How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 180

Maurice was genuinely surprised.

Elodie was being all businesslike?

Cold, detached, as if they were discussing a merger and not the end of a

marriage.

But that veneer cracked in an instant.

A faint crease appeared between Elodie's brows as she scanned the rest of the agreement. Whatever charitable assumptions she'd made about Jarrod's intentions vanished without a trace.

She'd found the other two conditions.

The first: for one year, she was forbidden from telling Henrietta the truth about the divorce.

The second: unless Jarrod gave explicit permission, she was not allowed to reveal to anyone that they'd been married for three years, nor was she allowed to disclose the exact date of their divorce.

If she broke the terms, Jarrod had the right to defend his reputation and reclaim the house, the shops, the financial settlement-everything he'd promised her. And if she breached the agreement, he could demand "reasonable compensation." The definition of "reasonable" would be up to Jarrod.

Elodie's fingers curled slowly into a fist. She looked up at him across the table.

does this mean?" Her voice was

part don't you understand? Albin can

can't we tell your grandmother

Jarrod replied, his

slow breath. "And

just a hint of a smirk. "It's exactly what

almost laughed. She knew perfectly well what that clause

of their divorce to protect himself. This was all for Sylvie to

Sylvie had come into the picture, no one could accuse

bending over backward to keep

"And if I

ring goes back to its rightful owner." Jarrod set a

box. She recognized it instantly-the Thorne family

would

Baxter here, to negotiate the return of the ring, had been

first time, she wondered if Jarrod had bought the ring for Sylvie at the charity gala simply out of kindness or if he'd

measure of her freedom. The other condition was even more insidious-a silent pressure, forcing her, the discarded wife, to protect the reputation of

she understood. The generous terms Jarrod had offered weren't out of fairness-they

really, it was all about

gleaming with mischief. "Go on, sign it." He was clearly enjoying the drama, convinced that Elodie was only making trouble to get Jarrod's attention. He wanted

satisfied, you don't have to sign today. I can negotiate with