How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Impossible to read.

After everything that had happened today-plus the looming threat that could explode at any moment-Elodie's face was an unreadable mask. "I need you to leave."

Jarrod looked at her, undeterred by her rejection. "That's not one of the choices I'm giving you."

"Jarrod, what are you doing? I never said I needed you." Her fists clenched tighter at her sides.

"But I need you." He met her gaze directly, refusing to let her retreat behind her carefully composed facade. "Elodie, I need to see you with my own eyes. I'm not the only one who got shaken up tonight."

He made no effort to hide his vulnerability.

Today had been a wake-up call for him-how suddenly things could spin out of control, how defenseless he really was against the unpredictable.

But his honesty didn't move Elodie. She knew what Jarrod was like. She had always known.

She wasn't in the mood to talk, not to him or anyone else. Her mind was too crowded with its own worries. So she simply turned her back on him, treating the infamous Mr. Silverstein as if he were invisible.

Jarrod just stood there, staring at her narrow shoulders. The collar of her shirt had slipped, revealing a patch of angry bruising on her shoulder, already starting to turn a mottled purple.

He couldn't look away from that injury. His eyes darkened with a heavy, repressed emotion.

Elodie had expected that she'd be up all night, haunted by the evening's fright and the doctor's grim words. But to her surprise, she slept soundly until morning.

When she woke, she became aware of something wrapped around her waist. She glanced down. An arm.

Elodie frowned, pried his hand away, and sat up.

Jarrod must not have been asleep at all, because the moment she moved, his eyes opened-clear and alert, no trace of drowsiness. “Don't look at me like that." "You fell asleep clutching my hand. If I hadn't climbed onto the bed, you'd have kept me locked there all night. My arm would be useless by now."

He'd gone on the offensive before she could even say a word, preempting any accusation or complaint.

"You could have just woken me. I'm not exactly stronger than you," Elodie said coolly, getting out of bed.

Jarrod rubbed at his brow, then sat up and beat her to the door, glancing back at her. "True. But I didn't want to."

He turned and headed into the bathroom.

Elodie pressed her lips together.

Jarrod could switch between charm and sarcasm as easily as flipping a coin, but she was done letting it affect her.

He hadn't slept. Instead, he washed his face with cold water, trying to clear his head.

When he came out, Elodie was gone. Even her suitcase, which she'd left by the wall, had vanished.

She'd left.

Quick and clean. No hesitation.

She really didn't want to be around him.

Yet a trace of her still lingered in the room.

Jarrod sat down on the side of the bed where she'd slept. He could still feel the faint warmth she'd left behind.

He stayed that way for a long time.

Elodie had Alexander change her flight, landing her in Eldermere earlier than planned.

Esmeralda Mercer, having heard what happened, barely slept a wink that night. She drove straight to the airport to pick her up.

The moment they saw each other, Esmeralda scanned Elodie from head to toe, face drawn tight with worry. Only when she was sure Elodie was all right did she start to pout, almost on the verge of tears. "What the hell, El? Why didn't you call Jarrod Silverstein? You're supposed to be getting revenge, not rolling over like some pushover! What a coward!"

Elodie tried to reassure her. "I'm fine."

Alexander just shook his head. "It's okay, under control. Jarrod's handling things. You take

home-I've got an urgent meeting."

okay, it's under contret

Esmeralda grabbed Elodie's suitcase and marched toward the car. "I'm staying with you tonight. Actually, I'll be staying with you for the

foreseeable future."

Elodie laughed, pinching Esmeralda's cheek. "Seriously, I'm fine. Besides, nothing's going to happen in Eldermere."noveldrama

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Elodie just gave a small, enigmatic smile and said nothing.

Because Jarrod was still close by-just across the street, really. She hadn't

forgotten that.

After they got in the car, Elodie tossed her phone aside and buckled her seatbelt.

Her phone buzzed.

Esmeralda, thinking it was hers, picked it up to check.

A message from Elias Warwick:

[Ms. Thorne, you've canceled your follow-up twice already. You need to come in

this time, and we need to discuss your next round of treatment.]