Elodie had no idea what was happening on Naylor''s end. She was deep in conversation with Alexander, discussing thetest high-tech materials from TerraCore Technologies-even though the productunch hadn''t started yet.


    By the time they finished, she''d already pieced together the pros and cons of TerraCore''s new materials and jotted down a few notes.


    As she set her pen aside, she noticed Jarrod and Sylvie had split up. Sylvie had disappeared somewhere, and Jarrod had slipped away from the cluster of people to make his way toward the main hall.


    Elodie stood up, told Alexander, "I''m going to the restroom," and didn''t wait for him to look up from his phone before heading off.


    She caught up with Jarrod just as he was about to round the corner.


    When he saw her, Jarrod''s face remained unreadable. "What is it?"


    Elodie tipped her chin up. Her face was strikingly delicate, making her eyes look evenrger and more detached than usual. "I need to talk to you. Let''s have a word."


    This time, she didn''t bother phrasing it as a request. She gave him no room to refuse.


    Jarrod looked down at her, his gaze cool and detached. "All right."


    Elodie nced around. It was crowded, people weaving past in every direction. She was about to suggest they find somewhere quieter-no point risking eavesdroppers and giving Jarrod an excuse to me her-when he suddenly stepped closer, raising his hand protectively to block her from the flow of people.


    She turned her head to see a line of staff carrying audio equipment marching past. If he hadn''t intervened, she would have been knocked into for sure.


    For a moment, Jarrod''s arm formed a protective barrier around her; the gesture registered and was gone in a sh.


    Elodie didn''t dwell on it. Instead, she furrowed her brow and asked, her voice cool, "I sent you those documents two months ago. Are you telling me you still haven''t dealt with them?"


    "Documents?" Jarrod''s gaze flickered, briefly meeting hers before drifting elsewhere, as if something else had caught his attention.


    "My grandmother wants us to spend Valentine''s Day together," Elodie pressed, "but honestly, you need to make things clear to her as soon as possible."


    She was tired of dragging this out. It wasn''t just exhausting for her-her grandmother was running herself ragged for nothing. With her blood pressure and heart issues, Elodie didn''t dare spell things out herself and take on the me. Jarrod needed to clean up his own mess.


    "Mr. Silverstein, the holidays are over. It''s time we schedule the—"


    Suddenly, amotion erupted a short distance away.


    Elodie instinctively turned to look, but before she could, Jarrod''s tall frame moved. He stepped around her quickly, his face darkening as he strode off, not waiting to hear the rest of what she had to say.


    Elodie opened her mouth, but there was no stopping him now. She couldn''t understand why he''d agreed to talk only to leave halfway through without a word.


    She turned, following after him, and spotted Jarrod heading straight for Sylvie. That''s when she realized something was wrong.


    A man in a suit, eyes red and wild, was lunging toward Sylvie, shouting, "Don''t hold me back! Sylvie is my girlfriend! We went to college together-Sylvie!"


    Sylvie looked pale, her expression a mix of disbelief and dread.


    Security rushed in, trying to restrain the man.


    He yelled, "Sylvie, why are you ignoring me? Remember all those nights we studied together in the library?"


    His stare was so feverish, it was as if Sylvie were some kind of muse he''d worshipped for years.


    Clearly rattled, Sylvie recoiled as the man tried to reach for her again. Just then, Jarrod arrived, grabbing the man by the cor and yanking him back so hard he stumbled to the ground.


    Sylvie, looking like she''d just been saved from drowning, didn''t hesitate-she threw herself into Jarrod''s arms.