How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

She'd just graduated, yet already her name was known across the industry.

With talent like hers, was Jarrod blind?

"I'm telling you, steer clear of him for a while. You think Jarrod's a pushover?" Watts came downstairs, rummaged in a drawer, and tossed a bottle of pills to Patricia.

Patricia gave a sharp laugh. "What really floors me is that Jarrod actually covered for Elodie, kept quiet about her getting rid of the baby, and even shielded her from the Silversteins. If he hadn't, how else could Elodie have secured her place in that family?"

That was what really burned her.

She was supposed to be preparing for that international art exhibition-one of the biggest events of her career.

But thanks to all this Jarrod business, her head was a mess. She could barely pick up a brush lately, and that frustration was eating her alive.

She irritably scratched at her neck and shot Watts a look. "And you? Don't tell me you're getting too deep in this act. Jarrod and Elodie are working you over, screwing up your plans-what are you going to do about it?"

Watts paused, remembering the way Elodie had defended Jarrod that day. Her eyes went cold.

"I'm not like you," she said quietly. "I can't pretend to be with someone if they've got someone else in their heart."

When Jarrod received the update about Patricia's whereabouts, he'd just arrived outside Rosemary's house.

He scanned the report, slipped his phone away, and headed inside.

days. She insisted Elodie not stay by herself, no matter

Once he'd stepped in, she informed

nodded his thanks and made his way

just finished showering and was running a brush through her

number she

answered unknown calls, just in case. She was about to apply some hair oil, so she tapped speaker. "Hello, who's this?" "It's Dad."

"No."

contact with Malcom

frantic. "Do you have

stared at the phone,

talking. "I've run into some trouble with

it over. You built VistaLink Technologies

entitlement. The

hardly believe

"But

"You're going to turn your back on your own father?Let me warn you, Elodie if you don't come through, I'll rain your mother's reputation.

hit Elodie like a

hair oil bottle so hard her knuckles whitened, her eyes turning glassy

never imagined Malcom could stoop

Her mother's depression had

of control years