How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

"That last time was an accident. You know how cunning Jarrod is-he's not easy to catch off guard. But now... he's finally down. This is the only real chance we'll get to bring him down, and I doubt Mr. Aldridge would want to waste it."

"What are you saying?"

"Jarrod's had an accident. He's in the ICU as we speak. I can give you a lead: The Silverstein Group is in talks with the government over a huge upcoming project- something the board considers critical for the next few years. They can't afford a single misstep. I get what I want, Jarrod loses his seat, and your problem will be nothing."

Sprague laid his cards on the table.

Watts fell silent, weighing his options.

He didn't know the specifics of Jarrod's condition.

But for someone as careful as Jarrod, what could have possibly landed him in the ICU?

Suddenly, Watts asked, "What about Elodie? Was she involved too?"

Sprague sounded surprised. "How did you know? Yeah, she was with him. She got hurt as well."

Silence settled in again.

It was hard to say how long it lasted.

When Watts finally spoke, he steered clear of the subject of Elodie, lowering his voice. "Send me everything you have. This time, I don't intend to fail."

"Of course."

Elodie sat outside the hospital room for a long while, waiting and watching for any sign that Jarrod might wake up.

Ivan watched her, too-watched as she refused to leave, as she stubbornly kept vigil at the door.

last, he drew a shaky breath, squared his shoulders, and approached her. "Are you hurt? You

was still recovering from her own

was, running herself ragged for

ache in his chest was

really that important to you?" Ivan's voice was rough. "Elodie, we were together

by side, all those years. How could she just give her heart

because we grew up together, does that mean I owe you something? I've repaid every debt I ever had to you. If you

of him that I finally understood

hit Ivan like a punch to

matter how

past, Elodie had

Janovent

had

to drag it out. "Ivan, you're the only one still living in the past. I don't want

as if the ground had fallen away

his pride

now: Elodie didn't feel a thing

really

the trouble he'd caused since getting out of prison-what a joke it

whole life, the one he thought would always wait for him,

the one to

say

turned

went to

splashed her face with cold water, trying to

thoughts were a