How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod's attitude toward Elodie was completely nonchalant; he replied with an easygoing air, "Is it that obvious? Otherwise, I could hold an umbrella for you too."

Elodie frowned, finally giving him a proper look. "What's that supposed to mean?”

Jarrod met her gaze, slow and unruffled. "Just curious. Want to see what you're into these days."

She realized his sharp tongue never lost ground. So, she simply ignored him. Neither of them ever let the other win when it came to these little verbal skirmishes.

Jarrod knew full well there was nothing going on between Elodie and Watts. Watts might have been making an effort, but Jarrod understood Elodie's nature—she was slow to react and always armored up. No matter how others tried, she rarely took the bait.

He pressed the gas, and they pulled into her apartment complex.

Elodie didn't wait for him; she opened her door and got out. A few steps away, she remembered she'd left Watts' umbrella inside and doubled back.

Jarrod was already strolling over. She glanced at the car. "Hang on, I need to grab something."

"What is it?"

"An umbrella."

"I thought you didn't want it. I just tossed it."

Her expression darkened as she stared at him.

Jarrod met her look with a calm shrug. "Need another one? I'll buy you a whole set."

Elodie didn't bother replying. She turned on her heel and left. She knew Jarrod had no intention of giving the umbrella back-no point wasting her breath.

Upstairs, she shut the door behind her, not caring what Jarrod did afterward. She had other things on her mind. Tonight, she was heading to Duskendale. Alexander would be flying in from Sunspire to meet her on the day of the bid.

This Vela jumbo jet contract was a milestone—if she landed it, it would lay the groundwork for the next two years. VistaLink Technologies was all in, and Elodie took it seriously. Soon, she'd be managing the 719 facility as well, and she couldn't afford to let anything slip inside the company.

She packed a suitcase for the three-day business trip. By the time she finished, it was nearly eight in the evening. Dragging her luggage behind her, she stepped into the hallway.

As if on cue, the door across the hall opened too.

Jarrod had his own suitcase ready. He looked over. "Want to share a ride to the airport? I'm headed to Duskendale as well."

Elodie locked up, her tone frosty. "Ride with you? Let's see-should I wait for your enemies to crash another car so I get caught in the crossfire again?"

Jarrod studied her for a moment, then broke into a grin. "If you're worried about me, you don't have to be so roundabout."

Elodie just frowned in exasperation. Unbelievable.

She ignored him and stayed silent in the elevator.

When they reached the lobby, Jarrod casually took her suitcase. "There'll be a lot of people at the event. It would look odd if we arrived separately. Just bear with me for now."

He didn't give her a chance to refuse her suitcase was already in his trunk. There was no use fighting him, so Elodie remained stone-faced, standing there.

Jarrod paused at the car door and glanced back. "Want me to carry you into the car the way I did your suitcase? Over the shoulder or bridal style?"

He started to step toward her.

Elodie beat him to it and slid into the car first.

Jarrod watched her, a silent smirk curling at his lips.

As for Patricia's little "marriage alliance" scheme... He hadn't brought it up. Nor had he mentioned getting Eaton involved to nip it in the bud. If Patricia had managed to get her hands on those kinds of photos, he could trace the source in a

heartbeat. He'd left no trace with the reporters, so it could only have come from the Harcourt family.

Dealing with the Harcourts... that wouldn't be hard.

No surprise, they ended up on the same flight.

By the time they arrived in Duskendale, it was already past midnight.

Thankfully, Alexander had arranged for a car ahead of time. Elodie grabbed her suitcase and left-she didn't wait for Jarrod.

The hotel was right across from the convention center. Elodie washed up quickly and went straight to bed.

The bidding event was on the third day. On the second, there was a major tech expo in Duskendale. The bidding itself was set for three p.m. on the third day, with a networking reception at the exclusive club next door to the hotel beforehand.

Elodie skipped the tech expo. As VistaLink's lead representative, her focus was on the bid. She stayed in, which helped her avoid running into Jarrod-something she was quietly grateful for. noveldrama

Still, every mealtime, the hotel staff brought her meals right to her door. And every time, the food was exactly to her taste her favorite dishes, prepared just the way she liked.