Chapter 298
Elodie really liked the bouquet of tulips.
Back when she used to take care of her own place, she loved stopping by the florist for fresh flowers, arranging them in a vase to brighten up the house and give it that little spark of ceremony.
Clearly, the organizers of this high-end resort event had put some thought into things-sending flowers as a congratulatory gesture.
She cradled the bouquet as she stepped into the main hall.
Across the room, she spotted Alexander and Esmeralda waving her over.
When Elodie reached them, Esmeralda’s eyes widened at the flowers in her arms. “Those are gorgeous! Who gave them to you?”
Elodie glanced around-Joseph was nowhere in sight-before answering, “The resort staff, I think. Didn’t they give you guys any?”
Esmeralda immediately pouted. “Seriously? How could they just forget about us!”
Alexander, curious, brushed his fingers over a tulip petal. “All the centerpieces tonight are lilies. Why’d they give you tulips?”
Elodie wasn’t sure either, but she decided it didn’t matter. A little extra luck never hurt anyone.
Alexander didn’t dwell on it. Today was a big day for VistaLink Technologies, after all. He lifted his phone. “Let’s get a picture together for the socials.”
Esmeralda wasted no time, hugging Elodie and flashing a bright smile for the camera.
They snapped the photo, then Elodie set the flowers on the table.
Not far away, Maurice had watched the entire scene unfold-from the moment Elodie walked in with the bouquet.
He couldn’t help but mutter, “Showing up with flowers? Don’t tell me she’s got a secret admirer.”
Or maybe Alexander had sent them?
Nearby, Jarrod lounged on a sofa, having witnessed everything too. When Elodie came in holding the flowers, she seemed genuinely happy-she really did seem to love them.
Jarrod barely reacted to Maurice’s speculation, just tapping his fingers
rhythmically on the armrest. He glanced at Elodie, then looked away, appearing indifferent to the whole thing.
But after a moment, Maurice’s mind wandered, and he let out a low chuckle. “Knowing Elodie, maybe she brought them herself. Trying to get your attention, show you she’s still in demand even without you.”
Sometimes he wondered-if Elodie hadn’t orchestrated that scandal years ago, hadn’t called in the press and forced the issue—maybe things would have turned out differently between them.
At this, Jarrod shot Maurice a dry look. “You ever think of writing soap operas?”
Maurice immediately caught the sarcasm. “Alright, I get it.”
Just then, Sylvie strolled over and slid naturally onto the sofa beside Jarrod. “What are you guys talking about?”
Maurice scratched his nose sheepishly. “Nothing, just chatting.”
He, Joseph, and Sylvie weren’t part of Nexus Analytics, but the party was lively and Sylvie had insisted that Jarrod shouldn’t show up alone. It was only about an hour ago that they’d decided to tag along for the fun.
On the other side of the room, Alexander posted their group photo on his feed. The likes rolled in quickly-Watts even gave it a thumbs-up.
Alexander turned to Elodie. “Watts always supports my posts. Seems like a good guy.”
Elodie considered this. “How well do you actually know Watts? He’s really enthusiastic-invited you to that conference, too. Maybe keep your guard up, just in case. In business, you meet all kinds.”
Alexander nodded, seeing her point. “You’re right, better to be careful.”
Later, the Nexus Analytics team arrived. With the project officially wrapped, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.
While Jason and Alexander chatted, Elodie wandered off to grab a glass of sparkling water. She noticed every drink was clearly labeled-mostly non- alcoholic options, so she didn’t even have to worry about avoiding alcohol.
That, she had to admit, she appreciated.
On her way back, she overheard Esmeralda grumbling, “Why is it all juice and soda tonight? Didn’t they serve any wine?”
Jason turned and explained, “Actually, Ms. Fielding’s been under the weather lately-too busy with the new company-so she’s on medication. Mr. Silverstein made sure the resort switched to non-alcoholic drinks for everyone.”