On the shareholders'' side, Elodie thought, Jarrod had already taken care of everything.


    Everything was falling into ce—almost unbelievably so.


    Except for one thing.


    Jarrod had handed her absolute control. Nexus Analytics was now a fully independent entity. She had the authority to rece board members, change Jarrod''s appointees, and amendpany bws. Still, he personally retained a 10% stake, but under the agreement, he gave Elodie his full voting rights concerning Nexus Analytics.


    He wouldn''t participate in any decisions or management; he''d simply collect his small share of the dividends.


    It was a total relinquishment of control.


    The meeting ended.


    Elodie felt almost disoriented, as if things had gone too smoothly to be real.


    She got up and headed for the door.


    Jarrod walked over to her.


    His gaze was lowered as he said, "Keep on the people at Nexus Analytics you can trust. I shouldn''t have to remind you about the rest."


    Elodie understood exactly what he meant. She said nothing, just turned and walked out.


    Outside the conference room, Sylvie and Maurice were waiting.


    A few attendees knew Sylvie and greeted her as they passed. One of them, noticing Sylvie ncing toward the meeting room, remarked with a knowing smile, "Today''s been quite a day-something huge just happened in there."


    Maurice looked intrigued. "What do you mean?"


    At that moment, Elodie and Jarrod exited together-Elodie in front, Jarrod a few paces behind.


    Sylvie saw them and her eyes immediately turned cold.


    The same shareholder gestured toward Elodie and introduced her to Sylvie and Maurice. "That''s Ms. Thorne-she''s the new head of Nexus Analytics."


    Maurice froze in shock.


    Sylvie''s face changed in an instant.


    Nexus Analytics... Ms. Thorne?


    Elodie caught the words as she walked by. She simply nodded in


    acknowledgment to the shareholder, not sparing a nce for Jarrod as she strode


    away.


    Jarrod watched her go, his expression unreadable, then looked away.


    "Jarrod?" Sylvie tried to keep her focus off Elodie, but this ''Ms. Thorne of Nexus Analytics'' business defied belief Her heart hammered in her chest as she pressed her lips together and asked, "What''s going on?"  s?novel


    Maurice wondered if he''d heard wrong. "What''s her connection to Nexus Analytics?"


    Jarrod''s tone was cool, detached. "It''s exactly what it looks like."


    Keith, seeing their confusion, offered an exnation. "Mr. Silverstein stepped in personally. Nexus Analytics has changed hands. As for President Fielding''s situation, it should be resolved soon."


    Sylvie whipped her head around, staring down the corridor where Elodie had disappeared.


    He gave Nexus Analytics to Elodie?


    "You traded Nexus Analytics to clear things up for Sylvie?" Maurice cut right to the heart of it, unable to hide his shock.


    Nexus Analytics! Anyone in the industry knew how valuable it was.


    Sylvie''s tightly wound nerves swelled with conflicting emotions-shock, gratitude,


    a bittersweet warmth, and a strange undercurrent of unease.


    Just like Maurice, she knew what Nexus Analytics represented in their world.


    Elodie must have seized the opportunity, knowing just how much Sylvie meant to Jarrod, and negotiated Nexus Analytics for herself.


    Was Elodie not afraid of overreaching? Daring to ask for anything?


    "So from now on, Elodie outranks Sylvie by several levels..." Maurice blurted out without thinking.


    It was a fact. Whether they liked it or not, that was the new reality.


    Sylvie drew a shaky breath. The worst crisis had been averted, and she felt a flicker of relief. But this solution seemed almost


    a testament to Jarrod''s pro


    absurd infuriating, even. Yet


    it was


    of


    her. She swallowed her feelings and, unable to hide her emotion, looked at him. “Jarrod... I don''t even know how to thank you."


    He finally nced at her. "As long as you''re all right."


    Maurice felt sorry for Jarrod. An enterprise that cleared nearly a hundred million in annual profit—handed over just like that?


    Sylvie frowned, casting a sidelong nce at the direction Elodie had gone.


    Elodie was only benefiting from Sylvie''s predicament.


    The whole affair was so astonishing it would leave people in the industry speechless. But ultimately, it was all for her. Sylvie saw, more clearly than ever, just how much she meant to Jarrod.