Lucinda couldn''t help but wonder-was Elodie implying she hadn''t been much of a mother? That she had no right to ask anything of her?


    But almost immediately, Lucinda dismissed the thought. Elodie would never dare to think that way.


    Without checking if Lucinda understood her meaning, Elodie merely nodded, then turned and walked away.


    Lucinda frowned at Elodie''s retreating figure. In the past, she would have been pleased with Elodie''s polite, distant manner. It meant Elodie knew how to behave.


    But now, for some reason, it just felt... insulting.


    The next day, Elodie visited the hospital to meet the specialist Elias had rmended-a man named Dr. Latham.


    He was not yet forty, an expert who had returned from abroad alongside Elias, and his office was filled with photos of them treating patients all over the world. Clearly, the hospital had spared no expense to bring him back.


    After reviewing Emile''s case, Dr. Latham said, "We can schedule the surgery. Elias already briefed me. Don''t worry, I''ll do everything I can."


    Elodie thanked him, but her gaze drifted to a framed photograph of Dr. Latham and Elias together. Below Elias''s image was an unfamiliar name, spelled out in English.


    She couldn''t quite make it out.


    Dr. Latham caught her lingering nce and smiled. "Fergus. That''s the name he used while working overseas."


    Elodie looked up in surprise. Elias was Fergus?


    She had spent ages trying to track down this expert named Fergus. After all her searching, it turned out to be Elias all along.


    Her mind was still reeling when she returned to the offices of VistaLink Technologies. Now that she knew Elias was Fergus, hope fluttered in her chest. If he couldn''t personally oversee Emile''s entire treatment and surgery, perhaps he could work with Dr. Latham to develop a care n together?


    Lost in thought, she had barely stepped off the elevator when Esmeralda swept


    her into her office and pressed a gold-embossed invitation into her hand.


    "Elodie... this is for you," Esmeralda said, her expressionplicated. Elodie nced down.


    It was an engagement party invitation-from Ivan and Queenie Jett.


    Esmeralda frowned. "Someone from TerraGreen Solutions delivered the invitations in person. Alex and I both got one. The party''s this Friday. Remember at the Jett family''s charity g, Ivan said that if he ever got engaged, he''d invite everyone who attended?"


    That reminded Esmeralda of how Jarrod and Sylvie had stolen the spotlight at that event, jointly donating to several schools.


    "When Ivan''s assistant dropped off the invitation, he passed along a message from Ivan: he hasn''t invited a single person from the Harcourt family. If you don''t show up, he''lle here to VistaLink Technologies and fetch you himself."


    "...Are you going to go?" Esmeralda knew Ivan well enough to realize he meant it. And knowing him, whatever he did would make a scene.


    Elodie''s expression didn''t change. Instead, she asked, "So everyone who went to the charity g might be there?"


    Esmeralda nodded. "Probably. We all got invites, so I''m sure the others did too. It''s a greatworking opportunity-no one''s going to turn that down."


    Elodie tapped her chin thoughtfully and set the invitation on the desk, unconcerned. "I''ll go."


    Ivan was getting engaged-of course she''d offer her congrattions. Who he ended up with didn''t matter to her anymore.


    What interested her was that Elias had also attended the charity g. The Jett and Warwick families did business together. There was a good chance he''d be at the party, too.


    Now that she knew he was Fergus, she wanted to approach him first-test the waters, maybe ease into the idea of a joint treatment n, rather than springing it on him out of nowhere.


    As for Ivan''s engagement invitation, it was simply the perfect excuse.


    Friday came.


    Ivan''s engagement party wasn''t a stiff, formal affair. Instead, it was a young, lively gathering—a cruise ship rented for the asion, with champagne flowing, music ring, and people dancing everywhere.


    The weather was warming up. By the time Elodie arrived with Alexander and the others, guests were already boarding.


    Esmeralda whistled in amazement. "They call this an engagement party? It''s more like a singles mixer for the under-thirty crowd. We''ve barely made it halfway around and I''ve already fallen for eight different guys. At this rate, I''ll never have a day off from dating."


    Elodie just shook her head,ughing quietly.


    Alexander rolled his eyes and purposefully drifted farther away.


    As they moved through the crowd, a group came toward them. The man at the front caught sight of Elodie, and for a moment, his gaze lingered on her smiling face. He stopped in his tracks.