Chapter 200
Chapter 200:
Dallas walked through them like Moses parting the Red Sea, covering Eliza’s face with his jacket to shield her from the burst of camera flashes.
Zane had the car waiting at the curb, engine running.
“Drive,” Dallas ordered as he slid into the back seat.
Eliza curled into his side. “You’re bleeding p>
“It’s nothing.” Dallas kissed her forehead. “Just a scratch p>
The hospital room was white. Sterile. Quiet.
ո𝗈𝗏𝘦ls 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝘳en𝘥 оn.сo𝗺
Eliza woke slowly. The fog in her brain had lifted, replaced by a dull headache and the sharp scent of antiseptic. An IV drip was taped to the back of her hand.
Dallas sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair beside the bed, still wearing his blood-stained dress shirt, his jacket long gone. His arm was bandaged where the knife had grazed him. He looked exhausted — shadows bruising the skin beneath his eyes, dark stubble shading his jaw.
“Dallas?” Her voice came out raspy.
He moved instantly, leaning forward to cover her hand with his. “I’m here. You’re safe. The drug is out of your system.” He brought her knuckles to his lips, his touch warm and grounding.
“Dante?” she asked, a shiver running through her.
“In the ICU. Police are guarding his door.” Dallas’s voice hardened. “Zane gave them the recording from your clutch. It’s enough to put him away for extortion, kidnapping, and attempted assault — twenty years p>
“You found the recorder?” Eliza managed a weak smile.
“Smart girl.” Dallas smiled back, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Very smart p>
The door opened without a knock.
Anson stood in the doorway. He looked terrible — suit rumpled, tie missing, a bandage wrapped around his right hand from the fight. His eyes went straight to Eliza.
Dallas rose slowly. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
“I came to check on her,” Anson said stiffly, staying by the door.
“She’s fine. No thanks to you.” Dallas stepped between Anson and the bed, blocking his view.
“I saved her from the Solomons for years!” Anson’s voice rose, thick with entitlement. “I kept her safe when no one else cared p>
“You kept her as a pet,” Dallas countered, his voice low and lethal. “I made her a wife. There is a difference p>
“You Kochs are heartless,” Anson sneered. “You treat marriage like a merger. You bought her just like I did p>
“This marriage is real, Anson.” Dallas gestured toward the bed. “Look at her p>
Anson looked. Eliza sat upright against the pillows, pale and still. She met his gaze not with love, nor with the fear he was accustomed to, but with a quiet, exhausted resignation.
“Anson, please,” she said softly. “Just go p>
His face twitched. He took a step forward, ignoring Dallas entirely. “You’re making a mistake, Eliza. He doesn’t know you. He doesn’t know the damage you carry. He’ll get tired of fixing you p>
“I don’t need fixing,” Eliza said. “I need to be free. And I am done being controlled by you p>
Message from Noa: Have a great Tuesday dear readers. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. /