How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 133

Elodie barely had time to react. One hand pressed to her waist, she looked up in stunned confusion.

Joseph's lips were split and bleeding, his handsome face darkened with anger.

Across from them, Ivan's eyes flashed coldly, his sharp features twisted in a sneer. Without warning, he strode forward and grabbed Joseph by the collar. "What the hell are you doing with her? Do you have any idea who she is? Or do you just not care?"

Joseph had never been humiliated like this. He responded with a punch of his

own.

"Show some respect to me and Ms. Thorne!"

Ivan licked the blood from his own lip and laughed icily, lunging again.

Respect? After what he'd just seen?

Joseph's ears were burning red.

It looked like the two of them were about to come to blows. Elodie, pale, moved quickly between them. "Ivan! Stop it!"

Ivan paused, turning back to look at Elodie with a mocking smirk. "So, what, you're fine with this?"

He curled his lip, clicking his tongue. "You could've just said so. Elodie, you've got some nerve. Guess you don't mind sampling what's right under your nose. Aren't you worried your darling husband and his good buddy might swap notes about you behind closed doors..."

Elodie's face went sheet-white. Her jaw trembled with shock-it was almost impossible to believe Ivan would say something so vile.

Crack!

Joseph landed another punch. "Mr. Harcourt, don't you dare insult her like that." Ivan, now noticeably hurting, scowled and seemed ready to explode-

But then the wail of police sirens cut through the tension.

Sitting in the police station, Elodie's head throbbed. She looked even colder than usual, her expression stony.

—maybe old habits of brotherly protectiveness had kicked in.

humiliated her, casually, as if

left Elodie breathless, and

statement, she was told someone

soon rushed in, eyes red from crying, and threw herself into Ivan's arms. She gently touched his split

draped an arm around her, slipping back into his usual

Joseph-also sporting a fresh bruise—and Elodie, sitting stiffly on a

tears again. "Elodie, you're here too? Why didn't you stop your

but couldn't

people weren't close, it

up, her

no patience left

over to Joseph and, lips pressed tight, asked quietly, "Did you

still seemed composed. He cleared his throat. "Yeah.

nodded, hesitated, then

matter what, this was partly her fault. Ivan had only

were tense between her and Ivan lately, she couldn't shake a lifetime of habit. Seeing her in trouble, Ivan had acted on instinct, not malice. Now, though, things were

met her gaze, then shook his head. "It's not your

was only natural for Ivan, as her brother, to be overly

sometime-I owe you a proper apology." Joseph wasn't one to hold grudges. In business, it was always wise to leave things on good terms. "As long as it's cleared up, that's fine. Mr. Harcourt just

Elodie dragged

Elodie's loyal to her husband to the core. She'd probably help serve drinks to his mistress after a long night. Guess I was worried

insult,

lips went bloodless. But she was

to protest, but found himself at

and everyone else, had seen how much Elodie had put up with over

how much she'd tolerated from

had even called her "pathetic"

do you mean? Elodie, is your husband seeing

added, "He doesn't even bother to hide it? He must not care about you at all. No