Chapter 12
Chapter 12:
“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.
𝘛𝗁𝗲 b𝗲s𝘵 r𝗲𝘃i𝘦𝘄𝘀 𝗼𝗻
“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.
The next morning, Azalea was meeting friends for brunch at a trendy spot in SoHo.
She arrived early and ordered a mimosa. She was scrolling through her phone when a shadow fell across her table.
She looked up. Anson Hyde was standing there. He looked worse than the day before — eyes bloodshot, jaw tight.
“What do you want, Anson?” Azalea asked, her voice thick with disgust.
Anson didn’t sit. He slid a velvet box across the table.
“Tell me who she married,” he said. “I know she’s staying with you. I know you’re hiding her p>