His Destructive, Toxic Love

"It's not that simple, I'm not heartless." Eliza reflected on Casper's cruelty but couldn't ignore his kindness. Somehow, after his passing, his good deeds seemed to outweigh the bad. She mused, maybe she was a bit unwell. Juan gave her shoulder a gentle pat, trying to comfort her. "You'll let go eventually. Isn't that Shaw guy treating you well? Maybe give it a thought?"

"Oh, please, I've got two kids. What could he possibly owe me?" Eliza closed her eyes, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Juan chuckled, teasing, "Some men just love playing stepdad, and Manuel is definitely one of them."

Eliza felt an urge to strangle him. Had his time abroad warped his logic?

"Even if he's up for it, I don't want to be the bad guy," she said, giving Juan a look reserved for the absurd. "Are you into that too? You haven't shacked up with some woman with a dozen kids overseas, have you?" "No way, I'm not into foreigners," he replied, hugging himself and shaking his head in mock disgust.

He'd just picked up on how Manuel looked at Eliza, full of affection. A man in love accepts everything about a woman. If Manuel was a decent guy, leaning on him might not be so bad for Eliza.

"Seriously, won't you give Mr. Shaw a chance? He seems like a stand-up guy."

"Good people deserve good outcomes. Marrying me would just lead to trouble," Eliza sighed.

Having been entangled with Casper, alive or not, her life was never going to be carefree. She'd gotten used to being on her own anyway.

With her business done, Eliza loved wandering alone, exploring. New places and faces allowed her to relax and shed her burdens.

She raised her phone to capture some beautiful scenery when suddenly, a young thief snatched it and bolted.

"Stop, thief Pregnant and unable to

chase, she hoped someone would step in But most onlookers hurriedly avoided the scene, leaving her to shout for help.

Just then, a tall, lean figure darted past, tackling the thief before he could cross the street, his actions swift and precise.

Eliza rushed over, retrieving her phone with overflowing gratitude. "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."

He gave a slight nod, acknowledging

her thanks, and turned to leave. Eliza quickly followed, pulling a few crisp bills from her purse. "Thanks for stepping up and getting my phone back Please, take this as a token of my gratitude."

The man in the black mask lifted his eyes to glance at her, silent, just waving his hand dismissively.

"Please, don't refuse. You've done me a huge favor, this is rightfully yours," Eliza insisted, pushing the bills into his hand.

Her eyes caught sight of some

unusual burn scars on his hand, lingering a moment longer. Noticing her gaze, he quickly and casually pulled his sleeve down, covering the scars.

Without another word, he accepted the money and walked away.

Eliza watched him leave, thinking he resembled the man she'd seen at an award ceremony, dressed in black with a cap and mask. What a coincidence.