How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 552

The cramped elevator made Jarrod's voice ring out with startling clarity.

Elodie lifted her lashes, catching his gaze in the mirrored panel. The question had come out of nowhere.

She hesitated for a moment before meeting his eyes. "That night on the cruise... did you know I'd been drinking?"

Jarrod glanced at the fading red rash on her wrist, his tone calm. "Do you want me to say I knew, or that I didn't?"

That answer.

Hearing it, Elodie felt an old suspicion flare up in her chest, one she'd tried hard to push down.

The air between them turned delicate again, even though neither of them said another word.

Ding-

The elevator reached the ground floor.

Jarrod finally moved, stepping forward to stand beside her. He lowered his eyes, giving her a brief look. "Your allergy still hasn't cleared up. Remember to keep using the ointment."

With that, the doors slid open. He left without another word.

Elodie watched his retreating figure for a moment before stepping out herself, her expression carefully blank, as if nothing at all had just happened.

Some things, she realized, suddenly made sense. Others, they both pretended had never occurred.

headed back to her apartment to keep coding. After running into Jarrod, she didn't allow herself to dwell on it.

go. The code as essential-if she

skills and the kind of focus you can

The next morning,

to take

it was a public

line at the ticket scan was packed-no

knew who else had

surprised when she spotted Watts Aldridge across

and strode over. "Surprised to see

Elodie

into a broad smile. “See, keeping it a secret was worth it just to see your face right

a little, lowering

"Honestly, besides wanting to compete with you, there was another reason I joined. I'm curious if the developer of U.N2 might show up. This sort of competition

Elodie's eyes flickered. "Maybe."

for a moment, then quietly

paused, looking up at

asleep, so I didn't want to disturb you. You

After chasing her down, he'd peeked in to find her sound

Elodie hadn't noticed there was something

softened.

that when Watts came in,