He tried his best not to disturb Elodie.


    By the time he''d perfected the final version, it was nearly four in the morning.


    Jarrod stared at theputer screen for a moment, then checked the date again. Next month, on the eighteenth, it would be exactly one month since Nadia had been "born"-her first month, a good omen. If he hurried, they could hold the wedding on the same day.


    He looked up, gazing at the figure asleep with her back to him across the room. After a brief pause, he turned his attention back to theputer, his expression calm as he worked.


    He converted the finished invitation design into a digital version, drafted a concise but elegant message, and sent it directly to Ivan at TerraGreen Solutions.


    Only then did he finally head to bed, slipping in beside Elodie and gently pulling her into his arms, a silent smile curving his lips.


    The news that they were nning a wedding was met with nothing but enthusiastic approval from his grandmother-she was practically overjoyed.


    She immediately threw herself into contacting bridal designers and wedding nners.


    Lucinda, with her wide circle of friends and connections, was the obvious choice to take charge. The older woman handed off the entire task without hesitation. "You take care of it for the kids," she dered.


    Lucinda was left speechless, handed the responsibility before she could even voice an opinion.


    Jarrod, for his part, had a clear vision for the wedding. When Lucinda came to ask about his preferences, he sat back in his chair, sipping his coffee as heid out his requirements: “It has to be grand and high-profile, but not overlyplicated— let''s skip anything that''s too exhausting. We don''t need any traditional rituals; too many pointless formalities. The venue should be unique, preferably open-air, with plenty of freedom for the guests. We can invite the media, but only after carefully screening them. Quality over quantity. As for the dress, it shouldn''t be bulky or ufortable-Elodie shouldn''t have to suffer through it—but it still needs to look and feel elegant. She''s representing the national team, so we can''t seem wasteful or extravagant. We need to keep up a good public image."


    Lucinda pressed her lips together, at a loss for words.


    "Don''t you think your list of demands is a bit much?" she finally asked. Did he really see her as his personal assistant?


    Jarrod set his cup down, then seemed to remember something else. "And when you''ve narrowed down the nning team, run them by me I have some instructions. The wedding will be held on the same day as Nadia''s first month celebration. Thanks, Mom. I know it''s a lot."  s


    Lucinda''s temple throbbed. After all these years of marriage, she still didn''t understand why he insisted on making things soplicated.


    Every single one of Jarrod''s requirements was clearly for Elodie''s sake—so she wouldn''t get worn out. He was terrified she might be exhausted, yet insisted on making the whole affair as grand as possible.


    Wanting everything, all at once.


    Lucinda frowned and decided not to say anything more. She turned and left.


    Elodie, meanwhile, had no idea what Jarrod was arranging. Her own work was piling up, and there was still the matter of the Watts investigation, As a key witness, she would need to give a statement about the events abroad-her testimony alone was enough to kill any hope Watts had of returning home.  s<fn3da2> Follow current nov?ls on ?ovelFind</fn3da2>


    Jarrod drove her to the training center. Just before she got out of the car, he told her, "If Eldrion Global or Eaton Aldridge reach out, you don''t have to deal with them. I''ll handle it."


    There was no reason for Elodie to be troubled by such things.


    She knew Jarrod could manage it. He wouldn''t have chosen this path without a backup n-he could handle pressure from all sides.


    Besides, the Aldridge family had no real ground to stand on. Both Eaton and Louisa Barnes held unusual and sensitive positions. If they kept pushing, it would only backfire. No one at their level could afford to y


    the fool; sometimes you had to admit defeat and move on. Jarrod understood that perfectly.  s


    The Solcrest trip and its string of serious incidents had drawn the attention of the authorities. With Elodie nearly getting hurt and Jarrod, a man currently vital to the country''s interests, also ced at risk-the gravity of the Watts situation was set in stone.


    There was no middle ground. Either Watts stayed abroad for good, or he returned and faced the consequences.


    With Eaton''s protection, Watts could only remain overseas; any hope of making waves at home was gone.


    Elodie had hoped to stay a few more days, but time wasn''t on her side. Her orders arrived, and she needed to move quickly to tackle a new round of urgent technical problems.