How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Andrea hadn't even had time to notify the rest of the Silverstein family.

By the time Elodie was wheeled out of surgery, it was nearly midnight. Her arm had been reattached and was now encased in a stiff cast.

Ivan's face had been drawn and pale the entire time. He'd stayed right by her side, escorting her all the way to her hospital room. If he hadn't managed to subdue Malcom after his outburst, none of this would have happened tonight.

He sat beside Elodie's bed, gripping her hand tightly, his eyes bloodshot with worry as he watched her face, still drained of color.

The anesthesia wore off quickly. As Elodie slowly came to, she felt someone holding her hand and, in her half-awake haze, instinctively wondered-was it Jarrod?

Her eyes fluttered open.

She found herself looking straight into Ivan's face, relief flooding his features as he leaned in. "You're awake! Does it still hurt? Let me call the nurse to see if you need more painkillers?"

As her mind cleared, Elodie glanced down at her hand trapped in his and gently pulled it free. "No need."

A deep ache throbbed in her head. She didn't even have the energy for polite pretense.

Ivan saw the distance in her eyes, and the hope on his face faded. "You're worried about Jarrod, aren't you?"

Elodie met his gaze, her voice quiet but firm. "Shouldn't I be?"

as if struck, his expression briefly twisting with hurt and

surgery. He's

made Elodie's heart

pushed herself upright, desperate to

forward to stop her. "He's not going to die! There's no need to panic.

him without a trace of warmth. "Do you have a reason to stop me? Ivan, you know

his face growing rigid and

had already pieced it together from Malcom's scattered words. Someone had deliberately provoked him, escalating the situation-otherwise, none of

swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood, staggering slightly as she

into Andrea, who silently accompanied her to

glass, she saw him-Jarrod lying unconscious in bed. He hadn't woken yet. An oxygen mask covered his face, and his body was wrapped

had never seen Jarrod

her throat closing, unable to breathe. She pressed

doctors

back, lost a lot of blood. And when you fell, that made things worse he's got some

too. It's going

before... he wakes up."

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