How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 439

"Ms. Thorne, take a look at this set of test flight data." Galen slid out of his seat, making room for Elodie.

She walked over, scanning the screen with practiced eyes.

Before long, a stream of voices reporting in drifted from the side.

Elodie turned her head and caught sight of a group approaching from across the

room.

At the front was Watts-impossible to miss, tall and long-legged, towering over a cluster of executives in sharp suits, most of them older than he was. They were running through updates, speaking in clipped, efficient tones.

Watts listened intently, all traces of his usual laid-back demeanor gone, his face now set in a cool, businesslike focus.

Every so often, he'd interject with a question or a brief comment.

Elodie realized it was the first time she'd ever seen him in full-on work mode.

It surprised her.

His eyes found hers with unerring precision, and the instant he recognized her, his expression melted into a smile. He turned to the people beside him and said, "You

over, covering the distance

you get back?"

controller. She thought for a

conference?" Watts stopped at her side, looking

a lot,"

in his eyes. "You must be exceptional, then. Conferences at that level—if I went, I can't say I'd

government seminar, he'd noticed the quality of Elodie's notes and

didn't make a show of her abilities, but her competence was

P.n

Cambridge doctorate at his age had no business

nodded at

back, "Just checking

it a try?"

him

played around with all sorts of drones. Even went and got my operator's

met people like him before the kind who picked up new skills with almost irritating

got a real knack for this,"

The only reason I can do all this is because I had