How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 125

Elodie stared at Joseph, surprised, while he seemed just as taken aback by their brief touch. For a moment, neither seemed to know quite what to say.

She instinctively drew back her hand, taking her notebook with her, and her gaze turned frosty and distant. "Thank you," she said curtly.

Joseph pressed his lips together, unable to ignore her coldness and the way she treated him like someone to be avoided at all costs. "Well, what a coincidence," he managed, trying to sound casual. "Didn't expect to see you at the defense expo."

Elodie tucked her notebook away and nodded. "Yeah. I came with Alex."

"Alex...?" There was a subtle shift in Joseph's expression, a flicker of something darker. She called Alexander by his first name-so familiar?

Elodie didn't notice his reaction. "See you later," she said, giving a polite nod before heading off to catch up with Alexander.

Joseph watched her retreat, lost in thought.

Across the parking lot, Sylvie had witnessed the whole exchange. She'd seen Joseph help Elodie pick up her things, and for a second, it looked like Elodie had even held his hand.

She frowned. Was she just reading too much into it?

having just stepped out

to the moment, glanced at Grady, then nodded a greeting at Naylor. "It's nothing. Just ran into

research complex was strictly sectioned off-entry was reserved for top government scientists and, on rare occasions like

clearance.

had managed to get in. Sylvie

was it?" Grady asked,

to Joseph. "Mr. Delacroix, you look deep in

Joseph,

off the attention. "Nothing. We should

moving closer to Joseph and

chilly demeanor-she hadn't wanted a

bridge of his nose. "We don't really talk.

It made sense. Joseph had never thought much of Elodie; there was no way he'd go out of

a man in his mid-thirties— Patrick, one of the senior doctoral students at the institute and now a leading figure in aerospace engineering. Elodie had worked with

on good

it's been? After you left, the professor took out all his