StarNovelChapter 573 "Got it," Elodie replied.
At this point, the truth was out-there was no way she could bluff her way past Jarrod's grandmother.
She ended the call.
She didn't ask Jarrod to pick her up, either. There was no need to put on that awkward show, making things uncomfortable for everyone.
When work was finally done, Elodie glanced at the clock. Near seven, she drove out toward Moonlight Garden. Rainy season had arrived.
Halfway there, the skies opened up. The world filled with the earthy, damp scent of wet soil.
When she arrived, she stepped out beneath her umbrella.
But at the door, she paused-she didn't know the new passcode.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEver since Jarrod had bought back the house as their marital home, all the codes had been changed.
If she rang the bell, his grandmother might sense something was off.
Elodie frowned, considering her options.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind her. A crisp, cool scent of fir needles drifted in the wet air. Before she could turn, someone caught her wrist and guided her index finger to the fingerprint scanner.
Beep, beep- The door unlocked.
Startled, Elodie looked up at Jarrod.
He'd already released her, his pale eyes steady and clear. "Con." That was all he said.
He stepped inside first, umbrella in hand.
My fingerprint? she thought, brows knitting. She couldn't quite wrap her head around it.
In the hhe now shared with Sylvie, her fingerprint was still in the system? Had he just forgotten to delete it? She let the thought go and stepped inside.
Seeing the living room, Elodie felt momentarily disoriented. The place was completely different. The layout and fixtures she remembered had all changed. Unfamiliar art and decorations filled the space. It bore no trace of the hshe'd lived in for three years, the one she'd painstakingly arranged.
Now it was a brand-new house-a hthat belonged to someone else. She let the feeling linger for just a couple seconds.
Jarrod turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. "What is it?" Elodie glanced at him, but said nothing, following him further inside. They entered the living room, where Lucinda Howard was already seated. His grandmother bustled in from the kitchen, Linsey following close behind.
As soon as she saw Elodie, the old woman hurried over to take her hand, shooting Jarrod a reproachful glare. "What's going on with you? Why didn't you ever mention Elodie's situation? You kept us in the dark this whole time? How could you not know?" She couldn't believe Jarrod had been unaware.
He must have known-he'd just chosen not to say anything! Now they all felt like outsiders, knowing nothing about their own family.
Jarrod arched a brow. "There were special circumstances. Elodie was under restrictions." His grandmother looked ready to protest further.
But Elodie spoke up. "I'm sorry, Grandma. I had confidentiality requirements. I couldn't tell you." Of course, the old woman wasn't truly angry.
She was just overwhelmed her remarkable granddaughter had kept so quiet, and now, suddenly, the whole truth was out. It hardly felt real.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmTo think someone so highly valued in her field had lived among them all these years, quietly keeping her head down...
"Nonsense, it's an honor for the Silverstein family," she said, regaining her composure. Heralwasradiant as she patted Elodie's hand. "Go wash up-we'll eat soon." Cheerfully, she bustled back to the kitchen.
Elodie's achievements filled her with pride.
Only Lucinda, seated nearby, looked troubled.
She couldn't pretend she wasn't shocked.
Lately, more and more society ladies had begun asking after Elodie. Clearly, the news had made quite a splash.
When she'd first heard it, Lucinda had taken a long tto process-she'd even wondered if it wasjust gossip. The whole idea seemed so...far-fetched.
In her mind, Elodie had always been that quiet, gentle girl, orbiting Her'son, never standing out. Lucinda hesitated, unsure what to say. "Jarrod, could you cwithfor a moment?"
She couldn't bring herself to speak to Elodie directly, so she simply stood and beckoned Jarrod. He didn't refuse.
Elodie paid them no mind. She simply took a quiet seat in what used to be her home, now a guest in someone else's house.
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