How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod's eyelashes trembled.

It was like a blade spinning in his mind, slicing through his confusion, jolting him awake.

He saw it now-it had been his own rushed, stubborn misinterpretation that made Elodie fall silent back then, not any resentment over his blame. The truth was, he never deserved her honesty.

"Elias told me," he said, lips barely moving. The words tasted bitter, self-mocking, the ache in his chest impossible to ignore.

Elodie didn't look surprised. "Good. Then you probably understand by now."

She knew there were some things she didn't need to say-Jarrod would handle them himself. After all, the child wasn't just hers.

Still, she hadn't expected that when all was said and done, it would feel this easy

to let go.

As for her illness...

"Come overseas with me for treatment. Please?" Jarrod's focus narrowed to just her illness now.

He'd learned all the details, every grim prognosis and risk. It was more than he could bear.

He couldn't, wouldn't, let anything happen to Elodie-whatever it took, he'd make sure she had a healthy, safe future. He hadn't earned her forgiveness yet, hadn't given her the life she deserved. There was still so much time ahead; he wouldn't let her face her pain alone again.

Elodie met his gaze, and she could see the anguish and regret in his eyes, so raw it made her whole body tense.

She exhaled slowly. "Dr. Warwick is great. We've already discussed my treatment plan. He's an oncologist-just as good as anyone else."

Jarrod wanted to say it-beg her to stop the conservative treatments, to just let go, to have the hysterectomy. But the words caught in his throat. He understood how hard it was for any woman to make that decision. Telling her that he didn't care about having children wouldn't make it any easier.

All he cared about was her.

"Cancer?" he echoed.

"What cancer?"

Suddenly, the door burst open.

Ivan stood in the doorway, his face ashen, clearly having heard everything. He looked like he didn't want to believe it.

When Jarrod had rushed Elodie out of the Royal Opulence Hotel earlier, Ivan had followed, uneasy, and spent ages outside wrangling with Jarrod's assistant before finally slipping inside.

He hadn't expected to overhear something like this.

His expression darkened as he glared at Elodie. "What's that supposed to mean? What are you hiding from me?"

Elodie's face didn't flicker. "You have no right to question me. Instead of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, maybe you should go home and keep an eye on your wife. Stop spreading other people's business around and causing me irreparable harm."

Patricia had mentioned it. Queenie had told her. And now, Elodie couldn't look at Queenie's issues with any sense of calm.

Jarrod understood Elodie's meaning immediately, his eyes brimming with emotion. Elodie's injury, the trouble with the child-Queenie had been involved.

Ivan, however, was lost. His mind was spinning, fixated only on the shocking news that Elodie's name and cancer could be mentioned in the same breath.

"Elodie! I'm your brother-I have a right to know!"

Elodie gave a short, cold laugh. "We settled our debts long ago. I took the fall for you before you went

away that pand back every kindness from those years you looked after me don't owe you anything I hope you'll stay out of my life from now on. Don't make me hate you."

Ivan froze, stunned, before finally choking out, "You took the fall for me...?"

How could that be? Wasn't it Queenie who did that?

Jarrod lowered his gaze, brushing away the dampness at the corner of his eye before standing up.noveldrama

If Queenie had a hand in Elodie's pain, he wouldn't let anyone walk away unscathed.

His eyes were cold, hard as steel, as he turned to Ivan and spoke, voice sharp and clear.

“Let me tell you something else. The reason you ended up taking the fall for The Harcourt Group, the reason you were pushed out, wasn't because of a mistake you made. It was Malcom Harcourt and the Jett family working together, setting a trap. The Harcourt family wanted you gone-your talent threatened Malcom They cleared you out and gave the Jett family and Queenie the chance to play the hero. Ivan, you were just a pawn on their

chessboard from the very start."