How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

When Elodie saw Patricia being led out, dazed and disheveled, she couldn't help but suspect what was really going on.

The place was swarming with police officers.

Across the room, the privileged heirs lounged around with an air of careless indifference, as if none of this concerned them in the slightest.

Only Patricia stood out. Her face was drawn and pale, and as she was being escorted away, she instinctively lifted her head.

That's when she saw Jarrod, standing beside Elodie.

For a split second, her beauty-usually enough to outshine any actress-seemed almost ghostly, her expression clouded with suspicion and disbelief.

Still, she climbed into the police car without protest.

It was only then that Watts seemed to realize what was happening and hurried over to negotiate with the officers.

The entire group made a grand, noisy exit.

Watts stayed behind.

His jaw was clenched tight as he fixed his gaze on Jarrod and strode toward them.

"Mr. Silverstein. What a coincidence, isn't it?" Watts' eyes lingered briefly on Elodie before he asked, "About Patricia-are you just a bystander, or are you involved in all of this?"

Jarrod looked at him, unhurried and calm. "What are you implying, Mr. Aldridge? Patricia seems to have landed herself in trouble, and yet you find the time to come greet me?"

Elodie's eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly, betraying nothing.

"Watts' eyes grew cold. "That's hardly fair, is it, Mr. Silverstein?"

supposed to leave for an

with friends at the club. Maybe it was because of Jarrod, maybe it was her own creative frustration, but her mood had been

timing, however, was

club manager hadn't even warned anyone

inside was

a single person slipped

were all being taken in

arrived too late to stop any of

fast,

Patricia was

second that it

had Jarrod's fingerprints

sure of it-this was

and took Elodie by the wrist. When his gaze swept toward Watts, his expression was cool, almost

"It's unfortunate about

used to being

But

full now, Mr. Aldridge. I shouldn't take up any more of your time.

didn't even bother to answer Watts' thinly

he turned and walked

nothing, didn't even

without so much as a

his

Patricia situation was

it could all be smoothed over quietly,