Chapter 151
Chapter 151:
“I know,” she mumbled into the crook of his neck. “But you’re warm. And you don’t lie. You’re the only real thing in my life p>
Her body went slack against him, the exhaustion and alcohol finally claiming her all at once.
Dallas exhaled — a sound of quiet, resigned longing. He bent down and scooped her up, and she curled into him instinctively, her head settling against his shoulder.
He carried her past the guest room and walked straight to the master bedroom. He couldn’t leave her alone tonight.
He set her down gently on the bed, removed her shoes, and pulled the duvet up around her. As he turned to leave, her hand shot out and caught his wrist.
“Don’t go,” she whispered, her eyes squeezed shut. “The monsters come when it’s dark p>
Dallas felt something crack open in his chest. “I’ll stay p>
He pulled a chair to the side of the bed. Eliza didn’t release his hand. She fell asleep gripping his fingers like a lifeline.
He sat there for hours in the dark, listening to her breathing even out, watching the moonlight trace the curve of her cheekbone.
I will destroy anyone who makes you cry, he vowed silently to the sleeping woman. I will burn their worlds to ash.
The next morning, sunlight poured through the sheer curtains — merciless and bright. Eliza woke with a groan. Her head felt as though it were being slowly crushed in a vice.
𝖥𝗂ո𝘥 n𝘰𝗏𝘦𝗅 P𝖣𝗙ѕ o𝗻
She opened one eye. This wasn’t her room. It was the master bedroom. Dallas’s room.
Panic flared for a brief, sharp second before she registered that she was fully clothed and neatly tucked under the duvet. She was alone. The pillow beside her bore a faint indentation but was cool to the touch. Her own pillow smelled like him. It smelled like safety.
She turned her head. On the nightstand sat a glass of water, two aspirin, and a note written on heavy cardstock.
Drink water. Azalea is coming over at noon. — D
Eliza groaned and buried her face in the pillow.
Across the city, in the high-rise offices of Koch Industries, Dallas sat behind his desk, phone pressed to his ear.
“Regarding Azalea’s accounts,” he said. “Restore her Tier 1 access. She’s shown… recent maturity p>
“Sir?” His private banker sounded genuinely surprised. “You said not until she was thirty p>
“Circumstances have changed,” Dallas replied, his eyes drifting to a live feed of Eliza sleeping peacefully on his tablet. “She’s contributing to family stability p>
Noon arrived with the subtlety of a hurricane.
The private elevator opened, and Azalea burst into the penthouse.
“Eliza! You are a magician!” she shrieked, dropping her designer backpack on the floor and launching herself across the room.
Eliza was perched at the kitchen island, nursing her third cup of coffee and wearing sunglasses indoors. “Too loud,” she winced, accepting the hug gingerly.
“Daddy unfroze my Black Card!” Azalea beamed, pulling back. “He sent me a text saying I was ‘contributing to family stability.’ What does that even mean p>
Eliza blinked behind her dark lenses. “I think I got tipsy and cried on him p>