Sylvie Fielding’s words were measured, her tone neither sharp nor gentle, but the coolness in her eyes was unmistakable. Clearly, she was far from pleased. In fact, she seemed almost-

Well, Elodie Thorne was just plain ill-mannered, in her estimation.

Sylvie couldn’t ignore the difference in their social standing. Elodie was several rungs below her, yet here she was, acting like she belonged.

In this crowd, people were supposed to know their place. And Elodie? She didn’t seem to have a clue.

Elodie lifted her gaze, meeting Sylvie’s eyes.

Her expression was every bit as chilly as Sylvie’s, offering no olive branch, no polite facade.

“You don’t need to remind me,” Elodie replied evenly. “Maybe when you’re finally Mrs. Silverstein, Ms. Fielding, you can let everyone know so we can all update your title.”

Sylvie’s frown deepened.

There was something about Elodie’s calm reply-so smooth, yet laced with unmistakable sarcasm-that made Sylvie bristle. Her reaction was too strong, too obvious.

Jason picked up on the tension immediately.

There was an undercurrent between the two women that was hard to put into words.

He knew Sylvie was the golden girl: back from the best schools, now the apple of Mr. Silverstein’s eye. Even if she didn’t show it, you could sense the pride in her bones.

But looking at Elodie, Jason suspected she wasn’t exactly a nobody at VistaLink Technologies either. The way Mr. Sterling and Ms. Mercer treated her said it all.

He had no intention of getting on the wrong side of either woman, so he hurried forward, eager to smooth things over. “Hey, it’s fine. We’re not at the office tonight let’s just relax and not stand on ceremony, alright?”

Elodie’s eyes were distant, her expression unreadable. She hadn’t even responded before Esmeralda Mercer jumped in, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

“If titles matter so much to you, Ms. Fielding, shouldn’t you be calling Elodie ‘big sister’? After all, if we go by seniority…”

Everyone in the group knew the truth-Sylvie was the new woman, no matter how things looked on the surface. Whether or not Elodie’s divorce was finalized, Sylvie was still the other woman in everyone’s eyes.

So what harm in calling Elodie “big sister” now?

The mockery in Esmeralda’s gaze was impossible to miss.

Sylvie was the one who’d made it an issue, so Esmeralda just took her logic and ran with it.

Sylvie’s brows knit together; she instantly realized exactly what Esmeralda was insinuating.

And just as Esmeralda finished speaking, Jarrod Silverstein strode over. Chances were, he’d caught at least the tail end of the conversation.

He paused for a beat, his dark gaze flicking to Esmeralda, sharp and knowing.

It took Jarrod only a moment to piece together the subtext. He understood the implication without missing a beat.

“Mr. Silverstein.” Jason tried to break the tension, though he didn’t fully grasp what Esmeralda meant about Sylvie calling Elodie “big sister.” Still, he could feel the atmosphere getting frostier by the second.

Jarrod nodded casually, but his eyes lingered on Elodie, whose cool detachment was impossible to ignore.

That look-there was something interesting in it.

Elodie noticed Jarrod’s subtle shift in demeanor. She could tell he suspected she’d put Esmeralda up to that little jab at Sylvie.

But Jarrod said nothing more. He simply turned to Sylvie and said, “Maurice Nilsson wants us to join him.”

Sylvie nodded, then, as they left, cast one last disdainful glance at Elodie before walking away, making it clear she wouldn’t lower herself to argue further.

Elodie looked away, her face impassive.

She knew perfectly well that Jarrod probably thought she’d orchestrated Esmeralda’s remark, but honestly, she couldn’t care less. Let him think what he wanted.

As soon as the pair were gone, Jason offered a sheepish smile and slipped off to mingle with the others.

Esmeralda let out a cold laugh. “What a performance! If we’re really going by Sylvie’s logic, Neural Intelligence only exists because Jarrod helped her set it up. Back then, Elodie was still his wife-so shouldn’t Sylvie be calling Elodie ‘boss lady’?”

Who was she kidding with her airs?

Elodie patted Esmeralda lightly on the back. “Let it go. We’re not the ones losing out here.”