Chapter 283
Chapter 283:
“I’m saving you,” Vance said, leaning forward, his voice dropping into something suddenly serious. “If you go up there right now, Dallas will lose his mind. He thinks you’re out celebrating while he’s dying p>
“Then tell me what happened,” Eliza said. “Why does he think I cheated? What did he see p>
Vance studied her face, searching for a micro-expression, a flicker of guilt. He found nothing but exhaustion and raw fear.
“He saw a photo,” Vance said. He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen, and turned it toward her.
It was the photograph from the rainy night — the silhouette in the garden, the woman in the pajamas kissing Anson.
Eliza stared at it. Her mouth fell open. “That… that looks like me p>
“It does,” Vance agreed. “Same hair. Same pajamas. Anson Hyde has an eye for detail p>
“It’s not me!” Eliza looked up, desperate. “I was on FaceTime with Dallas when Anson walked in. I kicked him out p>
“I know,” Vance said calmly.
Eliza froze. “You believe me p>
“I’m a doctor. I believe in data.” Vance took his phone back. “Dallas is emotional. He sees the pajamas, he sees the betrayal. But I saw something else.” He zoomed in on the photograph. “Look at her left wrist. Perfectly clear skin.” He looked up at her. “You, however, have a scar there. A faint, silvery line on the inside of your wrist from when you fell off your bike as a child. Dallas mentioned it once while I was stitching up his hand. He said it was one of the first things he ever noticed about you p>
𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘯
Eliza touched her wrist instinctively. The scar was barely visible, but it was there.
“This woman,” Vance tapped the screen, “is a flawless copy. But a copy nonetheless. A small detail — but in my line of work, small details are the difference between life and death p>
Eliza felt a wave of relief so powerful it made her dizzy. “It’s a double. Anson hired a double p>
“Exactly,” Vance said. “But Dallas is in a dark place. He has PTSD, Eliza. The crash triggered it badly. He’s back in a war zone in his head. He doesn’t trust anyone right now. Not even me p>
“How do I fix it?” Eliza asked.
“Tomorrow morning. Nine AM.” Vance stood. “Go to the hospital loading dock. The back entrance — not the lobby p>
“Why the loading dock p>
“Because Weston and Zane are guarding the elevators like Cerberus,” Vance said. “I can distract them for five minutes. That’s all you’ll get. Five minutes to convince a man who believes you destroyed him that he’s wrong p>
“I’ll be there,” Eliza said.
“Good.” Vance tossed a few bills on the table. “Now get out of here. You’re ruining my quiet time p>
The Hyde Estate was quiet, the storm having passed and leaving only a damp chill in the air.
In the master study, Anson poured himself a glass of brandy and stared at the empty fireplace. He was agitated. There had been no news of a divorce filing. Weston hadn’t leaked anything to the press.
The door creaked open.