Chapter 178
Chapter 178:
The table went still. Azalea studied her nails. Zane found something interesting in his wine glass.
Dallas’s smile didn’t waver, but his eyes grew deliberate. He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down.
“I protected my investment,” he said, spreading his napkin across his lap with unhurried calm. “And I protected my family p>
He picked up his cutlery and began cutting his meat. “He won’t bother you again. He can’t afford the gas money to drive to The Aurelia anymore.” The joke was dark, but the truth beneath it was real. Anson had been neutralized.
Azalea and Zane laughed, the tension dissolving. Eliza managed a smile. She looked at the man beside her. To the world, he was a monster — a ruthless, cold-blooded force who dismantled lives before sitting down to eat. But he was her shield.
“Thank you,” she whispered, picking up her knife.
Dallas leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead. They were warm. “Eat. You’re too thin p>
Later, Eliza excused herself and slipped away to the restroom. In the quiet of the marble stall, she opened her phone.
News alert: Hyde Corp Crisis — Anson Hyde Ousted from Board Amidst Liquidity Scandal.
It was real.
𝖸𝗼𝗎r 𝘯𝖾𝘹t f𝘢𝘷o𝗋і𝘁е re𝖺𝖽 i𝗌 𝗼𝗇 ѕ.с𝗼𝘮
Dallas Koch wasn’t merely a lover. He was a king. And whether she was ready for it or not, she was the queen sitting beside him on the throne.
The lobby of S&D Group Headquarters was a cathedral of glass and quiet intimidation. Security guards stood like statues near the turnstiles, and the air carried the faint smell of ozone and ambition.
Eliza gripped the handle of her tote bag. Inside was a bento box — leftover steak from the BBQ, sliced over rice. A peace offering. A thank you. Lunch for her husband.
She approached the reception desk. The woman behind it looked as though she had been carved from ice, a delicate silver headset curving along her jaw.
“I’m here to see Dallas Koch,” Eliza said.
The receptionist scanned her face, her expression professionally blank, though a flicker of recognition crossed her eyes as she glanced at her monitor. “One moment, miss. I see a Ms. Solomon is on staff.” Her gaze traveled briefly over Eliza’s Skechers and jeans — a silent assessment. “However, Mr. Koch’s schedule is booked back-to-back. He doesn’t take unscheduled meetings. Do you have an appointment p>
“No, I’m his… wife,” Eliza said. The word felt heavy and unauthorized on her tongue.
The receptionist suppressed a sound — not quite a laugh, but the weary exhale of someone who had heard every variation of every excuse. “Of course, ma’am. And I’m Beyoncé. You’ll need to go through his executive assistant for clearance like everyone else. If you’ll please step aside — you’re holding up the line p>
Humiliation washed over Eliza, hot and prickly. It was worse than being treated like a stranger. She was an employee here. A nobody, trying to jump the chain of command.
She turned to leave, her face burning.
“Eliza p>
The voice was sharp and commanding. The private elevator doors pinged open.