How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 711

Watts shot her a cold glance, then turned on his heel and walked away without another word. He clearly had no interest in further conversation.

—

Elodie stepped outside with Jarrod. Andrea headed off to get the car.

Jarrod had already finished a call with Jeremiah. His instructions were brief: “Keep an eye on the victim’s family.”

Once the call ended, he turned to Elodie. She met his gaze, exhaled, and finally asked, “If I hadn’t found out, were you ever planning to tell me you’d helped me back then?”

Jarrod slipped one hand casually into his pocket, his tone even and unhurried. “I thought about keeping it to myself.”

Elodie studied his face, searching for any sign of emotion. “We weren’t even close at the time.”

At most, they’d only met a couple of times—just polite encounters thanks to their families’ old friendship from the war.

Jarrod didn’t say anything.

Elodie, lost in thought, blurted, “Did you have a crush on me?”

Right then, Andrea pulled up in the car.

Jarrod finally looked down at her, his eyes steady, not the least bit awkward or evasive. “Should I have filled out a request for that?”

Elodie was momentarily speechless. She’d only meant it as a half-joking probe—turns out he actually answered her seriously.

But today…

“Back there, you had my back,” Jarrod remarked in his usual calm way.

She’d acted quickly, helping him regain control of the negotiation and taking back the advantage in the marketplace.

Watts’s move had been a big one. If they hadn’t managed to produce evidence, Eldrion Global would have walked away as the sole winner. The truth was, if she and Jarrod hadn’t presented a united front—or if they’d let their differences show—things could have gone very badly.

That, too, had been part of Watts’s plan.

Elodie didn’t bother denying it. “Do you really think I can’t tell what matters?”

Her frankness made Jarrod raise an eyebrow, mildly impressed.

A moment later, Jarrod’s phone rang again. He picked up and listened, then replied, “Understood. Go handle it in person. The family won’t pursue charges. Make sure they receive the highest compensation possible, and issue a statement later.”

He hung up and turned to Elodie. “Do you have time? Could you come back to the house with me?”