How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie did a quick calculation in her mind. "You're coming here? You don't need to go through all that trouble. We could just meet up directly in New York. It's not exactly safe around here-you'd be alone and unprotected."

The dangers here weren't exactly hidden; they were right out in the open.

"It's fine. I can handle it. I'll coordinate with the security team on that side," Jarrod replied. He knew the risks, but to him, they were minor.

The truth was, he missed Elodie. Even though she had only just left, taking that first step forward left him feeling a little uncertain.

But he was determined.

Elodie checked the timing in her mind he should be fine, she figured, and nodded. Besides, she could take some time off work, and the thought of the upcoming trip to New York filled her with anticipation.

She felt energized.

"All right," she said, returning her attention to her laptop.

Jarrod didn't hang up.

He just watched her as she focused on her work, not saying a word.

Even in silence, he felt content.

He watched as Elodie's brow furrowed in concentration, then relaxed as she worked through problems-catching every little expression.

He smiled softly, unnoticed, then took his phone and went back to the master bedroom.

When Elodie was absorbed in her work, she could easily forget about everything else around her.

By the time she finally finished, more than an hour had passed.

She rubbed her neck and glanced at the screen.

There was Jarrod, sleeping quietly. He'd left his phone propped up on the nightstand, camera aimed at his face.

Elodie's movements slowed as she stared at him.

Jarrod had always been a tidy sleeper, usually lying on his back, rarely turning to his side. The only exception had been their first year of marriage, when he liked to snuggle up behind her, holding her close as they slept. Otherwise, he always slept straight as a board.

Tonight, he was on his side, maybe wanting to see her-or to let her see him.

Elodie gazed at his face for a long moment, feeling an inexplicable warmth spread through her chest.

She whispered, "Goodnight," barely audible.

Only then did she end the video call, careful not to make any noise that might disturb him.

After that, Elodie threw herself completely into her work.

She communicated with the team in depth, going over blueprints and code again and again, tackling

technical roadblocks that werennet

easy to overcome. She barely Kad time to catch her breath, running countless meetings and pushing her whole team forward. It took more than two weeks of effort before they started to see real progress.

One afternoon, as she arrived onsite to inspect the latest prototype, Elodie received a message from Jarrod.

[Things in Eldermere are just about wrapped up. I've booked my flight-I should land in New York around six in the evening your time.]

Elodie checked the clock. She hadn't realized how many days had slipped by.noveldrama

She'd assumed it would be longer before Jarrod could come.

[Are you feeling better? Is it okay for you to travel?]

[Whether I'm okay or not isn't important. What matters is, I miss you.]

[...]

Just then, Fleming walked over and noticed her distracted expression. "Everything all right?" he asked.

Elodie composed herself and shook her head calmly. "I'm fine."

Fleming nodded and headed off to join Adrian and the others at another test site.

After hours of technical briefings and calculations, it was nearly six.

Elodie figured Jarrod should be arriving soon.

She started heading outside.

But as soon as she reached the stairwell-

BOOM!

A deafening explosion thundered in the distance. Elodie flinched so hard her phone slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor as the entire building seemed to tremble.

Before she could even process what had happened, someone grabbed her arm from behind. “Ms. Thomme, we need to get you out of here now! It's no longer safe!"