How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 282

The engagement party was still going strong.

It was a thoroughly Western affair, complete with lively games designed to keep the energy high and the guests entertained.

Throughout it all, Ivan never once came over to greet Elodie.

This was their first time seeing each other since that unpleasant argument—and now, suddenly, he was throwing an engagement party.

After more than a decade of shared family ties, Elodie had chosen to end things with dignity. In the adult world, things were rarely black and white; sometimes, distance grew quietly and without warning.

Her reasons for showing up were twofold: partly for Elias's sake, and partly to make sure Ivan wouldn't cause a scene at VistaLink Technologies. She also wanted to make it clear-Ivan was nothing more than a relative who had once treated her kindly. She'd already decided to cut ties.

Whether she minded or had let go simply didn't matter anymore.

She knew that, after tonight, Ivan would finally understand.

To her, she was just another guest-no different from the rest.

A crowd was gathering nearby.

technical message. She looked down to reply, missing out on the

up, she realized the focus had shifted

Ivan how he

replied casually, "Queenie is an incredible woman. When I hit rock bottom, she was the only one who stood by me, never wavering. Most people in this world, you just can't count on. But women like her? They're rare. She's done so much for me, I figured I owed her some honesty-I needed

heart, you'll end up in the same place yourself." As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully in Elodie's

Queenie blushed furiously.

crowd wanted to

toward Elodie in the corner. "Hey, we're keeping things light tonight. No need to grill us—what I really want to

people lit up

turned to

Then to Sylvie.

before Jarrod could, "Come on, don't

kept his silence, probably

and snorted, "A picture-perfect couple if I ever

mentioning Sylvie by name, but Sylvie had claimed it instantly. It wasn't as if anyone didn't know she was always by Jarrod's

even lift her eyes. She had no

then, someone suggested playing another round of