Chapter 50
Chapter 50:
Dr. Liam Sumner followed, holding a chart. “Hey, Eliza. Long time no see p>
Eliza’s face lit up. “Liam! Oh my god.” She pushed herself upright. “I haven’t seen you since the symposium p>
Dallas stiffened. His fingers stopped moving on the keyboard. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
He closed the laptop with a sharp snap, set it aside, and stood — unfolding his full height until he towered over the doctor.
“And you are?” Dallas asked. His voice was perfectly polite and laced with menace.
Liam appeared entirely unintimidated. He extended a hand. “Dr. Liam Sumner. I was the pre-med student who kept crashing the Art History club back at uni just to clear my head. Eliza helped me pass my electives p>
Dallas looked at the hand, then shook it — briefly and with a crushing grip. “Dallas Koch p>
Liam blinked. He looked from Dallas to Eliza, then back again. “The Dallas Koch? The billionaire?” He seemed genuinely confused. “I didn’t know you knew him, Eliza p>
𝖱o𝗆аnс𝘦 𝗇o𝘷e𝗹ѕ о𝗇 gа𝘭ո𝗼𝘃𝖾lѕ.𝖼𝗼m
Eliza’s mind went blank. Boss? Guardian? Friend? None of those explained why he had been sitting on her bed holding her ankle.
“He’s my —” she started.
“Boyfriend,” Dallas said smoothly.
Eliza’s mouth fell open. Azalea turned toward the wall, coughing violently into her fist to conceal a laugh.
“Boyfriend?” Liam looked surprised, his eyebrows climbing. “Oh. I see. I honestly thought you were still hung up on that Hyde fellow — the one who made you cry in the library that time p>
“She isn’t,” Dallas said, his voice flat.
“Glad to hear it,” Liam said, nodding with a genuine smile. “Sounds like you upgraded. Significantly p>
Dallas’s hostility dissolved on the spot. The ice melted. He regarded Liam with sudden, unambiguous approval. “Indeed,” he agreed. “A significant upgrade p>
Eliza’s face burned. “Liam. My chart. Please p>
Liam laughed and lifted the clipboard. “Right. Vitals are stabilizing. You’re lucky, Eliza. Whoever administered the epinephrine hit the exact right muscle group. That saved your life p>
“It was me,” Dallas said.
He sat back down on the bed and settled his arm around Eliza’s waist, drawing her gently against his side. The gesture was unhurried and unmistakable. Mine.
Liam nodded, slipping back into professional mode. “Good work. I’ll leave you to rest — I have rounds to finish p>
“I’ll show you the cafeteria!” Azalea volunteered, a shade too eagerly. “I still owe you a coffee p>
“Lead the way,” Liam said, smiling at her.
They left together, the door clicking shut behind them.
Eliza immediately shrugged off Dallas’s arm and turned to face him. “Boyfriend? That’s the story we’re going with now p>
“Would you prefer ‘husband’?” Dallas asked, his voice dropping to something dark and amused. “Or perhaps ‘master p>
“Dallas!” She hit his arm. “You said secrecy! Clause 7 p>
“He’s a doctor,” Dallas said, entirely unruffled. “HIPAA applies. He can’t go to the press.” He leaned in, his eyes darkening. “Besides — I didn’t like the way he looked at you p>
Eliza paused. “He looked at me like a friend p>