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.

he'd simply misunderstood —maybe old habits of

her, casually, as if it

Elodie breathless,

statement, she was told

eyes red from crying, and threw herself into Ivan's arms. She gently touched his split lip. "What happened?

draped an arm around her, slipping back into

shaken, looked around the room and spotted Joseph-also sporting a fresh bruise—and Elodie, sitting stiffly on a bench, her face

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

couldn't quite

people weren't close, it was rare for things to

looked up, her

she had no

to Joseph and, lips pressed tight, asked quietly,

composed. He cleared his throat.

nodded, hesitated, then murmured, "I'm

her fault. Ivan had only stepped

couldn't shake a lifetime of habit. Seeing her in trouble,

then shook his head. "It's not

figured it was only natural for Ivan, as her brother,

finished soothing Queenie, approached, hands in his pockets, voice rough with apology. "Mr. Delacroix, this was all a misunderstanding. Hope it's not a big deal. Let's grab dinner sometime-I owe you a proper apology." Joseph wasn't

Elodie dragged into

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, a

went bloodless. But she was too exhausted to

but found himself at a loss for

had seen how much Elodie had put up with

much she'd tolerated

her "pathetic" more

do you mean? Elodie, is your husband seeing

hide it? He