Chapter 29
Chapter 29:
He turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen.
Eliza slumped against the counter, pressing her fingers to her swollen lip. She was breathless. She understood, with a sinking clarity, that she had just declared war on his heart. And he fully intended to win.
Dinner was a funeral.
The silence was total. The only sounds were silverware against china. Azalea attempted a joke about the weather. It landed with a thud. She looked between her father and Eliza, then gave up entirely, focusing on her pasta.
Dallas didn’t look at Eliza once. He sat with his phone in hand, typing steadily, her presence entirely erased from his attention. The cold shoulder was worse than his anger had been.
T𝗵𝖾 𝗯𝖾ѕ𝘵 𝗋𝖾a𝖽іո𝘨 e𝗑р𝖾𝘳𝘪eո𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘯
She needed an escape.
“I have a project presentation tomorrow,” Eliza announced into the silence. “I’ll be on campus all day p>
“Good luck,” Dallas said. He didn’t look up.
Eliza’s heart cracked a little further.
She went to bed that night feeling hollow. The pill was gone. She was safe. But the cost had been higher than she could have imagined.
The next morning, the sky was a brilliant, mocking blue.
Eliza drove the silver Aston Martin onto the university campus, the engine purring with a low growl that vibrated through the seat. As she pulled into the student lot, heads turned. The rumors were already flying — Eliza Solomon, the charity case, arriving in a car that gleamed with an almost arrogant luxury, completely alien among the dented student beaters surrounding it.
She parked and stepped out. She was wearing a simple blazer and jeans, but she held her head high.
She walked toward the Arts building. A group of girls was blocking the path. At the center stood Celeste Chapman — Claudine’s younger sister, with the same blonde hair, the same expensive clothes, and the same cruel streak.
“Look,” Celeste announced, pointing a manicured finger. “It’s the charity case with the sugar daddy car p>
Students stopped. Phones came out. The circle tightened.
Eliza tried to step around them. “Move, Celeste p>
Celeste stepped directly in front of her and looked her up and down with a slow sneer. “Did you steal it?” she asked, her voice carrying across the quad. “Or did you earn it on your knees p>
The crowd inhaled sharply.
The insult mirrored Anson’s words almost perfectly. Eliza went still. She thought of Dallas in the kitchen. We have a lifetime to play this game. She thought of his protection. She didn’t have to take this anymore.
“I’d ask if you earned your tuition,” Eliza said, her voice clear and steady, “but we all know Daddy paid for it to keep you out of rehab p>
The crowd erupted. Celeste’s face turned a deep, furious red. “You bitch!” She raised her hand and swung for Eliza’s face.
Eliza didn’t flinch. She caught Celeste’s wrist in midair, her grip firm. “Don’t,” she said quietly.
“Let go of me!” Celeste shrieked.
“Ew,” a voice drawled from behind them. “Is this what passes for entertainment here? Let her go, Chapman p>