How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 534

Elodie hadn’t paid much attention to the whole “newlywed home” situation. Now, hearing Sylvie bring it up out of nowhere, she mentally did the math—sure enough, the timing fit.

But still.

Why was Sylvie making a call about this right now?

A flash of dry amusement flickered in Elodie’s eyes. She didn’t need an explanation to guess Sylvie’s intentions.

When Sylvie finished her call and caught sight of Elodie, she scoffed, “Didn’t realize eavesdropping was your thing now.”

Elodie set her own phone down, barely glancing at her. “Feeling proud about secondhand leftovers? Jarrod couldn’t even be bothered to get you something new, but you’re sure good at making do with what’s handed to you.”

Sylvie’s expression darkened instantly.

Elodie didn’t stick around to enjoy it.

She simply turned on her heel and walked away.

Sylvie’s scowl lingered, thoughts churning. The whole Neural Intelligence project was still a thorn in her side, keeping her awake at night.

But right now…

She straightened her back, pushing down the frustration. The first and second rounds of the competition were closed-door, but without Mr. Sterling and his team backing Elodie this time, there was a real chance Elodie wouldn’t make it through—not to mention the make-or-break third round: the live demonstration.

Sylvie just needed to make sure she was the last one standing.

The third round was a major public event. If her algorithm and system won, they’d be officially adopted and put to real-world use.

If her work got chosen, she’d earn a place on the “national team.” What would Elodie or Neural Intelligence matter then?

She’d have so much more—whether that meant stepping into a top research group, or finally earning her ticket into the Silverstein family.

—

The assessment process was complex, and everyone was isolated during testing.

Nobody knew how anyone else was doing, or what their scores were.

If you passed, you’d be notified in a week and go on to the third round—the public finals.

When Elodie saw the test content, even she was surprised; this was top-tier stuff. Three hundred candidates chosen from across the country, but only three would make it through.

She didn’t let herself relax for a moment.