Chapter 7
Chapter 7:
The penthouse smelled of rosemary and roasted chicken.
Eliza stepped out of the elevator, her arms laden with shopping bags. Azalea followed behind her, carrying even more.
The living room was warm, the lights dimmed to a soft amber glow. Dallas was sitting in the leather armchair by the fireplace, reading something on a tablet. He had changed out of his suit into a charcoal cashmere sweater and dark jeans.
It was jarring. Seeing the titan of industry in casual clothes made him look human. Dangerous, still — but human.
Eliza froze in the doorway. “He’s home p>
Azalea breezed past her. “Hi, Dad! We bought the whole city. You’re welcome p>
Dallas looked up. His eyes locked instantly on Eliza, scanning her face — looking for cracks, looking for fear.
𝖩оі𝗻 𝘰ur 𝗰о𝘮m𝘶𝗻𝗂𝘵𝘆 о𝗇
“Did you?” he asked, his voice low.
Eliza stepped forward, feeling like an intruder in this perfect, expensive life.
“Thank you for — for everything,” she stammered. “The car. The help p>
Dallas stood. He crossed the room with that predator’s grace, closing the distance between them.
“It is what a husband does,” he said simply.
From the kitchen, Azalea let out a loud, theatrical gagging sound. “Gross. Let’s eat. I’m starving p>
They gathered at the long dining table, Eliza seated at Dallas’s right hand. Mrs. Higgins, the housekeeper, carried out the platter, smiling warmly as she set it down.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Koch,” she said.
Heat flooded Eliza’s cheeks. Dallas watched the color spread across her face, his gaze dark and attentive.
“Eat,” he said gently, placing a serving of chicken on her plate.
Azalea launched into a running commentary about the jewelry store, gesturing with her fork.
“Anson was a total psycho,” she said around a mouthful of potatoes. “Dad, you need to destroy him. Like, biblical destruction p>
Dallas cut his steak with surgical precision. “It is being handled p>
Eliza looked up. “Please don’t hurt the company. My parents’ legacy — Solomon Industries is still part of the conglomerate p>
Dallas paused and looked at her. “I won’t touch Solomon Industries. I will only target Hyde’s personal assets and his liquidity p>
Eliza blinked. “How did you know the difference? The corporate structures are mixed p>
“I do my due diligence,” Dallas said smoothly.
He didn’t tell her he’d had a team monitoring the Solomon assets for years, making sure Anson hadn’t quietly liquidated them.
The intercom on the wall buzzed. The doorman’s voice crackled through.
“Mr. Koch, there is a Mr. Anson Hyde in the lobby. He is demanding to see Eliza. He says he has legal papers p>
Eliza’s fork slipped from her fingers and struck the fine china with a sharp, ringing clatter. Her hands began to shake. He had found her. He always found her.
Dallas wiped his mouth with a linen napkin. He didn’t look angry. He looked bored.
He pressed the talk button.
“Tell him that if he is not off the property in sixty seconds, he will be arrested for trespassing and harassment. And tell him that if he raises his voice again, I will buy the building he lives in and evict him p>
A brief pause on the other end. “Yes, sir p>
Dallas turned back to the table and lifted his wine glass.
Eliza was staring at him, eyes wide. “He won’t leave. He’s persistent p>
“He is a gnat,” Dallas said. “And I am the windshield p>
He looked at her, his expression softening by a fraction.
“Eat your dinner, Eliza. He cannot reach you here. The elevator requires a retinal scan for all non-registered guests. Your biometrics were added this morning. No one comes up without my explicit approval p>
Eliza studied the man beside her. For the first time in her life, the wall wasn’t closing in on her. The wall was standing between her and the monster.
She picked up her fork. Her hand was still trembling, but less than before.
“Okay,” she whispered.