How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

He found it preposterous.

Especially at a time like this.

The child was the key.

What struck him most was Jarrod's tense attitude when they discussed the kid. Jarrod had looked ready to kill him-clearly, the child had to be—

Suddenly, Watts' expression shifted.

A belated realization dawned on him.

Jarrod... had he been faking it all along?

Playing a part?

A jolt of clarity shot through Watts. Jarrod was stalling for time-he must have already known Watts was somewhere in the city.

It all fell into place.

Watts' face darkened, thunderous and grim.

So, when his men reported that Jarrod had already boarded a plane out of the country, it was probably just a smokescreen too.

Watts abruptly hung up, spun on his heel, and dialed another number. "Prep the jet, now. We're leaving immediately!"

Not far away, hidden behind a leafy planter, Elodie had overheard every word.

Her heart pounded faster.

The child wasn't here.

Watts hadn't found him.

safe, out of

sent a surge of hope and adrenaline

slipped away, making her way back to her room. Her mind raced, searching

would take time for Watts to

had a

forty minutes ticked

composure restored.

offer

her the truth. Once she made her call home from Germany, it wouldn't matter

that anything was amiss, acting as if

slipping her

a helicopter parked on the wide, manicured lawn nearby. The whirling blades sent

approached slowly

her wrist

to wrench free. But he was far

was armed and ready for anything; Elodie's face was set in an icy mask as

Watts finally released her.

first. Give

it he nodded

a long shard of glass, one end wrapped in a towel, from behind her back. Without

Watts' shirt in a spreading

nearly losing his balance from the

That was her chance.

car they'd arrived in-she knew the keys were still in

could just