How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

When he finally asked that question, Jarrod knew he was laying it all on the line. He was done with this dance of second-guessing Elodie's thoughts, tired of the endless guessing games between them.

If it were anyone else, maybe he wouldn't care so much. But with Ivan-after everything Ivan had done-Jarrod simply couldn't take that step back.

The abrupt fallout between Ivan and Queenie had already set him on edge, making him jumpy, suspicious of everything.

Even though Elodie had, right in front of him, drawn a clear line with Ivan and made it clear she had no feelings for the man, Jarrod couldn't shake his anxiety. After all, Ivan had been a hidden threat for years. It was impossible for Jarrod to face the situation with perfect calm.

Elodie, on the other hand, had never expected to see Jarrod like this. It was as if his carefully polished exterior had been ripped away, exposing a vulnerability she'd never imagined.

Especially now, with his hand wrapped firmly around her wrist, pressing her back against the glass behind them in a way that made escape impossible.

"Let me go first," she said, trying to twist free of his grip, refusing to meet the flicker of emotion in his eyes.

"I need an answer from you," Jarrod said, his gaze unwavering, not giving in this time.

Elodie met his eyes with cool composure. The question itself was easy-she didn't even need to think about it. Ivan had long since been written out of her plans for the future. After marrying Jarrod, she'd come to understand what Ivan truly meant to her; he'd become just another relative, important maybe, but nothing more.

Back when Ivan had been released from prison, she'd been in pieces, barely holding things together for the Thorne family, which needed her support. With so few people left she could call family, Ivan's return had felt like a big deal.

it obvious he wanted

what Jarrod

"I..."

are

the door cut

wrist, the two of them locked in a tense standoff. There was no trace of tenderness, only

It looked... weird.

over, yanking Elodie out of Jarrod's grasp, glaring at him defensively.

interruption only made things

girl was even more clueless than she'd thought-every emotion written plain as day on

eyes flicked over Lily, his

some time at the

dryly. "By your standards, The Kiss'

What was that supposed to mean?

was being

decided to end the farce, turning to Lily. "Come on, how many sets of

then turned back to Elodie. "Three. And