How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 172

He paused, then added, "The view here is really stunning at night."

Elodie understood perfectly-this was the old woman's way of nudging them toward a romantic evening.

She glanced around instinctively.

Apart from the violinist in the corner, playing softly to set the mood, and the waitstaff moving in and out at the edges, the place was hardly private.

In fact, it was the kind of setting where prying eyes and loose lips came with the territory.

"I'm done eating. I'll head in first," Elodie said, rising from her seat. This wasn't the place to discuss the ring-not with the risk that anything they said could be twisted and reported straight back to Jarrod's grandmother by morning.

Jarrod didn't stop her. He took a cigarette from the pack, watching her with a quiet intensity. "It's still chilly out here. Go on in."

Not hesitating for a second, Elodie turned away.

She felt no attachment to this romantic scene, bought and paid for with money and little else.

The suite stretched out before her, easily several thousand square feet. A trail of rose petals led from the entrance all the way into the living room. She glanced toward the bedroom; even from here, she could see the bed was covered in more rose petals.

Soft lighting, bottles of expensive wine-every detail screamed Valentine's Day. Elodie didn't spare any of it a second look. None of it moved her.

for the couch, brushed the petals aside, and

of the suite, Jarrod's

her watch: just

she would settle things

him the divorce papers, she'd asked for nothing. But if he insisted on keeping the Thorne family ring, she would demand a revision-she'd have the clause

it meant

was prepared to fight for

thrown out, it would be a hassle for him-everything would have to start over

never tolerate such a waste of

only then noticing the dull

a familiar, unwelcome companion these past few weeks, but she'd grown used to ignoring it. Digging into her bag, she pulled out her iPad and opened the

reading when Jarrod came

legs carrying him across the room as he scrolled

at Elodie-she was frowning at her tablet, deep in

He didn't interrupt her.

end of the couch and sat down, leaving

world, as if the meticulously staged Valentine's

in her stomach grew