How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 161

Elodie was taken aback by Esmeralda's words and sat in stunned silence for a long moment.

Could it really be true?

Her gaze darkened as she looked ahead at Jarrod.

In that instant, she couldn't read him at all—he was a closed book to her.

If Esmeralda's guess was right…

Then Jarrod wasn't just humiliating her—he was openly disgracing the Thorne family.

She couldn't bear the thought of her mother's wedding ring ending up on Selma's daughter's finger.

"Elodie, let's try to think of another way," Esmeralda said, her face etched with worry as she noticed how pale Elodie had become. Clearly, this blow had hit her hard.

Elodie nodded, forcing herself to stay calm.

There was nothing she could do now but bide her time and look for another opportunity.

The charity gala had its own rules, and she couldn't simply disrupt the proceedings.

She lifted her eyes to the front of the room. Sylvie was in high spirits, chatting animatedly with Jarrod, who sat quietly listening. To any outsider, they looked like a picture-perfect couple—charming, affectionate, perfectly matched.

And here Elodie was, left in the shadows, her disappointment and humiliation only serving to set off their radiance.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, gathering herself as quickly as she could.

Elodie wasn't one to give in to despair. Even if every road seemed blocked, she would find a way forward.

She wasn't about to give up on her mother's ring.

The evening wore on. The auction lots donated from around the world were nearly finished.

A representative from the Jett family, the event's hosts, took the stage to announce the evening's final tally.

Seven hundred million.

That enormous sum would be distributed to impoverished communities across the country, and to charities supporting orphaned children with serious illnesses.

But the highlight was…

The host beamed as he announced, "Let's congratulate Mr. Silverstein and Ms. Fielding, our most generous patrons of the evening!"

Thunderous applause broke out.