Elodie hadn''t expected this.


    A flicker of disbelief passed through her eyes, edged with a trace of dark amusement.


    So now she was supposed to step in, clear Sylvie''s name, and quiet down all the rumors that had erupted?


    Lucinda clearly saw what Elodie was thinking, but her voice remained measured. "That''s not what I''m asking. This isn''t about helping Sylvie-it''s about helping Jarrod. He''s your husband, after all. Even if most people are ready to believe Sylvie''s just an ambitious woman who failed to climb higher, there will still be whispers, doubts that could harm his reputation. You''ve worked in PR. You know how to solve this with minimal fuss, don''t you?"


    Even if only a fraction of those rumors stuck, it could stain Jarrod''s name.


    And Lucinda had no intention of letting Jarrod''s reputation suffer, not even a little. Besides, as Mrs. Silverstein, Elodie had an obligation to protect Jarrod''s interests. Wasn''t it only sensible to look at the bigger picture?


    Elodie stared at Lucinda, her expressionposed.


    It was so clear now: Lucinda was the kind of person who weighed everything against self-interest.


    The cost of that interest? Elodie was expected to pay it. Even Lucinda had to know how cold-blooded her request sounded.


    Elodie let out a slow breath before she looked Lucinda in the eye, her voice cool and even. "With all due respect, the one who started this mess—the one who''s threatening the Silverstein family''s reputation and Jarrod''s own isn''t me. If you want it dealt with, talk to the people actually responsible. Or maybe, just maybe, you should have warned them not to do it in the first ce. Don''te to me, expecting me to be the sacrificialmb in all of this."


    Her words were blunt, stripped of any polite pretense.


    Her refusal was as direct as it could be, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.


    Maybe, once upon a time, she would have bitten her tongue-out of respect, if nothing else, because Lucinda was her mother-inw. But now? What did it matter? Wasn''t it the Silversteins who should be doing some soul-searching right now?


    Lucinda was caught off guard.


    She frowned, staring at Elodie''s pale, determined face-so different from the gentle woman she remembered.


    Elodie wasn''t about to soften, either. She stood, her tone civil but firm. "You''re wee to finish your tea before you leave."


    Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked over to her desk, making it clear the conversation was over.


    Lucinda understood. She''d never been one to force her way when she was unwee. So she rose, gave Elodie a long, searching look, and walked out.


    The moment the door closed behind Lucinda, Elodie''s eyes grew cold. She nced down at her phone.


    After a moment, she picked it up and scrolled through her contacts, searching for a while before dialing a number with no name attached.


    The line picked up. A calm male voice came through the receiver. "What''s wrong?"


    He didn''t ask why she was calling; he already knew. Elodie never called unless she had to.


    Her tone was t, stripped of any warmth. "Whatever mess you and Sylvie have made, that''s your problem. Don''t drag me into it. Your mothe just came to see me, I''d step in and fix things. Take care of it on your end."


    She didn''t need to spell it out. Jarrod would get it.


    He paused for a few seconds. "Fine. Don''t worry about it."


    Without another word, Elodie ended the call.


    She''d gotten the answer she needed, and that was enough.


    The whole situation slipped from her mind almost immediately. She had far more pressing technical


    yel


    challenges to tackle-she didn''t have


    time for their drama.


    Meanwhile, after leaving VistaLink Technologies, Lucinda got a call from Jarrod.


    He told her toe by the family estate that afternoon.


    Lucinda''s eyes flickered with a thoughtful look, but she didn''t refuse.


    l.nět


    Octavia came along as well. She''d only just heard about the Sylvie scandal, and was still reeling from the shock-and, beneath it, a


    simmering anger.


    She couldn''t understand it. Her brother had a hundred ways to handle things


    quietly. Why did he have to choose this one?