How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 435

He had someone lead Elodie and Alexander over to one of the tables.

Meanwhile, Jarrod and Sylvie lingered, chatting a bit longer with Steene.

Alexander poured Elodie a glass of juice. "You two never actually had a wedding, did you?"

Elodie wrapped her hands around the chilled glass. "No, we didn't."

Her marriage to Jarrod had been one of necessity, a secret rushed through under the pressure of his family. Back then, Jarrod had been coldly decisive, keeping the press at bay and never letting a word about her slip out. Their shameful beginning had never seen the light of day, and during the three years she'd been Mrs. Silverstein, she'd felt as invisible as a ghost.

They'd only gotten the paperwork done in a hurry under his grandmother's insistence.

Jarrod never once mentioned making up for it with a proper ceremony.

She understood. The marriage had started off wrong; it made sense he wouldn't want a celebration.

But Alexander couldn't help but think Elodie had been hurt the most by the whole ordeal. In the end, she'd borne it all alone—the blame, the rumors, the isolation- her strength was all she had to cling to.

"He really believes you didn't set him up?" Alexander asked quietly. He knew a bit about what had happened-Esmeralda had confided in him once, unable to keep it to herself.

her head.

a difference-especially when Malcom Harcourt had been the one pulling the strings. Right or wrong, she would always

what Elodie had been through. Just then, Jarrod and

to arrive one after another, and the conversation faded

from whatever she and Jarrod had just talked about, her eyes shining with happiness.

lively, laughter drifting across the open lawn.

Watching the bride's radiant smile, she felt a flicker of empathy, as if she could almost share in that

it was time for

the crowd out on the grass, not wanting to spoil the fun. As she made her way toward the group, her phone rang. It was Galen-he only called her if there was a technical emergency. Elodie answered

run into a snag that needed her

tried to slip away from the crowd, but someone pulled her back,

mind switching gears as she replied quickly

Elodie sensed something flying toward her-probably the bouquet. Still on the phone,

that exact moment, another hand shot out, colliding

caught the bouquet, a broad palm closed gently over her hand, fitting around hers as if they'd

had happened. She turned and

the next moment, his eyes flicked away from