His Destructive, Toxic Love

Eliza murmured in agreement.

"We're all friends, he shouldn't mind." Aaron handed Eliza a business card. "I've already spoken to the boss. If you decide to go for it, you can head straight there. He is a really nice guy." "Thank you, Aaron."

After getting out of the car, Aaron handed her an umbrella. "Take this."

"I'm good. It's just a short walk."

"The rain in early autumn is chilling, and you're already soaked. Just take it, please."

Eliza obediently took the umbrella, thanked him, and watched as Aaron left. As she turned around, she almost bumped into a wall of muscle.

Lifting her eyes, she found herself staring into a pair of brooding eyes. Wasn't Casper supposed to be at the hospital with Nova? Why was he here, at the bottom of her apartment building? "What are you doing here?"

"If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have known you'd asked Aaron to bring you home."

He would never allow his woman to be coveted by another man. Whether he loved her or not, he wouldn't permit it.

Eliza scoffed lightly. "Would you believe me if I said it was a coincidence?"

"You really think I'm that gullible?"

If he hadn't seen Aaron's car stop in front of Eliza or see her get in the car without any hesitation, perhaps he would have believed it.

"I leave for a few minutes, and you're already flirting with Aaron. Really, Eliza? You're being naughty," he said, roughly pulling her closer. "Do you just enjoy not listening to whatever I say? Since you won't listen, maybe you don't need this ear."

He used immense strength to twist her ear. Eliza was in pain and reached out to block him, which only angered Casper further. He twisted her ear, turning it. Blood trickled down the side of her face, drop by drop.

Eliza clutched her ear, her eyes tightly shut from the pain. Blood stained her fingers; her ear was brutally torn. The umbrella she held was blown away by the wind, tumbling across the ground and into the bushes.

He watched her almost indifferently. Yet, his fingertips slowly tightened.

Eliza went to the hospital alone to get treated. The doctor stitched her up with cosmetic surgery, ensuring there would be no scars. Eliza sat outside the emergency room and closed her eyes while receiving an IV to reduce inflammation.

Chelsea hurried over. "What happened? How did you get hurt?"

"It was an accident." Eliza didn't want to elaborate.

"Let me see your medical record." Chelsea hadn't been upset until she looked at it, almost cursing out loud. "An earlobe tear? How could you have damaged your own ear? Who did this? Was it Casper?" Eliza didn't answer. Her phone chimed. A message from an unknown number requesting to add her as a friend. She ignored it. Then the unknown number sent several messages in a row. Chelsea, annoyed, said, "Who is it?"

She accepted the request. The stranger immediately transferred $100,000.

"Who is this person sending $100,000 just like that? Could it be..." Chelsea could only think of someone with deep pockets, that bastard named Casper. "...is he trying to make amends with money? Or buy his way out of trouble?"

Eliza glanced at her phone, tapped the screen, and returned the money. She then promptly deleted the unknown number. She wouldn't take his money.

"Chelsea, can you help me hire a lawyer?"

"Casper still refuses to break up amicably?"

"I don't want to drag this on any longer."

Even if the process was difficult, she had to end it bravely. Once her injuries had healed a bit, Eliza went to the themed lounge. The boss had saved a spot for her. It must have been because of Aaron's influence. Every time Eliza played the harp, she would dress in a gown, transforming into a vision of beauty with just a touch of makeup.