How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Maurice Nilsson and his companions stood not far off, chatting quietly among themselves.

Glancing at his watch, Maurice frowned in confusion. "It's almost time-where's the VIP? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

Joseph Delacroix said nothing. His lips were pressed together, his expression a tangled knot of emotions.

Maurice scanned the crowd. By now, plenty of young heirs and society darlings had arrived, their designer shoes barely making a sound on the marble floor.

He could even catch snippets of hushed gossip nearby.

"I'm telling you, this whole wedding is just the Silverstein family putting on a show for Elodie," one socialite muttered, twisting her lips in disdain.

Her friend chimed in, "Oh, I know what you're thinking. Everyone knows Mr. Silverstein never wanted to make this Mrs. Silverstein public-anyone can see he's not that into her. If they didn't throw this wedding, it'd look like he didn't care at all. But now that Elodie's background is so impressive, they had to throw her a bone."

if he wanted," another scoffed. "I'd wager this whole spectacle was Elodie's idea, just

the press, the whole nine yards! It's obvious, isn't it? She just doesn't want anyone saying Mr.

though only the younger, more impulsive ones dared to whisper them out loud. They figured everyone was thinking the same thing, so what harm was there in voicing it? "Ms. Thorne's got both brains and beauty-what, are you all out of real gossip?” Naylor Whitaker sauntered over just in time to catch their conversation. He shot the group a scornful look,

by way of manners—just the usual spoiled rich kids, raised on luxury

front of him, especially not when it came to Elodie-someone who'd brought real honor to the country. He wasn't

strolled over with a lazy grin. "Looks like Mrs. Silverstein's really struck

and Naylor was enough to make most people think twice. No one dared say another word, not with them standing

going to believe this was some grand love story that easily. Even with a wedding as grand

Mr.

help it. Jarrod gets pretty worked up when it