His Destructive, Toxic Love

She was gasping for breath. Her mouth and nose were filled with water, arms flailing. "Casper... let me... out." He ignored her struggles. It was as if he was determined to scrub away every trace of Easton's touch.

Eliza's delicate skin was now marked with red trails, every inch he scrubbed leaving a bloody streak.

"Tell me, where else did he touch you?"

He was practically peeling her skin off.

Eliza had swallowed too much water, her strength ebbing away. Her body gradually stopped fighting, becoming limp, until she slid uncontrollably into the bathtub.

Just as her face slipped beneath the water, a pair of strong hands pulled her out.

"Eliza, Eliza," he tapped her face lightly. "Don't you play dead on me. We're not done here."

She didn't respond. She looked lifeless, water filling her eyes and ears.

Casper panicked, checking for her breath, his pupils shrinking in fear. "Eliza, wake up, please wake up."

"Eliza, come on, wake up."

She was still, like a cold, unresponsive Sleeping Beauty.

Frantic, he carried her out of the bathroom, laid her on the floor, and started CPR. "I won't let you die. You can't die. Breathe, come on, breathe! You hear me?" His eyes were bloodshot. His lips trembled.

He took a deep breath, lowered his head, and breathed air into her lungs. "Eliza, I promised to spare your brother. You can't die. Wake up."

"Wake up, please, I'm begging you."

He didn't know how many cycles he performed.

Over and over again, he didn't stop for a second until she let out a faint cough. His heart, tight with fear, finally eased.

"Eliza, I knew you wouldn't die."

Eliza was weak. Her mind was foggy.

Casper called an ambulance, and Eliza was hospitalized again. She thought for sure this time she'd end up in hell, but she survived.

Casper's secretary sat across from

her, watching with a blank

expression. Mrs. Welton, you're in the hospital way too often. You really don't need to keep fighting with M. Casper. He's doing all this for Welton International. If

the

company goes under, you won't

have all the luxuries you're used to,

will you?"

Faithe's words cut deep as if it was all her fault. Eliza had nothing to say to Faithe. She gave her a cold glance and then looked away.

Faithe noted her silence and spoke

again, "Last night, Mr. Gillum was furious, and the contract didn't get signed. It's baffling. You had already left with him, so why did you return home? Do you realize how important that land is for Welton International? It's a billion-dollar project, the lifeline for thousands of employées."

Faithe got more agitated, pushing her glasses up her nose. "You're really too irresponsible."

Eliza smiled faintly.

Faithe took that smile as

indifference, her tone getting nastier. "Of course, you don't work at Welton International, so you don't know how tough things are. If Mr. Gillum sells that land to our rivals, we'll lose many projects. It's a domino effect. Surely, even a housewife can understand that, right?"

"If Welton International collapses under Mr. Casper's leadership, you're letting down everyone in the Welton family. And you still have the nerve to smile."