How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

He'd hurt Elodie for so long.

Maybe it was time he felt a little pain himself, right in his own heart.

But Elodie never thought that way.

What Esmeralda suggested was nothing more than revenge.

How long do the tangled stories of the lovelorn ever truly end?

Even though Esmeralda talked tough, what she really felt was worry-she just hated to see Elodie facing more trouble.

If Jarrod was struggling over all this, how much worse must it be for Elodie?

"I don't think he'll stick around much longer," Esmeralda said, trying to sound breezy. "Guys like that-those golden boys-they only latch on when they've lost someone who really mattered. Let him sulk. He'll give up on his own." She was determined to shield Elodie from any more hurt.

Elodie understood, and just offered a faint, grateful smile.

As for Alexander... neither of them had figured out how to explain things to him. They'd have to wait for the right moment.

Esmeralda ended up staying with Elodie for a whole week, refusing to leave her side. The once carefree party girl suddenly grew up overnight, learning how to take care of Elodie's day-to-day needs—and, not so subtly, making sure Jarrod didn't get anywhere near her.

Elodie simply let her be.

Monday morning, Elodie headed over to Hangar 719 at the airfield.

She had a test flight scheduled.

On her way to the site, she rounded a corner and spotted Watts on his phone nearby. His voice was tense: "Yeah, I know. The Eldrion Global board has it out for me. They're obsessed with the Duskendale contract, and they're just waiting for a chance to pin the blame on me. This isn't a small problem."

Elodie slowed her steps, listening.

"But it's fine," Watts continued. "That deal isn't the end of the world. I'll win them something bigger. People need to broaden their horizons a bit. Whatever happens, I'll take responsibility."

Elodie didn't linger to hear the rest. She continued to the test site.

A few minutes later, Watts showed up too. He gave Elodie a quick once-over, brow furrowed. "You sure you're alright?"

Elodie finished jotting down some data before glancing up. "I'm fine, really."

Watts let out a slow breath. "Good.noveldrama

Things at the company have been et

insane lately-I haven't had a chance

xin on you. I'm sorry

She set her pen aside. "You don't have anything to apologize for. You've probably

had enough trouble over all this yourself."

He looked at her, earnest. "You

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Sworry about that. r our relationship is, net

couldn't just stand by knowing you were in danger. It was worth it."

Elodie didn't know how to respond. She knew, deep down, that she owed him—a

debt that wasn't easily repaid.

"Watch out. A technician was

wheeling a cart loaded with a set of aircraft wings straight toward them. Watts was standing right in its path. Reacting instantly, Elodie grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Watts barely registered what happened; his shoulder bumped lightly against hers.

He blinked, then looked down at her.

Elodie's brow was drawn in concern, her delicate features serious as she watched the cart pass by.

For some reason, Watts found himself smiling.

He tilted his head and said softly, "I might've lost the contract, but at least you're

not so distant with me anymore."

Elodie's expression tightened as she looked at him.

He winked, blue eyes bright. "That makes me pretty happy, you know."

It seemed that was enough to lift his spirits.

He took a few steps back, grinning. "Let's hope we have more days like this. Get

back to work-I'll see you around."

With that, he turned and strode away.

Elodie watched him go, eyes thoughtful, a hint of something unspoken flickering across her face.

Not long after, she got a message.

They needed comprehensive, real-world testing data on the new SX Alloy- everything had to meet the strictest standards.

She was assigned to visit the domestic factory that Jarrod had recently relocated back from abroad.