NovelFinishChapter 576 Elodie instinctively furrowed her brow. Running into Jarrod here, under these circumstances, didn't feel right at all.
She didn't bother to guess what Jarrod was thinking-she simply turned on her heel and headed for the door. After all, if anyone was going to be troubled by this mess, it would be him.
She'd barely reached the staircase when she caught sight of the matriarch sitting stiffly on the living room sofa, her face cold as she gave orders to the staff. "Are we letting just anyone waltz in these days? If they don't want to leave, let them wait." Normally, the old lady was warm and approachable, but when it cto handling problems, she had a ruthlessness that brooked no compromise.
She never gave second chances; negotiation wasn't in her vocabulary.
Lucinda stood beside her, face blank, making no move to intervene.
By now, Lucinda understood perfectly well-Sylvie had lost, and lost badly. In Lucinda's eyes, Sylvie was not up to the task, not someone you could trust with real responsibility.
So, when Elodie cdown the stairs, Lucinda's expression didn't change, but a flicker of something unreadable passed through her eyes.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtFor years, Elodie had kept her aces close to her chest. Not once had she revealed anything of her true strength. That kind of self-control was rare.
In the end, Lucinda felt almost ridiculous, like a fool caught in someone else's game.
She was stunned by Elodie's abilities, but a mix of resentment and anger simmered beneath the surface. Had Elodie been toying with them this whole time? The matriarch waved Elodie over, her tone unexpectedly gentle. "Come, sweetheart, dinner's ready." She didn't mention the unwanted visitor at the door, and Elodie acted as if she hadn't noticed anything either. After all, this was the Silverstein family's house, and the Silversteins' attitude was clear. Whatever they chose to do had nothing to do with her.
Just then, Jarrod appeared behind her. He didn't seem bothered by the matriarch's way of handling things. Stopping at her side, he glanced down at Elodie. "Let's go." Elodie hadn't expected Jarrod to be so calm about the whole thing.
After all, Sylvie was still out there, waiting in the pouring rain.
Elodie hesitated, the whole situation growing stranger by the second.
Octavia had noticed too. After living together so long, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. She lowered her voice, not wanting the matriarch to overhear. "It's really coming down out there. Don't you feel bad for her, Jarrod?" Jarrod's eyes were deep and unreadable as he shot her a cool look. "If you're not hungry, I can have someone drive you home." Octavia's face went rigid.
But remembering what Elodie was capable of, she swallowed her complaints. Now was not the timez to risk offending Elodie. She was easy to placate; give her a little kindness and she'd return to the cheerful girl she used to be. Octavia had looked up Elodie's exam scores in detail-she knew just how useful Elodie could be.
Outside, Sylvie had chere on desperate gamble. She'd stopped by Rosewood Chateau first, but found it empty, so she decided to try her luck here.
Sure enough, the house was lit up.
She had no idea who was inside. When she rang the bell, only a housekeeper cout and told her to leave.
Sylvie's heart sank, her face going deathly pale.
Was Jarrod really refusing to see her? The foundation of everything she'd believed in was crumbling right before her eyes. She couldn't accept it.
In a burst of reckless defiance, she tossed aside her umbrella and let the rain soak her to the bone.
He couldn't possibly be that heartless, she thought. If Jarrod saw her like this, he'd have to soften.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
She had nowhere else to go now. Whatever the cost, it was better than facing the consequences of losing everything. Inside, dinner continued as usual.
The matriarch kept piling food onto Elodie's plate, beaming with pride as she peppered her with questions about her life. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
Elodie picked at her meal, answering only what she wanted to.
Lucinda, on the other hand, looked anything but happy.
She wondered if Elodie would start making demands now that she had. the upper hand. For so long, Elodie ке had been the one in the weaker position-now that things had changed, it was only natural to expect a shift in attitude. Elodie had no interest in guessing what anyone else at the table was thinking.
She ate slowly, appetite lackluster.
Jarrod poured her a glass of water and set it by her hand.
Only then did Elodie glance over at him, her gaze lingering just a moment longer than usual.
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