How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

For a split second, Elodie's mind just... froze. A deafening roar filled her ears, as if her blood had turned to ice, locking her limbs in place, rooting her to the ground.

She couldn't even make out the car hurtling toward her-her whole world was washed out in blinding white.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Suddenly, an armored SUV swerved out of nowhere from her left, spinning around and ramming head-on into the oncoming car.

Crash!

With a bone-jarring impact, the car racing toward her was shoved several yards away.

The night wind whipped up, sending her hair flying.

Another screech of brakes tore through the chaos.

Before Elodie could process what had happened, someone rushed up from behind, scooping her up and shielding her in an unbreakable embrace. The familiar, crisp scent of pine filled her senses as she was carried into another car.

She looked up and met Jarrod's deep, stormy eyes.

For a rare moment, his expression wasn't unreadable; the cold mask slipped away when he saw her looking at him.

"Don't look outside," Jarrod murmured, his arms never loosening around her waist. His gaze flicked out the window before he leaned down, a broad hand cupping the back of her head, tucking her completely against his chest. Pressed tightly to him, Elodie could see nothing but darkness and the rise and fall of his breath.

The car jolted suddenly.

It felt like they'd been hit again.

The force of it made her heart lurch.

Jarrod's arm, still braced around her shoulders, slammed hard against the dashboard.

In the dimness, his brow furrowed, but just for a moment-he didn't show any sign of pain.

Outside, everything fell eerily silent.

Inside the cramped car, all that remained was their tangled breathing, the thudding of their hearts.

Elodie could feel his heartbeat, slightly uneven.

The whirlwind of events left her spine prickling, cold sweat trickling down her back.

Only then did Jarrod finally look down at her. While Elodie was still dazed and shaken, he gently brushed her hair at the nape of her neck, his touch light as a feather. "It's over. You're safe now. Sit up, take a look?"

Snapping back to reality, Elodie realized she hadn't even registered that she was still in his arms.

She sat up and peered out the window.

The black sedan that had tried to run her down had vanished.

Only the battered SUV remained, idling a short distance away.

Andrea climbed out of the driver's seat, rubbing his neck.

Thankfully, the SUV was built like a tank; he seemed none the worse for wear.

Andrea walked over. "Mr. Silverstein, everything's clear."

Not a hint of panic in his voice-just the calm steadiness of someone well-trained for crisis.

Jarrod straightened in his seat, brow still knit, and glanced at Elodie, his voice uncharacteristically grave. "It's not safe here, at least for now Would you come someplace else with me?"

Elodie's mind was still a jumble. She couldn't believe something this brazen could happen here, of all places.

She hadn't imagined it-the car was definitely coming for her. If it had hit her just then-

If Jarrod hadn't shown up when he did, she'd be in pieces.

"Where?" she asked, frowning, the tension still coiled in her chest.

Jarrod didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned to Andrea. "You alright?"

Andrea managed a small grin. "Nothing serious."

He flexed his hand, pale eyes glinting, then turned to Elodie. "We're going to meet someone."

Goldcrest Bay.

Sylvie had been waiting for nearly an hour.

She paced restlessly, her gaze fixed on the distant road, each passing second knotting the tension in her chest tighter.

She'd asked Jarrod to meet her—but hadn't told him she was planning to leave town for good.

It was

this

felt

pride. Stubbornness. After all

she couldn't believe

t nothing for her-not even od

shred of affection or regret.

Before leaving, she just wanted to see him one last time.noveldrama

She knew it was risky.

But if she left without facing him, she'd never forgive herself.

He didn't know she was leaving. This was her last gamble.

Just as she was lost in thought, two cars pulled up.

Spotting the familiar license plate, Sylvie sprang to her feet, hope

flickering in her eyes as if she'l

known this would happen aft along.

Jarrod stepped out first.

Sylvie felt her resentment begin to unravel. She started toward him—

But then she saw him turn and open the car door for someone else.

Elodie.

The moment Elodie stepped out, Sylvie's face drained of color, her expression darkening in an instant.

Stunned, she instinctively took a step back.

Andrea was already standing behind her.