And now…

Nexus Analytics had been handed to Elodie.

But Elodie had just cut that final thread of hope.

Her eyes were cool as she tapped the termination contract with her fingertip, ignoring Sylvie’s accusations. “I’m giving you two options, Ms. Fielding. One, you sign this termination agreement right now. Two, after VistaLink Technologies drops the criminal charges, they’ll move forward with a civil lawsuit against Neural Intelligence for infringement. In that case, it won’t just be a forced termination you’ll be dealing with. What do you think?”

Sylvie’s fingers dug into her palm.

She glared at Elodie’s calm face, her own eyes icy cold.

At this point, there was no room for pride-only a flush of humiliation.

Neural Intelligence couldn’t afford another lawsuit.

Elodie was using her personal disappointment as an excuse to settle old scores, mixing business with her own jealousy.

Sylvie refused to argue further. Her face set, she strode forward, opened the contract, and signed her name.

She understood there was no turning back now. Pushing harder would only give Elodie more opportunities to make things difficult for her.

Elodie, unconcerned, simply watched as Sylvie signed.

Then she stood and walked out.

The rest could be handled by Jason.

Truth be told, Elodie had never wanted to waste time on lawsuits. They dragged on, draining both sides. Having Sylvie as the party in breach and ending the contract was far more straightforward.

She had no intention of wasting another minute or ounce of energy on someone like that.

Any hope of future collaboration was out of the question.

Elodie headed downstairs, planning to stop by the Nexus Analytics plant one last time to check on things.

Sylvie followed close behind.

But just as she reached the door, Sylvie shot Elodie a sharp, lingering look. “Ms. Thorne, you really are full of surprises. I hope you can handle everything you’ve set in motion.”

Elodie looked back at her, expression cool. “You should be thanking the man you fished out of the gutter for pulling you back from the brink-not wasting your breath on sarcasm with me.”

Sylvie’s face darkened.

Elodie didn’t bother with her and turned to leave.

But just as she spun on her heels, she caught sight of Jarrod stepping out of a car at the curb.

He simply stared at her, his gaze utterly unreadable—no anger, no warmth, as if none of this involved him at all.

Elodie’s eyes flickered, but she turned away and left without a word.

Sylvie drew a deep breath before joining Jarrod. “You came to pick me up?”

“How did it go?” Jarrod asked quietly, looking down.

Sylvie’s expression froze for a

moment; a dull ache throbbed at her temples. But her pride wouldn’t let her falter. She shook her head. “Not well. Nexus Analytics has severed ties with Neural Intelligence too. But it’s fine. I’ll handle it.”

She knew Jarrod would realize Elodie was taking advantage of the situation.

But there was nothing to be done. Jarrod had only brought Nexus Analytics into the picture on Sylvie’s behalf, never imagining Elodie would stoop so low, mixing up their cooperation with the whole VistaLink Technologies mess.

Still, Sylvie was determined to handle things herself, to spare Jarrod more trouble.

Jarrod nodded. “Alright. If you need help, just say the word.”

Only then did Sylvie’s heart lighten a little. Jarrod was her anchor, but she didn’t want to lean on him for

always waiting to pick uplodie . She wasn’t like Elodion et

scraps.

She would reflect, learn, andcome out of this stronger-ready to handle anything that came her way.

Standing beside Jarrod, she felt the power of a true partnership.

Even so… getting dropped by Nexus Analytics was another mountain she’d have to climb.

Elodie toured the plant.

Nexus Analytics ran like a well-oiled machine. She barely needed to lift a finger.

When she finished, she returned to VistaLink Technologies.

Just as she arrived at the office, she spotted a Bentley parked out front.

Ivan Harcourt glanced her way,

smoke curling from the cigarette between his fingers. The moment he saw Elodie, he stubbed it out and strode over—his long legs eating up the distance in three strides.I saw Neural Intelligence’s public apology. No wonder you kept your cool when everything blew up.”

Now that both VistaLink Technologies and Elodie were in the clear-

In fact, with Elodie stepping forward as the lead developer of the flight control system, the whole affair had actually given both her and the company a huge boost.

Now, the name Elodie Thorne was on everyone’s lips in the tech and research worlds.

Her reputation and standing were now unshakable.

Ivan was blocking her path. Elodie looked up at him, her voice icy and detached.

“So what?”