Chapter 426
Chapter 426:
And if Dosha knew — Dosha Norton would kill this baby. She would push Eliza down a flight of stairs or tamper with her brakes again. A pregnant Eliza was a walking target.
“Lock it down,” Jeannine said.
“I beg your pardon?” Evans blinked.
“Seal both files,” Jeannine ordered. “Level 5 security clearance. Only you and I have access p>
𝖯D𝗙𝗌 𝗼𝘯
“Mrs. Koch, Dallas is the father. He has a right p>
“He has a right to die in peace without worrying about leaving behind a widow and an orphan!” Jeannine snapped. “And this child has a right to be born without a target on its back.” She stood and smoothed her skirt. “Change Eliza’s chart. Diagnosis: acute gastritis and exhaustion. Prescribe fluids and rest p>
“And the pregnancy p>
“Does not exist. Not on paper. Not in the system p>
“This is unethical,” Evans protested weakly.
“This is survival,” Jeannine countered. “Do it. Or I will find a doctor who understands the stakes p>
Evans swallowed hard. “Yes, ma’am p>
Simmons knocked on the door frame. He looked shaken.
“Mrs. Koch — Boss is waking up. He’s asking for her p>
Jeannine picked up the files. She walked to the shredder in the corner and fed the copy of the ultrasound into the machine. It whirred, slicing the grainy gray dot into confetti. She locked the originals in her briefcase.
“I’ll handle him,” she said.
She walked down the hall to Dallas’s room.
He was awake, struggling against the restraints on his wrists — the ones they had put there to keep him from tearing the lines out again.
“Where is she?” Dallas rasped the moment he saw Jeannine. His eyes were wild.
“She’s safe, Dallas,” Jeannine said, her voice calm and even. She walked to the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. “She’s in the next room p>
“Is she—” He couldn’t finish.
“She fainted,” Jeannine said smoothly. “Low blood sugar. She hasn’t been eating. Stress and exhaustion p>
Dallas slumped back against the pillows, the fight draining out of him. “Just stress p>
“Just stress p>
“Thank god,” he whispered. He closed his eyes. “I thought — I thought I killed her p>
“You didn’t kill her, Dallas. But you are hurting her p>
He looked away. “I know p>
“She needs to go,” Dallas said, his voice hardening. “When she wakes up — send her away. Tell her I don’t want to see her p>
Jeannine looked at her son. He was broken, bleeding, and dying. And yet, he was trying to be noble.
“Are you sure?” Jeannine asked. “She loves you, Dallas. She held your hand while you were both unconscious. They couldn’t pry her fingers loose p>
Dallas flinched. A single tear escaped, tracking through the blood on his cheek.
“That’s why she has to go,” he whispered. “She’s holding onto a sinking ship. If she stays, I’ll drag her down with me.” He looked at Jeannine, his eyes pleading. “Make her leave, Mother. Please. Make her hate me enough to leave p>
Jeannine felt something crack inside her chest. For the first time in years, she saw the little boy she had failed to protect.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll handle it p>