Chapter 400

The elevator ride to the top floor of Koch Tower felt like an ascent to the gallows. Eliza’s ears popped as the numbers climbed higher — 50, 60, 70. With every floor, her anger hardened, crystallizing into something sharp and dangerous.

When the doors slid open, the reception area was quiet. Too quiet.

Simmons was standing behind his desk, guarding the double doors to the inner sanctum. He looked up as Eliza stormed out of the elevator, his expression unreadable. “Mrs. Koch,” he began, stepping forward to intercept her. “I told you, he is in a—”

“Move, Simmons,” Eliza said. She didn’t stop. She didn’t slow down. “Unless you want to physically restrain me, get out of my way.”

Simmons hesitated. He looked at the determination in her eyes, then at the closed doors. He stepped aside.

Eliza threw the heavy oak doors open.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗋ies 𝗒𝗼u 𝘸𝗈𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝗍 𝗱о𝗐𝘯 𝘰n 𝘨𝗮𝗅𝗻o𝘃𝖾𝘭𝘴.𝘤𝗼𝘮

The office was freezing. The air conditioning was blasting, chilling the sweat on her skin instantly. It felt like a mausoleum.

Dallas was sitting in his wheelchair by the floor-to-ceiling window, his back to Eliza. He was gazing out at the city skyline, a dark silhouette against the grey sky. He didn’t turn around when she entered.

“You’re a busy man,” Eliza said, her voice echoing through the vast, cold room.

Dallas slowly rotated the wheelchair. The mechanism whirred softly.

He looked terrible. His skin was the color of parchment — translucent and fragile. Dark circles sat beneath his eyes like bruises. He wore a thick black turtleneck despite the heating that was usually running in October. He looked like a man freezing from the inside out.

But his eyes were burning.

“What do you want?” he asked. His voice was rough, like gravel grinding together.

“Call it off,” Eliza said, walking until she stood directly in front of his desk. “The debt. The marriage. The acquisition of the Restoration Center. Stop it all.”

“Give me a reason,” Dallas said. He picked up a fountain pen from his desk and twirled it between his fingers. The movement was sluggish, lacking his usual dexterity.

“Because it’s wrong!” Eliza slammed her hand on the desk. “You can’t use people’s lives as bargaining chips! You can’t force Damon to marry someone he hates just to spite me!”

“And why not?” Dallas said softly. “You used your marriage to me as a bargaining chip to save your family’s legacy. It seems to be the currency you understand best.”

“You weren’t like this,” Eliza said, her voice trembling. “You’ve changed. You’re cruel.”

“People change,” he said, his eyes locking onto hers. “Especially when they realize their heart was treated like garbage.”

Eliza felt a lump form in her throat. “Is this because I didn’t come to the hospital? Because I stayed with him? You’re destroying a company out of jealousy?”

“It’s not jealousy,” Dallas said. He placed his hands on the armrests of his chair and pushed.

Eliza’s breath hitched. He was trying to stand.

.