How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Ivan's face drained of all color in an instant, as if a tidal wave had crashed over him.

-The Harcourt family and the Jett family set him up?

Even Elodie was momentarily caught off guard.

Back then, Ivan's downfall had come out of nowhere. Thanks to his talent, he'd been thriving in the Harcourt Group, but trouble struck when one of his subordinates messed up. A massive hole opened up in the budget for a joint project with the Jett Group, and as the main person in charge, Ivan was the first to take the fall.

He'd been so arrogant in those days. Naturally, he'd made plenty of enemies.noveldrama

Then, just before he was about to be taken in, disaster struck. His life was nearly on the line.

He'd been set up, blindsided—and that was when Elodie had stepped in, just in time. In the chaos, she'd taken the hit meant for him.

Ivan ended up in the hospital and then straight into custody.

As for Elodie, her injuries were severe; she spent a month in the hospital, unconscious for several days. She'd always been frail, even as a child.

When she finally woke up, Malcom told her Ivan had left town to lay low. She had no idea what really happened to Ivan—at least, not until Malcom pulled his own strings. When everything unfolded with Jarrod, Malcom finally bared his teeth. He threatened her with Ivan's fate: if she didn't play along, Ivan could forget about any chance at a reduced sentence.

She didn't want to be anyone's sacrificial pawn, but she had no way out.

Back then, it was Malcom she hated, not Jarrod. In her eyes, Jarrod was just another victim, and she felt guilty for dragging him into the mess. She tried to make their marriage work, wanting Jarrod to believe it wasn't completely rotten from the inside out.

What she hadn't expected was how deeply she'd fall for him over time-deeper and deeper, until there was no turning back.

And now...

The truth about Ivan's case was so much crueler than she'd ever imagined.

Jarrod's expression was icier than she'd ever seen, his eyes dark and stormy. "You, of all people-the one who actually benefited from this-what right do you have to question her? If she hadn't shielded you that night, maybe she

His voice broke off, hoarse and raw, pain catching in his throat.

All those years, he'd traced the scar on Elodie's body as she slept, torn between anger and jealousy, but mostly overwhelmed by aching tenderness.

How had Elodie, so fragile and thin, survived all that?

And now, she had uterine cancer.

How could he not connect the dots? How could he not feel the anger rising up, impossible to suppress?

Ivan actually staggered, the truth hitting him like a physical blow. He stared at Elodie, white as a sheet. "I didn't know... I didn't know anything..."

Suddenly, he remembered how, after he was taken away, Elodie didn't visit him for a whole month. He'd assumed she was disgusted with him, that she wanted nothing to do

with his mess. Later, she'd come just once told him she was getting married, and that she wouldn't be visiting anymore-she hoped he'd serve his time and get out early.

He'd been furious, convinced Elodie was heartless.

That was why he'd immediately agreed to Queenie's advances, promising her he'd be with her when he got out.

And after he got out... the resentment still burned. He'd gone out of his way to provoke Elodie, targeting her weak spots, lashing out at her again and again.

Elodie didn't look at Ivan, but she did notice the way Jarrod's fists clenched at his sides.

She was surprised Jarrod knew about the Harcourt and Jett families' involvement. He'd never mentioned it before.

Sensing her gaze, Jarrod forced

himself to calm down. He sat down, turning his back to Ivan. "You're the last person who should be calling the shots here. Elodie isn't some accessory you can boss around as you please, Mr. Harcourt. Frankly, you've got your own mess to deal with. Don't disturb her rest."

No sooner had he finished than Andrea entered, wasting no time. She grabbed

Ivan by the arm, steering him firmly toward the door. "Mr. Harcourt, you're not exactly welcome here."