How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 671

When you’re trying to network, a drink or two is pretty much unavoidable. Anticipating this, Esmeralda had the waiter prepare some mocktails for Elodie to pass off as the real thing.

Esmeralda herself, though, made the rounds with a glass in hand.

It wasn’t long before the alcohol caught up with her, leaving her a little lightheaded. “We traded a few contacts,” she said, her words a little slurred but satisfied. “I’d say we made some headway tonight. Productive, really.”

Elodie handed her a glass of water and patted her on the back. “It’s fine. Just relax, okay? Take it easy.”

Esmeralda seemed mostly fine, just rubbed her temples and muttered, “I’m going to the bathroom—be right back.”

Elodie watched her go, a flicker of concern crossing her face.

She turned away, only to spot Ivan approaching from across the room.

He was still in the middle of a toast with someone, but his eyes landed on Elodie.

As Ivan started to make his way over, Elodie pretended not to notice and slipped off in the opposite direction, effectively blocking his approach.

Ivan’s gaze followed her, his jaw tightening. He gripped his glass so hard his knuckles went white.

“Mr. Harcourt? What’s caught your eye?” someone asked, raising their own glass in a friendly salute.

Snapped out of his trance, Ivan gave a nonchalant smile. “Just family.”

“Oh, I see!” The man’s eyes lit up with sudden understanding. “Someone special, then?”

Ivan just gave an easy, careless smile, saying nothing.

Meanwhile, Elodie spent some time chatting with the CEO of an AI firm. Clean energy was the new frontier, after all, and the potential was enormous. Their visions for the future aligned remarkably well.

After exchanging contacts, Elodie realized Esmeralda still hadn’t returned.

She turned and caught sight of the waiter who’d helped Esmeralda earlier.

“Excuse me, did you see Ms. Mercer? Which restroom did she go to?”

“Esmeralda?” she called, peeking inside.

Just then, the video call connected. “Elodie? Where are you?” Esmeralda’s voice came through, sounding perfectly normal.

Relief flooded Elodie. She was just about to step out of the room when someone brushed past her from behind, nudging her forward. She stumbled fully into the lounge just as the door clicked shut behind her.

Her brow furrowed as she turned around.

A voice caught her off guard. “What are you doing here?”

Elodie spun to see Ivan emerging from the bathroom, shirtless, revealing a lean, muscular frame. His dress shirt, streaked with dark red wine, hung damply in his hand—clearly, he’d come in to change.

“Are you with someone?” Esmeralda’s voice crackled from the phone, confusion in her tone. “Where are you? I’ll come find you—”

Suddenly, another voice—sharp and disgruntled—cut in nearby. “Jarrod? What are you doing here, too?”