His Destructive, Toxic Love

"Hey, Mr. Casper, I told Ms. Eliza you wanted to meet. I guess she'll come find you after dinner," Dillon said gently.

Casper seemed devoid of any expectation. His face was slightly cold as he glanced one more time at the man and woman in the hot pot restaurant before lifting a finger. "Let's head back." "Yes, sir."

The luxury car drove off.

Inside the restaurant, the man and woman were still deep in conversation.

Eliza didn't eat much. Most of the time, it was Manuel talking and her listening. He rarely talked about work, focusing instead on his family and their lives. He wanted her to understand him, to understand his family. "My parents are retired; they adore kids. If our baby ends up going to school in Oak Falls, they could help with the school runs."

"And when the baby gets older, they can help with homework too. You won't have to worry about a thing."

"Eliza, my family and I won't have any prejudices against you. You can totally relax; they'll only care about you."

"Eliza, Eliza, are you even listening?"

Eliza snapped back to reality. What had he been saying?

She forced a small, apologetic smile. "I'm listening."

"Don't stress. My family is very inclusive. Plus, if we ever get married, we won't be living with my parents, so you won't have to feel any burden."Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Eliza gave a small "Oh," and checked the time on her phone. "I'm done eating, how about you?"

"Yeah, I'm done too. I'll go pay." Manuel stood up and walked to the counter, with Eliza following close behind.

The hot pot meal cost 360 yuan, and Eliza insisted on splitting the bill with him.

Manuel resisted, feeling it unnecessary. "It's just a meal, and you want to split it? That hurts my feelings."

"We haven't defined our relationship yet. If we become a family in the future, I won't split costs with you." Eliza's logic was sound.

Manuel's mood lightened a bit. "Alright, then let me drive you back."

"No need, I drove here. Take care on your way." Eliza waved goodbye to Manuel.

Her car moved slowly down the streets of Oak Falls. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts.

Dillon was right. Even if they were breaking up, it shouldn't end on a sour note.

Alright, let's clear the air.

Even if there were

misunderstandings, even if he felt wronged, she might as well hear him out all at once. If they could resolve it, great. If not, at least there'd be no regrets.

Her car pulled up in front of Casper's mansion.

She got out and looked at the familiar entrance. The black, ornately carved gate felt imposing, making her heart race.

To her, Casper was always a figure

of authority and coldness. Even

when he tried to please her with a

smile, she never felt he was

е

someone she could easily deal with.

She thought, maybe it was because of their two years of marriage, living in constant conflict, that she still felt a sense of fear towards him.

She raised her hand and pressed the doorbell.

The door quickly opened automatically.

She hesitated for a moment but then walked in.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the occasional sound of insects chirping.

Light shone from the living room, and from afar, through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see Casper sitting with his back to her, like a statue.

Strange. She suddenly felt like turning back.

See, in the end, she was afraid of him.

How could love and fear coexist?

She stood outside for a bit to calm her nerves, then gently pushed open the living room door and walked in.

She stood at the doorway, hands hanging in front of her, tightly clutching her lavender purse. "Mr. Casper."

He didn't stand up, but his body shifted slightly as he turned his head to look at her.

His gaze was cold, distant, and somewhat stifling.

Eliza's heart clenched, and her fingers tightened around her purse.