Chapter 454
Chapter 454:
Eliza stepped forward. She took Dallas’s hand, her fingers interlaced with his.
“Let them come,” Eliza said, her voice ringing with a cold, hard clarity.
“Eliza, no,” Dallas said. “It’s too dangerous for the baby p>
“I’m not talking about the test, Dallas,” Eliza said, looking at Harrison. “Tell the commission that we welcome any investigation. But remind them that under the Koch Trust Bylaws, any person who brings a false claim of illegitimacy against a direct heir forfeits their own standing and assets p>
𝖮𝘳𝗴𝘢𝘯𝘪𝗓𝗲 𝘺𝗼𝘶r 𝘭𝗂𝘣𝗋𝖺𝗿𝘆 o𝘯
She looked at Dallas, a fierce light in her eyes.
“We don’t need a needle to prove who the father is. We just need to win the war p>
Dallas looked at her, and for the first time since he’d been stabbed, a slow, predatory smile spread across his lips.
“You heard her, Harrison. Launch Project Scorched Earth. I want the Nortons erased from the history books by the time the sun goes down p>
The hospital was silent, but the air was charged with the electricity of a coming storm.
It was 2:00 AM. Eliza was asleep in the chair next to Dallas’s bed, her head resting on her hand.
Dallas wasn’t sleeping. He was sitting in a wheelchair by the window, a laptop on his knees, his face illuminated by the blue glow of the screen.
Simmons, his head of cybersecurity, was on a muted video call. “They’re in the building, Boss,” Simmons whispered. “Three of them. Dressed as janitors. They’ve bypassed the main security desk p>
“Where are they?” Dallas asked, his voice a low, dangerous hum.
“Elevator 3. They’re heading for the maternity wing. They have a medical kit with them. They’re going for the sample, Dallas. They aren’t waiting for a court order p>
Dallas’s grip on the wheelchair armrest tightened until the metal groaned.
“Let them in,” Dallas said.
“Sir p>
“Let them get to the floor. I want them caught in the act — attempted kidnapping, aggravated assault, and practicing medicine without a license. I want them in a cage where Dosha can’t reach them p>
“Copy that. Shadow Unit is in position p>
Dallas turned his wheelchair and looked at Eliza. She looked so peaceful, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. He felt a pang of guilt so sharp it felt like a physical blow.
He had brought this to her door. His name, his money, his enemies.
He reached out and touched a lock of her hair, his fingers lingering.
“I’m sorry, El,” he whispered. “But I’m going to make sure they never touch you again p>
Suddenly, the lights in the hallway flickered and died.
The backup generators kicked in, bathing the ward in a dim, eerie red glow. Eliza stirred.
“Dallas p>
“Stay in the chair, Eliza,” Dallas said, his voice calm and commanding. “Don’t move p>
The door to the room creaked open.
Three figures stepped in, their faces obscured by surgical masks. One of them held a long, thin needle that glinted in the red light.