How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 439

“Ms. Thorne, take a look at this set of test flight data.” Galen slid out of his seat, making room for Elodie.

She walked over, scanning the screen with practiced eyes.

Before long, a stream of voices reporting in drifted from the side.

Elodie turned her head and caught sight of a group approaching from across the room.

At the front was Watts—impossible to miss, tall and long-legged, towering over a cluster of executives in sharp suits, most of them older than he was. They were running through updates, speaking in clipped, efficient tones.

Watts listened intently, all traces of his usual laid-back demeanor gone, his face now set in a cool, businesslike focus.

Every so often, he’d interject with a question or a brief comment.

Elodie realized it was the first time she’d ever seen him in full-on work mode.

It surprised her.

Just as she was about to look away, Watts seemed to sense her gaze. His eyes found hers with unerring precision, and the instant he recognized her, his expression melted into a smile. He turned to the people beside him and said, “You keep going without me for a minute.”

He strode over, covering the distance in a few long steps.

“Elodie? When did you get back?” he asked.

Her hand paused on the drone controller. She thought for a moment, then replied, “Yesterday.”

“How was the conference?” Watts stopped at her side, looking down at her.

“It was great. Learned a lot,” she answered honestly.

He grinned, a spark of understanding in his eyes. “You must be exceptional, then. Conferences at that level—if I went, I can’t say I’d come away with so much right off the bat. Takes time to digest all that information.”

He remembered, ever since that government seminar, he’d noticed the quality of Elodie’s notes and had been quietly impressed.

He was more genuine than she’d expected. Most people never admitted how much a head start could matter.

Sure enough, Watts handled the drone with impressive skill, following all her test instructions perfectly.

Elodie jotted down a few improvement notes as they worked.

After a while, her legs started to ache. She glanced at the stone steps across the room, thinking she’d sit there to finish her notes.

Watts caught her glance, then looked over at the steps—which, under the icy blast of the indoor AC, would be freezing cold.

Without missing a beat, he strode over, shrugged off his jacket, and spread it on the step. “Here. Sit.”

Elodie stopped in her tracks, lifting her gaze to meet his—the open, honest look in his eyes made it clear this wasn’t some calculated gesture. It was just genuine, quietly thoughtful, the mark of someone raised with both privilege and decency.

She clicked her pen closed, then met his eyes and spoke, clear and steady: “I’m sorry, but about what you said the other day—I think I need to be clear with you. I’m not looking for a relationship.”