During this time, Joseph had checked in with her to see if she’d managed to get in touch.

Elodie told him the truth.

Joseph messaged back, “His phone is basically just for show. He spends most of his time off the grid in remote countries-no Wi-Fi, no signal. It’s not that he’s ignoring you on purpose.”

With things laid out so plainly, Elodie couldn’t keep pushing.

Honestly, Joseph didn’t owe her this favor in the first place.

She was sure that anyone Joseph recommended would be top-tier, but if she couldn’t reach them, she wasn’t going to just wait around forever.

She needed a backup plan.

So, during her break, Elodie shifted her focus back to tracking down the overseas specialists rumored to be returning to the hospital after the holidays, reaching out to as many contacts and channels as she could.

As for Jarrod-

They hadn’t spoken again. Elodie was too busy chasing down leads on doctors to spare much thought for whatever was going on between them.

At the riding club, Sylvie finished a lap around the arena, then swung gracefully off her horse.

Not far away, Maurice broke into applause. “Wow, look at you! Skills like that, you could compete in a real show. Totally badass!”

Octavia, who had been clinging to Jarrod’s side, chimed in with wide-eyed admiration, “Is there anything you can’t do? You’re top of the class and you can ride seriously, you’re a genius!”

“See? My little sister’s your number one fan now,” Maurice teased, grinning.

He glanced over at Freya, who was absorbed in a handheld game nearby. “Hey, Freya, why not give riding a try? Sylvie could teach you.”

Of everyone here, Freya was the only one who hadn’t learned.

Joseph leaned toward her. “Want to give it a shot?”

Sylvie stepped forward, smiling warmly. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

Only then did Freya look up-and shake her head. “No thanks. I want to play games with my big sister.”

Sylvie’s smile faltered for a second. “You have a sister?”

Joseph understood immediately-Freya was talking about Elodie.

Freya nodded. “She’s a super pretty friend of mine. She’s amazing at games. You guys go ride, I’m not interested.”

Sylvie could tell the girl really adored this “sister,” and Joseph didn’t look surprised at all-clearly, he was in the loop. She grabbed a water bottle from right in front of him and twisted it open. “How come you’ve never mentioned her before?”

Jarrod shot a casual glance their way.

Joseph paused mid-drink. “It’s not important.”

He clearly wasn’t interested in elaborating.

Sylvie hesitated, then just smiled. “Alright then.”

She turned to Jarrod, arching an eyebrow in challenge. “Jarrod, race me?” Jarrod’s eyes flickered with a lazy, unreadable light. “Sure.”

Maurice jumped up, practically vibrating with excitement. “Doesn’t matter who wins! What matters is just wait, I’m going to get the perfect action shot of you two. You’ll have to thank me later!”

Sylvie couldn’t help but laugh. “We’ll see if your camera skills live up to the hype.” The two of them headed toward the arena, Maurice trailing after with his DSLR. Joseph stayed out of it.

Freya played her game for a while, then remembered she’d brought some snacks. She rummaged through her bag and took out a small, elegant box.

Glancing at Octavia nearby, she politely asked, “Want some?”

Octavia looked over, wary. “What is it?”

Freya pulled out a piece and offered it to her. “Elodie-the friend who went camping with us last time-she made these for me. They’re delicious. Want to try?”

Octavia’s expression changed instantly.

She stared at the butterfly-shaped pastry, incredulous. “Why did she make you dessert?”

Freya blinked, confused by her tone. “Because she likes me, obviously. Elodie made them just for me.”

“That’s not true!” Octavia shot to her feet, her delicate face flushed with anger. “Why would she make them for you?”

She’d begged Elodie to bake for her on New Year’s Eve, and Elodie hadn’t even answered! She was supposed to be Elodie’s favorite!

Who did Freya think she was?

If Elodie wasn’t replying to her messages, then fine-she wouldn’t bother with her

either, just so Elodie couldn’t act so smug.

But to refuse her and then bake for Freya?

Freya just looked at her, utterly baffled. “What’s wrong?”

Why was she suddenly so upset?

Octavia clenched her teeth, said nothing, and stormed off.

Elodie had made her angry-just wait and see if she’d bother with her again!

Joseph didn’t really get the whole teenage-girl drama, but he could guess the gist: since no one in their circle had ever mentioned Elodie was Jarrod’s wife, and Octavia never admitted it herself, Freya had no idea about the connection.

He patted Freya on the shoulder. “Mind if your big brother tries one?”