From the moment Elodie opened the passenger door of Jarrod’s car to the second Sylvie-his actual girlfriend-arrived on the scene, Naylor witnessed the whole thing, every detail.

He couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle. How did he always manage to stumble into these kinds of dramatic moments?

No wonder Elodie had been eyeing Jarrod the other day-apparently, she’d been cooking up some new plan. And here she was, trying to hitch a ride with him, only to get put in her place by the real girlfriend.

“What’s so funny?” came a low, amused voice through his phone.

Naylor tapped the ash from his cigarette and grinned. “Just caught a pretty entertaining scene, that’s all. Honestly, too much attention from women can be a real hassle-some of the tricks they pull to get a guy’s attention are really something.”

The man on the other end replied dryly, “Since when did you get so chatty?”

Naylor choked on his own laughter. “Right, only you get to dish it out. I’m just here for the show.”

He stubbed out his cigarette, then changed the subject. “Elias, when are you finally coming home? Are you coming back for Christmas?”

“We’ll see,” came the calm reply.

Naylor clicked his tongue. “Dr. Warwick, with your experience, you’d do far more good back here than wasting it abroad. We need you.”

“Fair point,” Elias said without missing a beat.

Naylor let out a soft curse, still smiling, then hung up and got into his car.

By the time they finished touring the campus, it was already past four.

Elodie talked with Patrick about VistaLink Technologies’ year-end project. Patrick was visibly moved, his eyes misting over. “This project is exactly what we need— finally closing the gap in our field. Elodie, when you make a move, you really go big. Once this project gets off the ground, it’s only a matter of time before VistaLink Technologies goes public.”

Alexander had to agree.

If Elodie hadn’t gotten married a few years back and had stayed with them instead, VistaLink Technologies would probably already be a household name worldwide. Even if she wasn’t at the company, she’d still be working alongside his father, leading the nation’s aerospace engineering efforts.

But thankfully,

Elodie was still young-nothing was too late.

She simply offered a faint smile, unwilling to predict what the future might hold.

All that mattered was taking steady steps now; the results would speak for themselves.

Professor Charlie’s research team was still drawing up plans, but Elodie wasn’t putting all her energy there. VistaLink Technologies was about to launch a major project—there was plenty to keep her busy.

That afternoon,

Elodie received a call from Emile’s primary physician.

She made her way to the hospital.

The doctor didn’t mince words. “Mr. Thorne’s condition is deteriorating, and there are signs the cancer may be spreading. Right now, we don’t have a suitable donor for a liver transplant. If we stick with conservative treatment, I can only give him about two more years.”

Elodie felt her heart plummet. Her lips turned pale. “Isn’t there anything else you can do?”

The doctor hesitated. “There is… possibly. But—”

“But what?” Elodie’s voice held a glimmer of hope.

“After the holidays, an oncology specialist from abroad may return. If we can arrange a joint consultation, there might be new options to explore. The timing isn’t certain, but it’s worth waiting to see.”

Elodie understood what the doctor meant.

Getting a team of specialists involved would be ideal.

But time was the one thing she couldn’t afford to waste.

Her uncle’s health was a ticking time bomb, and she herself was barely holding it together.

After leaving the consultation room, Elodie wandered through the hospital lobby, her mind racing through all the possible ways to navigate this crisis. She was so lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the world around her.

She brushed past someone without even realizing it.

The other person stopped in their tracks, turning to watch her retreating figure—