Elodie tilted her head, meeting Sylvie’s gaze with practiced indifference.

Sylvie stood tall, her slender neck accentuated by the heels she wore. Even though her posture was poised and elegant, there was no mistaking the cold pride

in her eyes.

Everyone knew about Elodie’s connection to Jarrod.

And yet, Sylvie always addressed her as “Ms. Thorne,” never anything more.

As for Sylvie’s earlier remark…

Was she simply stating that the seat beside Jarrod was Elodie’s, or was she pointedly implying that Elodie was taking the place of Mrs. Silverstein?

Either way, the underlying message was unmistakable-a certain brand of arrogant provocation.

Elodie didn’t much care what Sylvie was really thinking, but she certainly didn’t have the patience to let Sylvie keep prodding her with these veiled little jabs.

“No need to worry, Ms. Fielding,” Elodie replied coolly. “I have no interest in fighting you for it.”

Her tone was mild, but her stance was clear.

Fighting? Worrying? Sylvie disliked those words intensely.

She had never felt threatened by Elodie, and besides, even if Elodie wanted to compete, she’d have to be truly qualified to be in the running.

Sylvie allowed herself a subtle, icy smile, then slid into the car without closing the door. She leaned toward Jarrod, eyes drifting to the open laptop on his lap.

Jarrod flicked his eyes up, giving Elodie a thoughtful, inscrutable look.

Elodie had no idea what that glance was supposed to mean, nor did she care to find out.

But she did notice that, this time, Jarrod made no attempt to shield his laptop’s meeting notes from Sylvie’s view. He was clearly comfortable with her seeing them-unlike earlier, when he’d been careful to keep the details from Elodie.

Elodie turned away, her expression unreadable, her mood unruffled.

Just then, Grady stepped outside and, spotting the scene, jumped to the wrong conclusion. “Elodie, why don’t you take a different car?” he called. “There are plenty available.”

Joseph glanced over, only relaxing when he saw that Elodie looked perfectly calm, her face giving nothing away.

“No need to worry,” Alexander chimed in, stepping out with Patrick, a polite smile on his lips that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Elodie’s riding with us. We have a few things to discuss about work.”

Patrick beckoned cheerfully. “Ms. Thorne, I’d like to hear more about the VistaLink Technologies project your team’s working on. Join us?”

Elodie nodded. “Of course.”

She didn’t spare another look at Jarrod or Sylvie, nor did she bother engaging in any further pointless squabbling. She simply climbed into the car with Alexander and Patrick.

Sylvie’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

What could Elodie possibly have to discuss with someone like Patrick? She didn’t even have the right background for his field.

“Did you notice,” Grady mused, “Mr. Patrick seems… unusually friendly with Elodie?”

Patrick was, after all, the protégé of Dr. Charles Sterling, now director of the institute a top-tier scientist in aerospace engineering. Even they had to show him respect.

Sylvie’s frown faded, replaced by a dismissive smile. “Don’t forget, Alexander is Dr. Sterling’s son. Patrick isn’t being polite to Elodie-he’s just doing Alexander a favor.”

In other words, Elodie was merely basking in the reflected glow of her connections. That was the only reason Patrick bothered to be civil.

Sylvie had never had any patience for women who tried to shortcut their way through life on the coattails of men.

Grady nodded, seeing her point.

Joseph, however, wasn’t convinced.

He cast a glance at the car Elodie had just entered. If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d caught a flicker of genuine interest in Patrick’s eyes as he looked at Elodie— something warmer, more like the excitement of meeting a kindred spirit than simple politeness.

Was he just imagining things?

A short distance away, Naylor watched the whole exchange unfold, taking it all in.