Chapter 469
Jarrod stood at the railing, one hand in his pocket, leaning back with the kind of distant composure that made it seem like he’d just stumbled onto a scene that had nothing to do with him.
Watts noticed him too. Turning around, he greeted him with a surprisingly unruffled, “Mr. Silverstein, did you catch all that?”
Jarrod had just finished a call. He slipped his phone away, his eyes lingering on the two of them standing together-utterly unreadable. No warmth, no anger. His emotions were always so tightly controlled, you could never tell what he was really thinking.
Watts didn’t think he’d said anything wrong anyway. After all, Jarrod was still seen out and about with Sylvie, even with all the rumors flying—and despite being married, he acted like none of it mattered. He and Sylvie arrived and left together, and now here they all were at the same gallery as Elodie. Clearly, Jarrod didn’t care. Either he didn’t love Elodie, or her pain simply wasn’t his concern.
Watts offered a calm, almost challenging smile. “Mr. Silverstein, I’d say my confession to Elodie is only fair, don’t you think? After all, you have Ms. Fielding- your own special confidante.”
Elodie was taken aback by Watts’s bluntness. He didn’t miss a beat, cutting straight to the point.
Jarrod met Watts’s gaze, his own voice cool and restrained. “You two go ahead. I’ve got another work call to take.”
He didn’t even try to engage, let alone argue. It was as if Elodie was just another acquaintance-someone he barely knew.
Jarrod calmly looked away, took a call, and headed downstairs.
Elodie understood. To Jarrod, this really had nothing to do with him; he wasn’t about to meddle or show any reaction.
Watts watched Jarrod’s retreating figure and frowned. He turned to Elodie. “Sorry -did I make things awkward for you just now?”
Elodie shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Aldridge. My answer would’ve been the same, married or not.”
She nodded politely, then turned to find Esmeralda.
Watts watched her go, letting out a quiet sigh. Maybe he’d come on too strong.
But seeing Jarrod and Sylvie together had made his blood boil.
When Elodie returned, Esmeralda rushed over, unable to contain her curiosity. What happened up there? What did you guys talk about? I saw Jarrod come down right after you and Mr. Aldridge-did you run into him? He looked like he was practically shooting laser beams at you…”
Elodie didn’t hide anything. “He confessed to me.”
After a brief pause, she added, “Jarrod walked in on it.”
Esmeralda’s eyes widened. “Seriously? He picked now to confess? And you’re—
well, everyone thinks you’re still Mrs. Silverstein!”
Elodie considered it for a moment. “I
think he was upset because of alt the Sylvie stuff with Jarrod. He probably doesn’t know I’m already divorced, so maybe he thought I deserved better.”
That was her guess, at least.
“Well, then he must really care about you. Isn’t that what it means to like someone when you can’t stand to see them hurting?” Esmeralda, a self-proclaimed novice in love but a diehard shipper in every fandom, was quick to offer her analysis.
Elodie didn’t dwell on it.
Esmeralda, quick to regroup, zeroed in on what she really wanted to know. “So what about Jarrod? Did he react at all? You’re so popular! He must’ve noticed now, right?”
Elodie shook her head honestly. “He didn’t react.”
Esmeralda was momentarily speechless, frustration caught in her throat.
Just picturing that scene made her furious! Didn’t Jarrod realize how little he seemed to care? Even as an onlooker, it was hard not to feel sorry for Elodie after all these years.
But Esmeralda swallowed her anger, not wanting to upset Elodie with her own feelings.
As for Elodie, she really didn’t seem bothered. She quietly went back to viewing the exhibition, as if nothing at all had happened.