Chapter 299

Eliza dressed carefully. She chose a navy blue dress, conservative but tailored to perfection, and paired it with the pearl earrings Dallas had given her. They felt cold against her skin. Armor for a different kind of battlefield.

The tea room at The Pierre was hushed and smelled of jasmine and old money. Jeannine Koch sat at a corner table, her posture rigid. She didn’t rise when Eliza arrived.

“Mother,” Eliza said, sitting down.

“You look tired,” Jeannine said, studying Eliza’s face. “Is my son keeping you awake with his complaining?”

“He’s managing,” Eliza said diplomatically. “Why did you want to see me?”

Jeannine took a sip of her tea. “That girl. The Norton girl. She went to your apartment.”

Eliza wasn’t surprised Jeannine knew. The woman had eyes everywhere. “She dropped off files. And a photograph.”

“A photo of Ferd holding her,” Jeannine said, her lip curling. “Dosha’s idea, no doubt. Tacky.”

“Why is she in the company, Jeannine?” Eliza asked. “Dallas won’t talk about her, but she feels dangerous.”

“She is a pawn,” Jeannine said. “But pawns can take queens if you aren’t paying attention. Ferd feels guilty. He’s getting old, and he thinks he can buy his way into heaven by acknowledging his bastard.”

“Dallas hates her,” Eliza said.

“Dallas hates what she represents,” Jeannine corrected. “The betrayal.” She set her cup down. “But we are going to use her.”

“Use her?”

“Dosha is planning something,” Jeannine leaned in, her voice dropping. “She’s working with someone outside the family. We suspect Anson Hyde.”

Eliza’s hand tightened on her napkin. “Anson?”

“He’s funding Dosha’s legal team,” Jeannine said. “They want to challenge the trust. They want to prove Dallas is mentally unfit to lead S&D so they can install a board of regents — with Cathey as the figurehead.”

“That’s why they wanted a reaction,” Eliza said, the pieces falling into place. “They want Dallas to explode. To look unstable.”

“Exactly,” Jeannine nodded. “Which is why Dallas cannot attend the Gala next week. He’s on pain medication. He’s volatile. If he goes, they will provoke him.”

“So we skip it?” Eliza asked.

“No.” Jeannine slid the invitation across the table. “You go. You represent him. You represent the family.”

“Me?” Eliza blinked. “Alone?”

“You are Mrs. Dallas Koch,” Jeannine said. “Whatever private troubles you two are having, the public face of this family must remain united. You are the legitimate wife. You need to walk into that ballroom and shine so brightly that no one notices the little girl in the corner. You need to show them that the Koch line is unbreakable.”

Eliza looked at the invitation. It was a test. A public declaration.

“Ferd is bringing Cathey,” Jeannine added. “He wants to introduce her to society. You are going to make sure she remains invisible.”

Eliza thought of Dallas, shut away in his room, pushing her away, frustrated and in pain. She thought of Anson, plotting in the shadows.

“I’ll do it,” Eliza said. She slipped the invitation into her purse.

“Good.” Jeannine signaled for the check. “Wear the diamonds I gave you. The big ones. Intimidation is ninety percent presentation.”

As Eliza stepped out of the hotel, her phone rang.