How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes as he fixed Jarrod with a steady gaze. "Her uterus-there's something abnormal. Something that shouldn't be there."

Jarrod didn't look surprised. He slowly lifted his eyes, meeting the other man's stare. After a brief pause, he replied in a voice only the two of them could understand, "Yeah. You've probably guessed right."

Elodie was transferred into the private suite next to Jarrod's.

A steady stream of people came and went from the room.

At the end of the hallway, Ivan stood, watching the bustle from a distance.

He'd arrived the moment Elodie went into surgery. Deep down, though, he knew he had no real right to stand as family.

No matter how he turned it over, he owed her too much.

Now, seeing Elodie safe and out of surgery, it felt as though a weight had finally lifted from his chest-like he'd been given another chance at life.

Ivan walked out to the hospital's smoking area. His hands shook as he lit a cigarette, then he let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

Who was he kidding?

both changed. There

cared for Elodie with

bones, until his phone buzzed in his pocket. Queenie's name flashed across the screen-call

He ignored them all.

scandal, the Jett family's empire unraveling. The stock price was in

he thought, had to be settled one

dangerous amount of blood. By the third day, she

to grow stronger

refused to go back to his own room, instead spending nearly every moment at Elodie's

tucked the blanket gently around her. "Wake up soon, alright? Let's start over. You've lost so much weight. When you're better, I'll make sure you get your strength back. You're beautiful no matter what, but I love

whether or not she could hear him, pulling a file folder

was a single ring. He tipped it into his palm,

and studying the way the diamond caught the

always knew," he said quietly. "What was I supposed to do-get angry with you? I could only pretend I didn't notice. I've been holding on to this ring for long enough.

on, let's never take them