How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie frowned. No one knew her condition better than she did; there was simply no need for all these tests. Besides, they had no idea she was terminally ill. Subjecting her to a battery of exams would be exhausting—more than she could handle.

"I'm fine. I've just been busy lately and probably lacking in some nutrients. There's really no need for the tests." Elodie refused politely.

She didn't need anyone poking and prodding her-she'd lost count of how many blood draws she'd endured through years of treatment. Just the thought of it made her skin crawl. Besides, she'd only just joined the 719 team for the sixth- generation project. If word got out about her health, everything could fall apart. There were too many factors to consider.

Jarrod's brow creased. "Elodie, it's for your own good. A checkup wouldn't hurt."

She kept her expression neutral, voice steady. "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine right now. What you should be focusing on is finding out who's behind all this, instead of wasting time on me. If you don't solve that problem, you'll have trouble down the line."

"Wasting time?" Jarrod's dark eyes fixed on her. "Elodie, I know how to set priorities."

It was clear the two of them weren't going to see eye to eye.

The doctor picked up on the tension and offered a gentle compromise. "There's

no rush. You can think about it. I'm only making a suggestion."

Ultimately, it was up to the patient. Doctors never forced these things.

"And Ms. Thorne, you've got some soft tissue bruising and swelling on your shoulder. We'll need to take care of that."

The ER was busy-the doctor was quickly called away.

Alexander sensed the undercurrent in the room. He knew Elodie's temperament well. Glancing at his watch, he chimed in, "You just got sick. I'll go grab you something to eat."

As soon as he left, the room fell quiet. Jarrod, of course, had no intention of leaving. Andrea would coordinate with the police to handle the person they'd caught.

Without a word, Jarrod began cleaning up the vomit Elodie had left in the trash can. His expression gave nothing away. Elodie watched him-this golden boy, born with every privilege, now calmly dealing with a task most people wouldn't do for their own family. He didn't hesitate. Once he finished, he washed his hands and brought her a glass of water.

Then he sat beside her hospital bed, not looking at his phone, not saying a word. Elodie could sense he was trying to communicate something. She ignored it.

Soon, a nurse came in. "Ms. Thorne, I'm going to treat the bruising on your shoulder."

Elodie nodded. "Thank you."

The nurse was young. She couldn't help stealing a glance at

Jarrod-men with looks and

presence like his weren't exact

common in the ER. But when she turned to Elodie, her hands were steady and professional.

Still, Elodie couldn't help but frown as the nurse dabbed at her injured shoulder. It stung.

"Let me," Jarrod said suddenly, standing up and coming over. "Just tell me which one to use first."

The nurse looked up at him, surprised, but instinctively handed him a cotton swab. "Disinfectant first."

Elodie turned, giving him a skeptical look. "You're doing it?"

Weren't they just at odds a minute ago?noveldrama

Jarrod shot her a glance, then bent down to examine her neck. Elodie's skin was pale, so the angry red

blotches from being grabbed amet

shoved were impossible to miss. The swelling would turn into deep bruises soon.

"Hold still,

cool anJarrod said, his voice

cool and serious. His touch, though, was gentle-carefully applying the medicine inch by inch.

He'd always known she hated pain. Even simple bloodwork for a cold, she'd shy

away from, trembling if the nurse was too rough.

Yet this time, Elodie didn't feel that usual burning sting.

The nurse watched the scene, a soft smile on her lips. "Your husband is really

good to you. You can tell he really cares."

Elodie was caught off guard. Of all things, to hear that from a stranger...

Jarrod didn't even look up. He kept tending to her shoulder and replied coolly, "Is ophthalmology your hospital's specialty?"