His Destructive, Toxic Love

Casper shot her a sidelong glance, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Is there anything else? If you're thinking about working in Zach's studio again, forget it."

He blocked every possible path she could take, leaving her with no options.

"I just want a stable job. Can you at least give me a chance?"

"Are you turning down a hundred grand a month to scrape by with a few thousand? What, now you're suddenly all brave and independent, Eliza?" His dark eyes narrowed, sarcasm dripping from every word. Eliza turned away, refusing to meet his gaze.

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Eliza, what did you and Zach do today?"

"Didn't you already see?" What could they possibly do in broad daylight?

"Nothing?"

"Do you think everyone's like you and enjoys getting frisky in cars in the middle of the day?"

"Let me tell you this: if you see Zach even once more, I'll make sure Robin stays in the hospital for another year. Don't believe me? Try me."

His lips hovered near hers, knowing she'd toe the line for Robin's sake. She stayed silent, her usual form of protest.

On the way, Nova called again, crying like her world had completely shattered.

Casper left Eliza standing in the cold rain and drove to the hospital. She hugged herself tightly, seeking refuge at a nearby bus stop.

That's when a white Porsche pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down. "Eliza."

She looked up. "Aaron."

"Why are you all soaked? Get in." Aaron grabbed a thick towel from the backseat and handed it to her. "No umbrella?"

"Thanks, Aaron." She took the towel and started drying her drenched hair.

"I saw you leave with Casper. Thought he'd take you home..." He paused, giving her a questioning look.

She lifted her face slightly, a faint smile on her lips. "He had someone more important to be with."

"Nova..."

"Aaron, I can't deal with that right now."

Aaron didn't push further. "Oh, I ran into Chelsea yesterday. She mentioned you're looking for a job. Weren't you the president of the folk music club in college?"

Eliza had been raised in luxury by the Henderson family. Music, chess, literature, painting-she was trained in it all. In college, she rekindled her passion for traditional music, picking up the harp she had learned as a child. She loved donning traditional gowns and sitting gracefully as she plucked the strings. After getting married, she tried to play her harp at home, but Casper smashed it to pieces. She hadn't played since.

Aaron's mention brought back all the memories.

"Aaron, you still remember that."

"You were the campus queen, quite the star." He didn't go deeper, not wanting her to overthink. "Anyway, a friend of mine just opened a high-end themed lounge and needs a harp player. If you're interested, I could recommend you."

Eliza stayed silent, torn. She wanted to go but feared causing trouble for Aaron and the lounge owner.

Sensing her hesitation, Aaron added, "It's not a tough gig. You just have one performance in the afternoon and one in the evening, lasting two hours each. A thousand a day."

"It's not that. I'm just worried about what Casper might do..."

"You think Casper will cause trouble?"