Chapter 100
Chapter 100:
She texted Victoria: Meetings ran late. I’ll stay in the city tonight to be close to the office. See you tomorrow.
She didn’t wait for a reply. She took the elevator to the garage, got into her car, and drove. But she didn’t drive to a hotel.
Her hands moved automatically on the wheel, guiding the car toward an address etched in her memory. The address on the key Dallas had given her weeks ago.
Maple Lake.
It was an hour from the city, down a winding road through dense forest. As she approached, she half-expected the gate to be locked, but the tall iron gates swung open on their own, recognizing her license plate. Dallas must have pre-programmed it.
The driveway was lined with ancient maples, their leaves rustling in the wind. The house emerged from the darkness — a stunning structure of glass and stone suspended over the edge of the lake.
She parked. The house was dark, save for a soft, warm glow coming from the backyard.
She walked around the side of the house. The air was cooler here, crisp and clean.
ո𝗼𝘃е𝗹𝗌 𝗂𝘯 t𝗿е𝗻𝗱 𝘰ո
Then the smell hit her. Roses — a singular, powerful fragrance.
She stepped into the backyard and gasped. It was even more beautiful than she remembered. A sea of white blooms in the moonlight, hundreds of them, their pale petals like captured stars. Winchester Cathedrals. Her mother’s favorite.
In the center of the garden, sitting on a stone bench facing the lake, was a figure. The tip of a cigar glowed orange in the dark.
Eliza stopped. “Dallas p>
He didn’t jump. He didn’t turn around immediately. He took a slow drag, exhaled a plume of smoke, and then turned his head.
She walked closer, gravel crunching under her boots. “Insomnia p>
“Something like that,” he said. His voice was rough and tired. He stubbed the cigar out in a crystal ashtray on the bench beside him.
“I couldn’t stay there,” Eliza admitted, wrapping her arms around herself. “It felt like a cage p>
“I know,” he said. He shifted on the bench, making space.
Eliza sat down beside him. She didn’t touch him, but she could feel the heat radiating from his body. It was grounding.
“They’re blooming early this year,” she said, gesturing to the rows of white roses. “You kept them alive p>
“The gardener did. But I chose the varieties,” he said. He nodded toward a small, separate plot near the water’s edge, where a cluster of different blooms glowed softly in the moonlight. “I added those recently p>
Eliza recognized the delicate, apricot-colored cups immediately. “Juliet Roses? Those are incredibly rare p>
“The white ones are a memory,” Dallas said, his voice dropping. “Those are for you p>
Eliza’s heart gave a traitorous flutter. She ignored the implication and kept her eyes on the black water of the lake.
The silence between them wasn’t heavy. It was comfortable. After the violence and accusations of the last twenty-four hours, the quiet settled over her like a balm — and the words tumbled out before she could stop them.
“I told Anson I love you,” she blurted.