Elodie was genuinely surprised that Jarrod would be so “considerate” as to warn her about something like this.

After all, their usual dynamic was to stay firmly out of each other’s business, each respecting the invisible boundary lines between them.

So what gave him the right to say something like that to her now?

She frowned, feeling he was overstepping. “Mr. Silverstein, in what capacity are you warning me?”

The sarcasm was unmistakable.

Jarrod picked up on it immediately.

But he didn’t bother answering her question. He just turned slightly, fixing her with

a steady, deep gaze, his tone still calm and unruffled. “Elodie, I would never do anything to hurt you.”

She almost laughed out loud at that.

If that was true, then he clearly needed to look up the definition of “harm.”

Elodie didn’t even bother arguing with him. She simply turned and walked away without another word.

That was just how she was-cautious, both in her personal and professional life.

She didn’t know much about Watts, but so far, he was one of those rare people who seemed faultless in every respect.

A fairly important partner, too. She genuinely didn’t understand what Jarrod’s warning was supposed to mean.

She’d worked with plenty of people. Was he planning to warn her about every single one?

By the end of the summit, Elodie and Alexander had no interest in joining the afterparty or drinks. The two slipped out quietly.

As they reached the entrance, they spotted Waldron surrounded by a small crowd.

Mr. Ferguson was also making his exit.

Sylvie and Jarrod were beside him, keeping him company.

When Elodie stepped outside, Waldron glanced her way, slow and deliberate.

The moment he caught sight of her, he let out a dismissive huff, turned on his heel, and got into his car without a word.

He couldn’t have made his dislike any more obvious.

Sylvie noticed as well.

It was clear Mr. Ferguson had little patience for Elodie.

Maybe it came from a lifetime of experience he could always spot trouble from a mile away, and never bothered to hide his opinions.

That was the kind of man he was: straightforward, whether he liked someone or not.

If only Mr. Sterling were as discerning.

Jarrod’s car pulled up.

He nodded at Alexander. “Mr. Sterling, let’s catch up another time.”

He didn’t make any effort to say goodbye to Elodie, simply left with Sylvie.

Alexander opened the car door for Elodie, shaking his head. “Mr. Ferguson hasn’t changed a bit. Don’t take it personally.”

The truth was, many geniuses were eccentric-sometimes downright impossible -but the younger generation still had to show basic courtesy.

Elodie didn’t give it a second thought.

She’d never cared about living for other people’s approval.

With that out of the way, she focused on her next task: trying to track down Selma’s painting.

It was worth a shot, even if she wasn’t certain it would pan out.

Now that she was in charge of Nexus Analytics, there were plenty of things demanding her attention.

Thankfully, she still had Jason and the others to help handle most of it.

After bringing Esmeralda along to Nexus Analytics to sort out some contracts,

Elodie picked up an interesting piece of news.

Waldron was going to be a technical advisor for Neural Intelligence.

Word was already spreading.

Esmeralda couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, if nothing else, it proves Jarrod’s got connections. Landing someone like Mr. Ferguson as a consultant is going to be a huge draw for Neural Intelligence’ next project-guaranteed quality and a big boost to their reputation.”

Elodie glanced over the recent contracts Jason had sent her and replied matter-of-factly, “With Mr. Ferguson on board, Neural Intelligence won’t be left in the

Even if Mr. Ferguson doesn’t mentor Sylvie directly, just his involvement is enough to elevate her status.”

That was Jarrod’s whole plan-he was helping Sylvie regain ground in all of this.

Without Jarrod, Sylvie would never have had a chance to turn things around.

“I bet Jarrod cashed in every favor

he had to get Mr. Ferguson on board. Al just to prop up Sylvie, and at every turn, he’s working against you,” Esmeralda scoffed. “If it weren’t for him, Sylvie wouldn’t even have a shot at being in the same

room as you.”

When it came to someone like Elodie-a true outlier among geniuses-most so-

called prodigies paled in comparison.

Elodie reached out and offered a reassuring word to calm Esmeralda.