How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

It was a call from one of the department heads at the main base.

"Elodie, there's an urgent work trip that just came up. It's critical, and they want our best senior engineer to lead the team. You'd need to leave tomorrow. Can you do it?"

Elodie brushed away the hand that had been toying with her earlobe. Jarrod seemed obsessed with every part of her, and when she pushed him off, he simply tightened his arm around her neck, pulling her closer. "A work trip? Where to? What exactly is the assignment?"

She had no choice but to nudge his shoulder with her elbow.

"To Solcrest. We have some strategic cooperation with them, but there are a lot of technical hurdles on their end. The higher-ups want you to go over as our representative, work through some of the technical issues, and provide in-depth training for their engineers."

Elodie immediately understood the country in question had always had close ties with theirs. The relationship was longstanding, and now, with her clearance high enough, she was aware of just how important these connections were. Diplomacy mattered-a lot.

If this assignment had come down from above, it was bound to be vital to the company's larger strategy.

"How long?" Elodie asked, already suspecting this wouldn't be a quick trip. "Two months."

Jarrod was close enough to hear every word. His dark eyes lifted, catching the implication.

Elodie hesitated. "I have to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes, it's urgent. Other teams will be going too, along with an elite pilot squad. VistaLink Technologies is involved-future collaboration depends on this. They'll send someone to assist you as well."

knew the higher-ups had already set things in motion. There was only one answer. "Alright.

bit chaotic over there, but don't worry,

"It's my job."

She ended the call.

her. "Business

top-level team, she'd have to take charge,

to fly straight to New York to see

"I leave tomorrow. Solcrest."

thought for a moment. "I think so. No one else will know. I need to

Jarrod staying

at him, and he met her gaze with a lazy

"...What?"

lower back. "Ruining my family time—are

his hand

call you

as I land. Once

see our son

refuse a direct order from above. But she couldn't