How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 161

Elodie was taken aback by Esmeralda's words and sat in stunned silence for a long moment.

Could it really be true?

Her gaze darkened as she looked ahead at Jarrod.

In that instant, she couldn't read him at all—he was a closed book to her.

If Esmeralda's guess was right…

Then Jarrod wasn't just humiliating her—he was openly disgracing the Thorne family.

She couldn't bear the thought of her mother's wedding ring ending up on Selma's daughter's finger.

"Elodie, let's try to think of another way," Esmeralda said, her face etched with worry as she noticed how pale Elodie had become. Clearly, this blow had hit her hard.

Elodie nodded, forcing herself to stay calm.

There was nothing she could do now but bide her time and look for another opportunity.

The charity gala had its own rules, and she couldn't simply disrupt the proceedings.

She lifted her eyes to the front of the room. Sylvie was in high spirits, chatting animatedly with Jarrod, who sat quietly listening. To any outsider, they looked like a picture-perfect couple—charming, affectionate, perfectly matched.

And here Elodie was, left in the shadows, her disappointment and humiliation only serving to set off their radiance.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, gathering herself as quickly as she could.

Elodie wasn't one to give in to despair. Even if every road seemed blocked, she would find a way forward.

She wasn't about to give up on her mother's ring.

The evening wore on. The auction lots donated from around the world were nearly finished.

A representative from the Jett family, the event's hosts, took the stage to announce the evening's final tally.

Seven hundred million.

That enormous sum would be distributed to impoverished communities across the country, and to charities supporting orphaned children with serious illnesses.

But the highlight was…

The host beamed as he announced, "Let's congratulate Mr. Silverstein and Ms. Fielding, our most generous patrons of the evening!"

Thunderous applause broke out.

Winifred had always given Elodie her full support and every resource to nurture her talents.

By the time Elodie was twelve or thirteen, she was already playing at a professional level.

She was naturally gifted, a quick study in everything she tried.

But after her marriage, the years had dulled her brilliance. With no one to appreciate her talents, she simply stopped showing them.

Yet she didn't shrink from the spotlight now. She looked up at the stage, ready.

Suddenly, the host glanced awkwardly at the front row, where Queenie sat.

Queenie turned to Elodie, looking apologetic and a little surprised. "This is a bit awkward… Sylvie just said she wanted to play the piano too, right before you did. Elodie, you two… well, it looks like you're in competition."

Elodie's eyes narrowed slightly.

She glanced over at Sylvie, who sat serenely sipping her tea.

What a coincidence.

Queenie sighed, then smiled. "After all, it's not a piano recital—we don't really need to hear two piano performances. Maybe one of you could step aside?"