Chapter 71
Chapter 71:
“Stop,” I snapped, my voice raspy but firm. I recoiled against the pillows. “I want to review the contract p>
Dallas paused, the spoon hovering halfway to the bowl. The gold in his eyes swirled and darkened as his pupils dilated. “Excuse me p>
“The Binding Protection Contract,” I said, forcing myself to hold his gaze. I summoned every ounce of cold professionalism I could muster. “The serum you used to save me. The deployment of your Warriors to the warehouse. This private medical suite. These are significant expenditures, Dallas. I need to know how they affect my debt to the Pack p>
The air in the room dropped to freezing. Dallas slowly set the spoon down. The metal clattered against the china, the sound ringing out like a gunshot.
“You think,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet, “that I am calculating the cost of your life p>
“Aren’t you?” I lied. The words tasted like bile, but I couldn’t stop. I had to push him away before he consumed me entirely. “I’m an asset, Dallas. A business partner. You’re protecting your investment — I understand that. But I need to see the figures so I know what I owe p>
𝘛𝘩e 𝗆𝗈ѕt 𝘱оp𝘂𝗹ar 𝗻𝗈𝘷el𝘴 𝗼n
Dallas looked at me as if I had just struck him. For a fleeting second, raw hurt flashed behind the steel walls of his gaze. It was swiftly replaced by a cold, blank mask of fury.
His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. He stood abruptly, the chair scraping harshly against the floor.
“Is that what you think this is?” he growled.
“That’s what the paper says,” I whispered, looking away — because I couldn’t bear the weight of his stare any longer.
I expected him to storm out. I expected him to leave me alone in the cold silence I had manufactured. Part of me wanted him to go, to prove that I was right — that I was unlovable, a burden, a line item on a spreadsheet.
Dallas walked to the door. My chest tightened, a sharp pang of regret slicing through me.
But he didn’t leave.
He reached into the pocket of his cashmere coat hanging on the hook, pulled something out, and turned back.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a small, crinkling package onto the bed. It landed near my hand.
I looked down. It was a bag of organic gummy bears.
I blinked. “What p>
“Gelatin,” Dallas said, his voice stripped of the warmth it had held moments ago but still commanding. “It coats the throat. It won’t hurt to swallow. My Beta checked the ingredients. They’re safe p>
He walked back to the leather chair, sat down, and opened his laptop. He didn’t look at me. He began typing, his fingers striking the keys with aggressive force.
“Eat,” he ordered, his eyes fixed on the screen. “And stop talking about the contract, Adella p>
I stared at the colorful bag of candy, then at the most powerful man in the kingdom — sitting in a hospital corner, refusing to leave my side despite my cruelty.