Chapter 17
She clenched her fingers and said evenly. No one wants to get a stye. Just so everyone’s aware
She didn’t want to explain, nor did she feel the need to
Jamedstudied her his expression unreadable!
“Stop making excuses. If I hadn’t caught you, you’d never have admitted it Octavia complained, glaring at her “This is so annoying. This is a guesthouse–everything’s taken care of here. Why are you wren following us around We don’t need you!
For the past three years, to escape her mother’s nagging Octavis often spent weekends or holidays at her brother’s place. Elodie had always fussed over here
Octavis had gotten used to so she automatically assumed that Elodie was using the pretense of looking after her to stir up trouble for everyone
What’s going on?” Queenie and Ivan came out one after the other
van glanced at the isolated, outnumbered Elodie and grinned. “Mr Silverstein, why the mood to tense?
Octavia, though young, could mad the room. She knew ban was, at least in name, Edie’s bother, in the just pursed her lips and fell sent
But Elodie understood–Ivan was offering her way out, a chance to move past this?
Sylvie didn’t comment, just tumed to Queenie. Let’s co grab a bite
Que wasn’t interested in the drama ether, and left with Sylvie
van amited lazily, as if he hadn’t even noticed Elodie’s awkward predicament. Mr. Silverstein, leave you to your family matters, I’m going to join my girlfriend
He didn’t even care that Janod was paroding his mestress around–he wasn’t going to get involved 2
Octavia looked like she wanted to say more, but Jarod shot her a look. The girls shouldves hunched sha bolted without another word
Elodie’s gelingered on vans back for few seconde
“What are you looking at?” Jarrod’s cool, detached voice snapped her out of it. She looked up and mat his deep inscrutable
Hi gaze mis cold, emotionless “Canto tald
“wasn’t spying on you” Elodie replied calmly
“Su Give me your phone” He almost sounded like he believed her?
Elodie frowned “Why?
Without another word Jarrod reached out and plucked the phone from her hand. His long fingers tapped the comets and Elodie’s face finally changed. She was so stunned her breath trembled. “You actually think I’d sneak photos of you?! Was the supposed to be some kind of insult?.
Jamod glanced through–nothing inappropriate there–then handed her phone back
His black eyes were cold and sharp, his tone so indifferent it made her skin prickle. “Three years there anything Mrs. Silverstein wouldn’t do?”
her gallery?
Lago you managed to invite the press to photographus in bed is
Blod
understood–Jarrod still couldn’t let go of what happened they years ago.
He believed she’d shamelessly taken advantage of him when he was drunk. That she’d called in the reporters to publicize their affair. That she’d forced him into mamage without shame!
notter how she explained base, it all seemed weak and pointles
She had nothing to prove her innocence
We you really warned that your thing with Splai will make even bigger headlines? Her voice was almost serene now! Jarrod shot her a lock “She’s different
photos like that got out, it would damage hat reputation “%
The implication was clear there was a world of difference between her and SylvieX
She had stooped low enough to call the press to their bed, but Sylvie–Sylvie was someone whose reputation had protect! Jarrod didn’t bother waring for Elodie to defend herself. He gave her a final indifferent glance, then tumed and walked away
Flode could only smile bitterly
Rounding the comer, she spotted to hearing against the wall, smoking
No teling how much he overheard
He looked up Rough day?”
Elodie hesitated, and for a moment, it almost felt like the old Iran was back
la ficked his cigarette ash For the first time since getting out of prison, he made small talk with her. Tve taken over Queenie’s dad’s branch office. Lately, I’ve been working on a joint project with Jared’s company
“So?” Bode replied, her voice finally steady, calm
Ivan looked at her and realized Elodic had changed She’d once been meek and compliant Now!
She had edges. She could hold her own
Just–don’t get on his bad side,” he said, one casual, almost affhand X
So this was what truly mattered to lan
