How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

As a mother, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret and reluctance. Still, she knew her son too well-some things simply couldn't be forced.

Octavia sat beside Lucinda, glancing around at the stiff atmosphere before finally breaking the silence. "So, the two of you came here today... You're not planning to ask my brother and Elodie to get a divorce, are you?"

It was the only explanation she could come up with. Why else would they be summoned here for no apparent reason?

With that blunt question, Octavia ripped the lid off the unspoken tension that had been simmering in the room.

Even Henrietta grew somber. This meeting had been arranged by Jarrod, and she hadn't figured out his intentions either. But she had to admit, Octavia's guess wasn't entirely unreasonable. Otherwise, why make such a formal affair out of it?

The thought that Jarrod might soon regret Elodie's inability to have children, and might even announce a divorce, made the old lady's face go pale. That would be humiliating—afterwards, the Silverstein family would never live it down.

Lucinda narrowed her eyes. "Not necessarily. Let's just wait until they get back." Rosemary, however, said nothing more. She didn't know much about Jarrod and Elodie's marriage, but when it came to divorce...

Emile gave his mother's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and shot her a look. "Let's wait for Elodie to get here first."

It was clear the Silverstein side didn't have the full picture.

Rosemary nodded.

voice came from the

the room turned. The air grew thick with anticipation and unease. Octavia's eyes widened as she watched the couple enter, hand in hand. She was the first to leap up, blurting out,

before anyone could reply, Lucinda shot to her feet, stunned by the sight of the

froze. One by one, everyone stood,

you went abroad and adopted a child?" Lucinda, for once, was so stunned she could hardly speak. That was the only explanation she could

think Elodie and

even considered the real reason for the

lady was the first to recover, a small

decided to settle down and start a real

sort of rigid matriarch to meddle in her children's lives. They had their own destinies to fulfill,

she wanted

herself the villain and invite

trouble?

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