How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Even though Sylvie hadn't said a word, Elodie understood her perfectly.

Linking arms with Jarrod in public-especially right in front of her-was Sylvie's way of sending a message to everyone: she was the one Jarrod cared about. And, by extension, it highlighted how little Elodie meant to her own "husband."

Esmeralda's face darkened at the sight. This wasn't subtle at all; it was a blatant provocation.

She started to speak up, but Elodie coolly looked away and squeezed her hand. "Let's go inside."

After all, Sylvie hadn't technically done anything wrong. If she made a scene right now, it would only make her seem petty and jealous, blowing things out of proportion.

Besides, she hadn't come here just to pick a fight. She already had a plan in mind -she needed to stay alert, wait for the right moment, and at the very least, let everyone arrive before making any moves. Otherwise, it'd all be for nothing.

Esmeralda had no choice but to swallow her indignation.

They were here for something important today; she couldn't afford to drag Elodie down.

The art show was high profile-Selma had really pulled out all the stops, hiring a renowned local curator and making sure the whole event was top-tier and flashy. The media coverage over the past few days had been intense.

But all this glory had been built on her mother's pain.

Back when her mother created a new series of paintings inspired by two older works, Selma, right at graduation, had accused her of plagiarizing her senior project. The series was publicly shamed, her mother branded a thief, and the paintings eventually vanished. Even though Jarrod had paid a fortune last year to recover one of them, it was useless-he refused to give Elodie the one painting by Selma that could have served as proof.

"Some people really think putting on a couple of feathers turns a chicken into a peacock," Esmeralda muttered as soon as they entered, her tone sharp and icy.

Elodie glanced around. The event hadn't officially started yet; most of the people milling about were staff.

"There's been so much drama lately. The other side's desperate to turn this into a win, so they're bound to give it everything they've got."

Case in point: Jarrod showed up himself.

He was a walking endorsement. His mere presence would draw half the city's socialites—an unspoken show of support for his future mother-in-law.

"Elodie?" Selma was radiant tonight; the moment she spotted Elodie, she glided over with a bright, practiced smile. "Came on your own? Where's your grandmother? Your uncle? Didn't they want to come support me?"noveldrama

She asked sweetly, every word loaded.

Elodie's eyes were unreadable; she no longer let herself be ruffled so easily. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to pass on every detail of your big night, Miss Selma."

A flicker of surprise crossed Selma's face.

Elodie was too calm-there wasn't the slightest trace of anger or agitation. What was she plotting?

"I mean, at your age, and with your health, are you sure you can handle all this excitement? Wouldn't want you to overdo it and ruin everything for yourself," Esmeralda chimed in, her sarcasm barely veiled. She might as well have come right out and said, "Careful, you might drop dead."

A nerve hit, Selma's mask slipped; she shot Esmeralda a frosty glare.

That was her sore spot. Years ago, after moving abroad, she'd thrown herself into the party circuit for the sake of fame and fortune, drinking heavily and pushing herself until her liver finally gave out. She'd spent months in the hospital, clinging to life. śwnovel.net "Ms. Mercer, you're nothing like your brother. He and Sylvie are close-he's even head over heels and, I hear, thinking about marrying Sylvie into the Mercer family. Talk like that only embarrasses him." Selma's words were pointed, and with that, she turned to mingle with other guests.

Esmeralda froze.

Grady wanted to marry Sylvie?

Had he completely lost his mind?

As far as she was concerned, she and Grady were worlds apart—she did her best

to avoid him altogether. But still, he was her brother. And now he was actually considering bringing Sylvie into the family?