NovelUpdateChapter 106 Confident and poised.
He couldn't help but recall how Elodie had all but thrown herself at Jarrod...
"So what's Elodie's story?" Naylor mused, swirling his glass.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtGrady considered for a moment. "She's with VistaLink Technologies these days. I think she's Mr. Sterling's assistant. But to be honest, I get the feeling there's a lot more going on between them." For a man with Alexander's reputation to pay that much attention to a married woman like Elodie? Grady couldn't imagine any explanation-except the obvious one.
It just made him think Elodie had no shleft at all.
Naylor actually looked surprised.
He caught Grady's implication instantly. Alexander was well known in their circles -impeccable reputation, never a hint of scandal, never seen flirting at a business dinner. He was practically the poster child for restraint.
So if Grady was right, that meant Elodie was stringing Alexander along-and now she had her sights set on Jarrod too? Grady frowned. "Why the sudden interest in her?" Naylor clinked his glass against Grady's and gave a wry smile. "Just goes to show, you never really know someone. Who can say what monsters are hiding under a pretty face?" With that, he felt a twinge of sympathy for Sylvie. To be singled out by a woman like that—just so she could get a man's attention-it was almost pitiful.
"What are you two talking about?" Sylvie approached, carefully lifting the hem of her dress, her gentle smile lighting up her face as she nodded hello to Naylor. Grady lowered his voice, unable to help himself. "Just that, compared to you, the others don't cclose. Always trying to compete, but it's hopeless, really." Sylvie raised an eyebrow. She didn't know what had happened, but it wasn't hard to guess who Grady meant. She simply shook her head, offering neither comment nor judgement.
No wonder Jarrod was so taken with her, Naylor thought. She really was gracious and composed.
"Grady, who are you talking about?" Esmeralda happened to be passing and caught the tail end of Grady's remark-his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmShe couldn't ignore it, even if she tried. Especially since Grady was gossiping about Elodie to Sylvie, who stood there with the air of a queen. It made Esmeralda's blood boil.
What did they know? Elodie was the real victim here! Seeing Esmeralda glare at him, Grady felt a headache coming on. "Wasn't talking about anyone in particular. But you you're not a kid anymore, Esmeralda. When are you going to learn scommon sense? Always rushing to defend people. Look at who you're siding with!"
Esmeralda had been spoiled her whole life. She'd never taken her om studies seriously her parents were too indulgent to push her. She'd drifted through school, living off her family's money.
Then, as an adult, she decided she wanted to invest. She'd begged her family for five million dollars, all at emilion е opce, Luckily for her, she'd put it into Alexander's new venture-VistaLink Technologies. It was probably the only smart decision she'd ever made. But now, watching her take sides with a woman who had nothing going for her- Grady was determined not to let Elodie use Esmeralda as a way to entangle herself with the Mercer family.
When Elodie and Jarrod returned, they walked in just as Esmeralda fixed Sylvie with a hard stare and blurted out the most direct-and dangerous-question.
"Ms. Fielding, you and Mr. Silverstein are always together, but I don't think anyone's ever clarified what you are to each other. Are you his girlfriend? Or his fiancée?" Elodie's eyes flickered.
It was a deliberate challenge-and with Elodie present, if Sylvie answered directly, and Elodie m revealed her own status as Mrs. Silverstein, Sylvie's reputation would be destroyed. She'd be branded the other woman, with no way to clear her name.
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