Chapter 160
Chapter 160:
“What rumors?” she asked, her eyes fixed on the porcelain.
“The marriage.” Bella swiped at the screen and thrust the tablet under Eliza’s nose. “A source leaked a photo of a purchase order from a high-end jeweler. It’s blurry, but the date is recent. A custom diamond ring. Four carats. Flawless. The internet is hunting for ‘Mrs. X p>
Eliza looked at the screen. The image was grainy — taken hastily, likely by a sales associate looking for a payout. But the header on the receipt was unmistakable. It was the same jeweler Dallas had taken her to. The date matched the very week he had placed the ring on her finger.
Her heart hammered against her ribs like something caged.
“I know it’s you, Eliza,” Bella whispered, leaning against the drafting table, her voice dropping low. “But the press doesn’t. They think she’s a model. Or maybe a diplomat’s daughter. Someone tucked away in a Swiss chalet p>
She sighed, almost dreamily. “Imagine being her. The power. The money. Waking up next to that face every morning p>
“Or the pressure,” Eliza murmured, picking up her brush again, though her hand felt numb. “And the secrecy. Maybe she’s hidden because it’s dangerous p>
Bella paused. Her eyes sharpened. “You sound worried. Is he keeping you hidden for a reason p>
𝘚𝗵а𝘳е 𝘆оur t𝗵𝘰𝘶𝗀h𝗍𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝗴𝖺𝗅𝘯𝗼𝘷еlѕ.c𝗈𝗺
“I know rich men are complicated,” Eliza deflected, dipping the brush into the adhesive. “And I know that if I don’t finish this restoration, Gavin Ross will have my head p>
Her phone buzzed once against her thigh.
She pulled it out, angling the screen away from Bella.
Azalea: Code Red. Check the news. Don’t panic.
Eliza stared at the message. The panic was already there — cold and slithering through her gut. If her name leaked, Anson wouldn’t need to hunt her anymore. The world would do it for him. He would turn her life into a public spectacle and let the press finish the work.
Across the city, the atmosphere in the CEO’s office at S&D Group was glacial.
Dallas stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the Manhattan skyline. His hands were clasped behind his back, his posture rigid. He radiated a cold, contained energy that made the room feel ten degrees cooler.
Azalea paced in front of his desk, her heels clicking a tense rhythm on the hardwood.
“Did you leak it?” she demanded, stopping to fix her gaze on his back. “To force her hand? To make her go public p>
Dallas turned slowly. His face was unreadable stone. “No. I don’t play games with her safety, Azalea p>
The door opened. Weston entered, carrying a sleek black tablet, his expression grim.
“We traced the IP,” he said without preamble. “A burner account on a social platform, created three hours ago. But the location data points to a cell tower on the Upper East Side p>
Dallas’s eyes narrowed. “Specifics p>
“The signal triangulates to a three-block radius.” Weston tapped the screen. “Right in the heart of Hyde territory p>