How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 519

Maurice shrugged, tilting his chin in the direction he wanted Grady to look. "Her husband hasn't said a word yet. Maybe you should hold your horses."

Grady froze, caught off guard.

He glanced instinctively over at Jarrod.

Color drained from his face, then returned in uneven waves of red and white. But he couldn't muster a retort.

Sylvie, meanwhile, still believed Elodie had shown up today just to play hard to get. After all, the past was the past-was it really worth nitpicking over old grudges?

In her mind, it was all about the deal not being sweet enough.

Hard to say, though.

Maybe Elodie's real goal was to get her out of Jarrod's orbit.

Sylvie frowned slightly, an ironic gleam in her eyes as she fixed her gaze on Elodie. "Ms. Thorne, don't be so quick to draw lines in the sand. If your offer isn't strong enough, add to it. If you're willing to negotiate, I can put a major secret on the table—something that involves the fast-track selection of national research talent. There's an opportunity to participate in top-tier government projects. I'd imagine you'd be very interested in a chance like that."

She figured an opportunity like this—if Charlie Sterling had offered it to Elodie— would seem unfair.

But Elodie probably hadn't even heard about it yet.

If she could bring it up before Charlie did and use it as leverage, it would be a smart move.

It was only then that Elodie looked directly at Sylvie.

explicit, Elodie instantly

Jarrod, who was standing not

met, and in that calm exchange, a silent

that moment,

program-the selection process for joining the sixth-generation

And Jarrod's sources...

almost

Sylvie actually participated and succeeded, it would be the ultimate reputation

now, with everything

early stages, Selma's charges hadn't been settled, and there was nothing

was using this as a

Sylvie watched her closely, already certain she'd

Elodie had been ambitious-publishing papers, taking over the

She couldn't possibly ignore bait like

be told, Sylvie herself had

selection process. Born in the country, she

UM

had taken

making things much easier for

for her

he'd done

she could win this competition, she'd earn a coveted spot on the research team's shortlist. As long as she stood out, she

recent scandals would