Chapter 169
Chapter 169:
Eliza got up without thinking. She crouched down, her hands still trembling, and began gathering the delicate pieces.
“Here — let me help you,” she said, still breathless.
The woman ended her call and looked down. She had sharp blue eyes and silver hair set in a perfect bob, and she was wearing a vintage Chanel suit that cost more than Eliza’s tuition had.
“Thank you, dear. My driver is an imbecile. And this car is a relic,” the woman said, her tone crisp and entirely matter-of-fact.
This was Genevieve Koch — Gigi, to the family. Dallas’s grandmother. The matriarch who had exiled a ten-year-old boy to Siberia.
“Are you all right? You look as though you’ve fled a burning building,” Gigi observed, accepting a locket from Eliza’s hand.
“Just… a bad ex,” Eliza said, wiping a tear that had escaped before she could catch it. “A very bad ex p>
“An ex-boyfriend is a poor investment,” the woman replied. “They offer diminishing returns. A husband is a strategic necessity, but an ex is simply a liability on the balance sheet p>
A laugh bubbled out of Eliza — hysterical, involuntary, and genuinely relieved.
𝖣o𝗻’𝘁 𝗆𝗂s𝗌 ո𝖾w 𝘳𝖾𝘭𝖾𝖺𝗌е𝘀 о𝘯 ѕ.𝗰о𝗺
“I am Genevieve Koch,” the woman said, extending a gloved hand.
“I’m Eliza.” She shook it, her own hand feeling small and bare by comparison.
“Eliza.” Gigi gave a single approving nod, her gaze turning analytical as she studied Eliza’s face. “A solid name. You have honest eyes — a rare commodity. My grandson is surrounded entirely by sycophants,” she added, more to herself than to Eliza.
A second black car — a modern sedan — pulled up behind the Rolls.
“Finally,” Gigi said with a sharp exhale. She looked at Eliza. “My transportation has arrived. May I offer you a lift? You look as though you need to be somewhere considerably far from here p>
Eliza glanced back down the road toward Hyde Manor.
“Yes,” she said. “Please p>
The interior of the car smelled of expensive leather and quiet discipline. Eliza sank into the seat, her adrenaline draining away into a deep, bone-weary exhaustion.
“Where to?” Gigi asked, adjusting her gloves.
“The Aurelia, please,” Eliza said.
“Ah. My grandson’s latest acquisition.” Gigi waved a dismissive hand. “He collects buildings the way other men collect mistresses p>
She continued without prompting, her sharp eyes fixed on Eliza’s face. “He’s a workaholic. Brilliant, but cold. A frozen asset. He requires a wife — a true partner who can manage him.” She paused. “Are you unattached, dear p>
Eliza suppressed a nervous twitch. “I have a boyfriend, actually,” she said, the lie and the truth knotting together somewhere in her chest.
“A boyfriend?” Gigi’s interest sharpened visibly. “Is he a man of substance, or merely a pretty distraction? Does he value you p>
Eliza thought of Dallas. The car. The pepper spray. The way he had held her through nightmares. The way he had jumped into a freezing river without hesitation.
“He’s… intense,” she admitted softly. “Protective. And surprisingly kind, beneath all the ice p>