How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 711

Watts shot her a cold glance, then turned on his heel and walked away without another word. He clearly had no interest in further conversation.

Elodie stepped outside with Jarrod. Andrea headed off to get the car.

Jarrod had already finished a call with Jeremiah. His instructions were brief: "Keep an eye on the victim's family."

Once the call ended, he turned to Elodie. She met his gaze, exhaled, and finally asked, “If I hadn't found out, were you ever planning to tell me you'd helped me back then?"

Jarrod slipped one hand casually into his pocket, his tone even and unhurried. "I thought about keeping it to myself."

Elodie studied his face, searching for any sign of emotion. "We weren't even close at the time."

At most, they'd only met a couple of times-just polite encounters thanks to their families' old friendship from the war.

Jarrod didn't say anything.

Elodie, lost in thought, blurted, "Did you have a crush on me?"

Right then, Andrea pulled up in the car.

Jarrod finally looked down at her, his eyes steady, not the least bit awkward or evasive. "Should I have filled out a request for that?"

Elodie was momentarily speechless. She'd only meant it as a half-joking probe— turns out he actually answered her seriously.

But today...

had my back," Jarrod remarked in his usual

of the negotiation and taking back the advantage in the

the sole winner. The truth was, if she and Jarrod hadn't presented a united front-or if they'd let their differences show

had been part

it. "Do you really think I can't tell what

made Jarrod raise

it in

up and turned to Elodie. "Do you have time? Could you come back to

looked puzzled. "Is something going

"My grandmother's birthday

together." He paused, his eyes softening a fraction. "Afterward, you won't have to keep going along with

things between them. Because of the baby, they'd agreed to keep up appearances for a while longer, but after that... it would be time to

blame him for being hurt by her

in thought

swallowed, then reached up to steady her by the car roof. "Tell me, apart from Watts, who else stands

the only one

was more complicated than she'd

climbed

Elodie finally asked, "The man who died in the

to know

answers.