Eaton gave a heavy nod, but a crease flickered across his brow.
He''d been divorced from Louisa Barnes for years now, and with his workload, he rarely found time to connect with his kids. Still, he wanted to make sure they stayed on the right track. Especially Jarrod he couldn''t afford any slip-ups on his end.
After Elodie finished getting Klein''s signature, she headed straight for the new aircraft parked at the hangar for a quick systems test. She was busy for nearly an hour.
When she finally emerged, she spotted Jarrod leaning against his car by the entrance. Hearing footsteps, he nced over, uncrossed his long legs, and straightened up.
Elodie knew exactly why he was still waiting, but she ignored him and turned to leave.
"Elodie, want to ride back together?" His voice stopped her.
Behind her, Watts hurried over as well. Spotting Jarrod, he gave a polite nod and a quick grin. "Mr. Silverstein, didn''t expect to see you here."
Jarrod shot him a casual look, his tone light. "Just waiting for my wife to finish up."
Ever since she''d learned their marriage was still legally intact, Elodie found it increasingly awkward to hear Jarrod call her "my wife." Coming from him, the word felt out of ce—almost jarring. But there was no mistaking his meaning.
Watts'' smile only widened as he turned to Elodie. "If you''re heading back to the base, we can carpool. And I''ve got a report I''d like you to review if you have a moment."
A report? Elodie couldn''t afford to be careless when it came to work.
Jarrod''s lips lifted in a faint, unreadable smile. "Reports can wait, Mr. Aldridge. Maybe it''s time you learned to stand on your own two feet-then you wouldn''t need to rely so much on my wife."
Watts gave a sly, knowing look. "What''s this, Mr. Silverstein? Out of distractions and now you''re clinging to Elodie?"
Jarrod nced away, feigning indifference. "If you''re that envious, Maurice is working on a new dating app. Why not sign up?”
Elodie could feel her ears burning with embarrassment.
She needed to put an end to this. No matter what, in the public eye, she and Jarrod were still married-and she wasn''t about to throw away thatst bit of dignity.
"Thank you for the offer, Mr.
Aldridge, but Jarrod and I have some
things to discuss. I appreciate you
looking out for me," Elodie replied, her voice gentle but firm.
Watts didn''t seem surprised. He just smiled, unconcerned. "No worries. See you
back at the base. And keep the umbre-I insist."
He gave Jarrod a friendly nod. "Drive safe, Mr. Silverstein."
Once Watts had left, Elodie realized she didn''t have much choice-no other cars
could get close in this area. She''d have to leave with Jarrod.
He opened the car door for her. "Want me to hold the umbre?"
She ignored him, slid inside, and buckled her seatbelt.
Jarrod was driving himself today. He pulled out of the lot, steering them toward the exit. Neither of them spoke.
Elodie unlocked her phone and
started scrolling. Someone had just
posted that the Harcourt family hadnded a major international contract-enough to make anyone jealous.
She frowned a little. When did
???
Ma manage to connect with overseas partners? Just a few days ago, he''d been pestering her to get Jarrod to help out the Harcourts.
But she didn''t dwell on it. She nced down at a bid proposal Alexander had sent over.
Jarrod shot her a sidelong nce, clearly aware she wasn''t interested in making conversation—about anything, including the photos.
He could guess she probably knew about them before he did. She hadn''te to him for help, hadn''t asked his opinion.
He caught sight of a few keywords on her screen and finally spoke, his tone measured. "You''re looking at the bid for the DuskendaleVmercial jet?" Elodie met his gaze briefly.
Jarrod''s voice softened a bit. "Silverstein Group''s aviation division will be bidding, too."
He tilted his head, watching her reaction. "Think VistaLink Technologies can handle thepetition?"
Elodie didn''t even bother to look up, her tone blunt. "Are you just making small talk because you have nothing better to say?"