How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 444

The sharp voice sliced cleanly through the tension that had just filled the room, bringing the simmering confrontation to an abrupt halt.

All those accusatory, judgmental, and disdainful stares that had been pinned on Elodie suddenly shifted toward the back of the room.

Even Sylvie and her group turned their heads to look.

When Sylvie caught sight of Henrietta standing tall and composed, her expression changed in an instant.

Maurice's faint smile vanished, replaced by a look of seriousness so swift it was almost jarring.

He even felt a sudden chill prickle across his scalp.

In that moment, Joseph realized exactly how this was about to play out. He pressed his lips together and glanced at Elodie.

"Henrietta?" Grady recognized the old woman-he'd met her a few years back. Now, seeing her arrive, he stood a little straighter, respect rising in his eyes. His grandfather had always spoken of Henrietta with reverence, telling stories of how she'd once been a force to be reckoned with the eldest daughter of a powerful family, shrewd and capable in equal measure.

After marrying Jarrod's grandfather, she had stood beside him as they built an empire together.

But now...

What exactly did she mean with those words just now?

Clearly, with all the unspoken relationships and tangled history in the air, everyone

was a little lost, second-guessing if they'd misheard something.

From the moment Elodie heard Henrietta's voice, her heart skipped a beat.

fingers unconsciously, knowing-deep down-that something irreversible was about to

forward, her expression severe and imposing. Even without a word,

narrowed slightly as he spoke first. "Grandmother, I thought you'd

such upright dignity that no one could ignore her presence. "If I'd left, would I have been able

steely gaze swept over Sylvie, cold and appraising from head to

time she'd seen Ms.

and Henrietta's eyes fixed on her, she pressed her lips together and managed

she was still upset about Elodie and Jarrod being seen together. Trying to smooth things over, he said, "Mrs. Silverstein, I don't think any of this is Mr. Silverstein's fault. We all know what kind of person Elodie is-she must've come here deliberately to mislead everyone. There's no way anything inappropriate happened between them, so please

words, Sylvie's face

furrowed his brow, still

to process Henrietta's earlier

with his. longstanding assumptions about

5

Grady a subtle tug and whispered, "Mr.

not go down that road

just pouring

presence press down even harder.

to her, exactly, to

was caught off

and the others

Henrietta address her so

who

"Ms. Fielding, since I'm here tonight, why don't you tell everyone-what exactly are you doing here? Are you proposing? To whom? And

line. Her chest tightened with nerves. "I'm

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