Freya nodded at just the right moment.


    Elodie nced at her, hesitated, then finally agreed. "...Thank you. I owe you one."


    After all, she had nothing to do with Joseph-unless it was absolutely necessary, she didn''t want to owe anyone favors.


    Joseph could sense Elodie''s distance. He paused, but still nodded. "Alright. I''ll let you know when it''s set."


    Elodie found an excuse to slip away.


    Freya watched her go.


    Then she turned to Joseph. "Hey, is Elodie''s husband really that awful? She''s sick and he doesn''t even care or stay with her. I''ll never end up with a guy like that.” Joseph was at a loss for words.


    "In the future, don''t say things like that to other people, okay?"


    Freya pouted. "Why not?"


    "They''re divorced."


    Freya''s eyes widened in surprise. Once she processed it, she perked up. "Really? Then, Joseph, why don''t you ask her out? I like her."


    Joseph ruffled her hair, then looked in the direction Elodie had gone. "Liking someone isn''t a one-way street."


    Elodie avoided the siblings and went to discuss her test results with her doctor. Thankfully, things were still within the expected range.


    Even though there hadn''t been much improvement, as long as things weren''t getting worse, she counted it as good news.


    After the doctor prescribed a new targeted medication, she made her way back to VistaLink Technologies.


    At three in the afternoon, Elodie saw a call from her grandmother.


    Her grandmother rarely called during work hours, which made Elodie think something must be up. She picked up right away.


    "Grandma?"


    Her grandmother''s voice was warm and gentle. "Sweetheart, are you busy right now?"


    Elodie nced at the clock. "Not at the moment. Is everything alright?"


    Her grandmother continued, "Did you and Jarrod get settled in your ce? If not, why don''t you just move back to the family house for now?"


    Elodie hesitated, puzzled. "Our ce?"


    "Didn''t you say you were looking for an interior designer?" Her grandmother sounded cheerful. "Jarrod told me you both decided topletely renovate your home. He already had people clear out all the furniture on the top three floors today, and even tore out the built-ins."


    Now, except for the outside, the inside of their house waspletely gutted— walls knocked down, rooms torn apart. It looked like a construction site.


    Elodie froze for a moment before it clicked.


    Her grandmother continued, "The ce is basically a ruin now. Even if they finish the renovations, it''ll take months. I figured you two might as welle stay at the family house. It''d be less trouble."


    Now Elodie understood what her grandmother was getting at.


    Jarrod had bought out the house and demolished everything inside...


    That house had been her project three years ago. From the flooring to the drapes, she had overseen every detail-every brick, every te, every spoon was chosen by her, piece by painstaking piece. She''d poured her heart into making it their home.


    No wonder Jarrod had never likeding home.


    He wasn''t just tired of her-he was tired of everything she''d built.


    Last time, Jarrod had changed the locks on the house, tossed out herptop and a few other things.


    This time, he''d simply razed the whole ce, without so much as a word to her- even though he knew her grandmother might ask about it.


    They''d signed the papers and hidden the divorce, yet he wasn''t worried she might slip up and say the wrong thing?


    Why did he tear the house apart? Probably so her grandmother wouldn''t drop by and notice she''d moved out-or worse, catch on that they''d separated.


    With the house gutted, there were no clues left.


    Elodie nced at the calendar on her desk, a date circled in red marker.


    "Grandma, work''s been busytely and themute from the family house is really long. I think I''ll just stay in the city for now."