How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Sylvie's throat tightened abruptly. She stared at Andrea in utter disbelief.

For a moment, she wondered if she'd misheard. Rainwater trickled down her temple, chilling her to the bone and making her mind go blank.

"What...?"

Andrea remained perfectly polite, but her words were merciless. "This is my advice to you, Ms. Fielding. I suggest you take care of it as soon as possible."

She didn't linger. Having delivered her cold warning, Andrea brushed past Sylvie and disappeared inside.

Sylvie stood frozen in the doorway for a long time, dazed.

She couldn't understand how had things come to this?

Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, a storm of fear and fury welling up inside her.

Elodie...

One thought pounded in her skull: Elodie couldn't possibly be innocent. She must have said something to Jarrod, done something behind her back. Otherwise, why would he treat Sylvie this way?

Instinctively, she wanted to pin the blame on Elodie. But as the rain soaked her through, reality cut through her denial like a knife.

Jarrod hadn't even raised his voice today, hadn't shown a hint of anger-yet how could she not see the cold, ruthless detachment etched in his every word?

He'd never come down from his pedestal; he'd always looked down on her, always kept her under his control-effortlessly, as if it cost him nothing.

He could choose to indulge her, to give her what she wanted, but for him, those gestures meant nothing. Yet from her perspective, she'd mistaken that for something special, something just for her.

That truth sliced her open, leaving her raw and bleeding.

Crushed beneath it all, Sylvie's eyes turned red with unshed tears. She gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached. She couldn't accept it. How could Jarrod never have loved her?

How could he strip away even her last refuge just when she was at her lowest?

She knew deep down that pushing any further now would only make things worse. There was no way back.

It wasn't until she got back to her car that she remembered the question she'd once asked Jarrod outside the hotel.

He'd just looked at her, offered a careless little smile-he hadn't even bothered to answer. Later, Maurice had come outside and overheard. Maurice had told her, "No man could resist a woman who's talented and beautiful."

Jarrod hadn't even denied it.

In that moment, she'd convinced herself that must have been what Jarrod really thought.

Because it was true, wasn't it?

If she came out on top, there'd be no reason for him not to choose her. No reason

for him to even look twice at Elodie. Getting thrown out was always going to be Elodie's fate.

But now-

Everything was in pieces.

Her world, her pride, everything she thought she knew.

What had Jarrod thought of her, back then?

Did he find her ridiculous?

Running to him, demanding marriage, right after spending the night with someone else?

On the drive back, Sylvie's face was clouded with despair and humiliation.

She couldn't accept that her life was ruined, while Elodie only seemed to shine brighter and brighter. How had it come to this? Elodie should have ended up like her mother-a fassure, someone to be pitied or scored, not someone who'd rise above her. Why should Elodie get to walk over her?

That poisonous thought took root.

Her eyes grew redder, stinging with hate.

Back in the gated community, she lost her focus for a moment and nearly crashed

into the pine trees lining the road.

Jerking the wheel, tires screeching, she barely managed to stop in time.

She stumbled out of the car-soaked, shaken, and disheveled.noveldrama

Not far away, Grady saw her and hurried over. He could hardly believe this was the same Sylvie he'd always known-the poised, untouchable queen. He'd been waiting here for a while now.

He reached out to steady her, finally breaking the silence. "What happened?

Sylvie, what's going on?"

She looked at him, her composure shattered. "Let go of me!"

Grady pressed his lips together. "There's no point hiding anything anymore, Sylvie. I can take responsibility for what happened that night. I'll do my best to my parents. They're still investigating the competition incident-I believe you're innocent. But... my parents have their doubts

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about you, and for now, I can't give you any promises."