Chapter 602
Elodie used to be in constant contact with the team that managed The Silverstein Group’s official social media. In fact, she probably knew the approval process
better than anyone.
Nothing ever went public without passing through multiple rounds of review- every word scrutinized, every detail confirmed.
But the post she was looking at now…
[Hello everyone, I’m Jarrod, Elodie’s husband. Our marriage began with love and longing. Please, let’s put an end to the rumors and unfounded accusations that have hurt my wife’s reputation. Allow us to love each other quietly. Neither of us would ever accept something forced or insincere-there was no ‘shotgun wedding.’ Only the wise know when to dismiss gossip. If you can, we’d appreciate your blessings. Wishing you all a wonderful day.]
It was simple yet not so simple.
Direct. To the point. Respectful and measured.
It didn’t even sound particularly formal.
If anything… it was sincere.
And, unsurprisingly, it was getting plenty of attention.
Elodie stared at the statement for a moment, then quietly put her phone away.
Maybe, once upon a time, this would’ve made her happy.
But things had changed.
Their relationship wasn’t what it used to be, and neither were her feelings.
Besides, this was just Jarrod doing the decent thing.
Jarrod noticed her distant look and leaned down, voice gentle. “My grandmother saw all the stuff online. She’s a bit worried. After all this is over tonight, would you mind stopping by to see her? Maybe put her mind at ease?”
What could Elodie say?
Tonight, Jarrod had gone above and beyond to shut down any speculation or malicious talk-he’d even used the company’s official platform to make a public declaration on her behalf. By any measure, she owed him for that. There was no point in being difficult now.
“Of course,” she answered quietly.
Watching the exchange, Patricia swirled her wine and then, with a knowing smile, came over and slipped her arm around Elodie’s shoulders. “Alright, let’s not get too solemn. We still need to sign the donation certificates. Coming with?”
Elodie glanced at her, then nodded, making no move to refuse.
Jarrod watched the two women walk off, his expression unreadable.
His presence had elevated the event to a new level, and the charity’s expected
donations had broken all previous records.
Throughout the evening, people
from all walks of life made a point of
greeting Elodie. Their words all
expressed admiration for her abilities, never once mentioning Jarrod—an artful omission by those who knew how to navigate such circles.
Elodie, with her background in PR, handled it all with practiced ease.
By the time the event wrapped up, it was just past eight.
As they were leaving, Patricia leaned in close and whispered, “It’s a shame, you know. Watts Aldridge was genuinely into you. Next time you see him, could you try not to freeze him out so obviously? Let him
save a little face. He’s never fallen
this hard before.”
Elodie knew she’d be working closely with Watts going forward. There was no avoiding it.
She chose not to reply.
Patricia just shrugged, unconcerned. “See you around. And don’t flake next time
I consider us friends now.”
Elodie met her gaze, eyes calm and clear. “See you.”
Patricia finally arched an eyebrow in a grin, then shot a playful look at Jarrod behind Elodie. “Mr. Silverstein, you’re welcome to join our next get-together, if you have the time.”
Jarrod nodded politely, but Patricia didn’t wait for a reply-she was already getting into her car.
Only then did Elodie turn to him. “Heading to the family house?”
Jarrod held out his hand. “Give me your keys. Grandmother’s waiting at the main house. I’ll drive.”
“What about your car?” Elodie frowned.
“Andrea took it to run some errands. I’m carless at the moment,” Jarrod said, his tone easy and light.