gallery."

She knew her grandmother meant well—she simply feared Elodie would have no standing in the Silverstein family and wanted to give her something solid to hold onto.

Rosemary hesitated, then pressed on, "But the buyer's really interested and offered a good price. Maybe you could at least go take a look?"

brow. "Alright,

sighed, saying

looking so worn down. She feared Elodie was suffering in her marriage, and since Elodie wouldn't let her sell the house, she'd decided to sell the gallery instead to give Elodie a little security. After all, you can't take

things, called back the buyer, got the address, and headed

greeted her, wearing a broad, practiced smile. "Ms. Thorne, the buyer is quite wealthy. You'll get well above market value for this deal. You're

Elodie didn't respond.

led into the meeting

she caught sight of the people inside, her

her fists

glanced over at her, unhurried, his gaze cool. "Got time

suddenly she

Sylvie and Maurice, who

entered; Sylvie seemed unsurprised, but Maurice raised an

a slow, steadying breath and walked over. "You're the ones looking to

head. "Not me. It's

brought back dozens of paintings from abroad, and needed

buying a gallery was

was surprised to discover the

went even paler, cold

this coming

legs crossed. "My mother really likes the gallery's

her lips into a thin line, eyes fixed straight