How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod had been wiping down the silverware for Elodie when she suddenly slid into the seat beside him. His hand froze mid-motion, and he turned slowly, meeting her gaze. She looked at him calmly, her eyes giving nothing away, and yet, beneath that cool surface, he somehow sensed an invisible hook tugging at his heart, over and over, leaving ripples he couldn't suppress.

The feeling was intoxicating, stirring something deep inside. His eyes darkened a shade, and he set the spoon down, meeting her gaze head-on. "You always have to sit this close?"

Elodie picked up the spoon he'd just finished polishing, her arm brushing against his as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "Is that a problem? Should I move back?"

She was already starting to rise as she spoke.

Without missing a beat, Jarrod chuckled and reached out, pulling her gently back beside him. "Ms. Thorne, not even a little leeway?"

Elodie arched a brow, glancing at him sidelong. "Why pretend you're innocent? Was all that really necessary?"

He didn't deny it he was being deliberately obtuse, but embarrassment was never his style. Drawing her a little closer, he said, "Well, this is a surprise. You were never this forward with me before. If I don't play coy, you might start thinking I'm easy."

Elodie rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “You really never stop, do you?"

with one hand, watching her intently, a faint smirk lingering at the corner of his mouth. "It's rare you take the initiative, Ms.

glass of water nearby and taking a sip to steady herself. “How

phone sent me a

blocks most signals, but it's not foolproof-there must've been @brief gap. Watts is

A flicker of relief crossed her face. If she hadn't dropped it

smiled lazily. "That explains

a gesture so natural she barely

down at her, the way she nestled in close, and

Elodie's mind was churning with questions. Ever since she'd overheard Watts's call, she'd been piecing things together,

had things set up in New York ahead of time," Jarrod replied, absently twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers. "You've heard of the Quinn family, right? I'm sure Watts told you I was

in surprise. He'd anticipated

The child is my only real weakness no matter the risk,

make backup plans. The

looks normal on the outside, but a while ago, I quietly moved the kid to another