His Destructive, Toxic Love

My head was pounding.Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

Eliza, clutching Mikey's urn, slid into Casper's car, her long eyelashes barely hiding the hot tears welling up in her eyes. She bit her lip hard, struggling to keep her emotions in check. But...

The tears still trickled down her cheeks. Her grief was unstoppable.

Seeing her in such pain, Casper gently reached out, pulling Eliza's trembling body into his arms, letting her head rest against his shoulder.

"It's okay to cry, there's no shame in it."

In his embrace, Eliza sobbed helplessly, her voice hoarse and shaking. "Casper, I... I'm an orphan now."

She leaned weakly against him, her eyes lost and forlorn. Over the years, through all the ups and downs, the truths and lies, she had been through so much. In the end, she was still alone.

He desperately wanted to tell her that she still had him. That he would always be there for her, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"People grow up, and as we do, we lose a lot. Things we don't want to lose, things we can't bear to part with, things beyond our control."

He wanted to offer her some comfort, but it didn't seem like the right time. Right now, she needed to let out all her sorrow.

"Go ahead and cry, let it all out. I'm here for you."

She indeed needed a strong shoulder to cry on. But Casper wasn't the one.

She gently pushed him away, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Did you tell Susan you were coming? Don't stir up misunderstandings because of me, you know I hate complications." "This has nothing to do with her." He didn't need to report to anyone.

Eliza shook her head slightly. Fiancés should respect each other, in all aspects.

"Casper, you can't keep doing this."

"Let's not talk about her." He just wanted to be there for Eliza, to help her through her tough time. "If you're tired, you can lean on me and sleep for a bit." "Casper, you're engaged. You should be careful."

She deliberately kept a distance between them, sitting properly beside the car door. He understood her point, his lips moved to explain, but... any explanation would only make things worse. Today was not the day for that.

No more words were exchanged between them.

Back in Falconridge, after Mikey's ashes were laid to rest, Casper followed Eliza back to her home.

"Are you hungry?" He took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, ready to make her a bowl of pasta.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Eliza, with red eyes, went to open the door. It was Juan.

"I heard about your dad... passing away?" He had rushed over as soon as he got the news, worry evident in his eyes. "Are you... okay?" Eliza sighed deeply, releasing a weight from her heart. "I'm fine."

"How did it happen so suddenly?" He

knew Mikey had been sick, but his condition didn't seem that bad "Don't be too hard on yourself, take care." ,

"Mhm."

Sounds of cooking came from the kitchen. Juan paused. "Someone else is here? Chelsea?"

"No," she wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue, casually saying, "It's Casper."

"Him?" Juan was momentarily taken aback.

"He heard about my dad's incident, went to Oak Falls, and helped me handle my dad's affairs. After the funeral, he brought me back here." Juan understood. In the end, it was hard to let go. This man had truly fallen for her.

"I'll go see what he's up to."

Juan headed to the kitchen. Casper was dicing tomatoes with decent knife skills. Juan greeted him with a familiar ease. "What's Mr. Casper up to?

Casper didn't look up. Nor did he acknowledge him, continuing his task with a haughty air.

Juan chuckled. "No need for such hostility. There's nothing between Eliza and me. If you must define our relationship, think of us as siblings."