His Destructive, Toxic Love
Chapter 245

"For a woman who just looks like Eliza?"

Aaron was baffled. But Casper was always reckless. Aaron was used to his arrogance and domineering ways, so it wasn't all that surprising.

"I guess I'm just a bit competitive," Casper said, tossing a cigarette into his mouth, letting it dangle there.

"Seems like you still haven't figured out why Eliza left," Aaron said, lowering his gaze and feeling the need to remind Casper. "People turn suicidal out of despair. Mr. Casper, you've already driven one woman to her death. Are you planning to add a second or third to that list?"

Casper suddenly burst into laughter. He turned to face Aaron. "What's the matter, Dr. Martin, losing your nerve?"

"I just want to remind you not to go too far."

Casper looked toward the setting sun.

Over the years, he never understood why Aaron had liked Eliza in the first place. Aaron wasn't the romantic type, and Eliza wasn't his usual preference. What had sparked his feelings?

Was it just a sense of heroism? Or was it simply because he felt sorry for Eliza's situation?

Casper, being a man himself, couldn't believe that a man would give his all to a woman without expecting anything in return.

What was Aaron after, really?

"Being ruthless is my style, Dr. Martin. You don't need to worry."

Aaron furrowed his brow, revealing his inner conflict.

The chill of late winter hadn't completely faded, and the spring rains were eager to take over.

This football field they stood in was a place of shared memories from their youth. As time passed, their friendship, tested by the years, gradually fade Oak Falls.

Eliza received a WhatsApp message. [Ms. Valerie, would you join us for a firefly show tonight?] The message was from Casper. It was then she realized she hadn't deleted his contact.

She was about to remove him when another message came through. [My dear friend loves watching è fireflies. The doctor said it would lift his spirits and aid his. And he... is very fond of you. Would you be so kind to join us?]

Casper always knew how to use the people Eliza cared about to manipulate her into doing things she didn't want to do.

It had always been that way and even more so now.

He had figured out she was Eliza. So what? As long as she didn't admit it, she was Valerie.

Just then, Aaron sent her a message, too. [Val, I'm in Oak Falls. Dinner tonight? Bring Brock along.]

Eliza's eyes shifted back to Casper's message.

In the next second, she gripped her phone and replied to Aaron, [Sounds great, Aaron. My treat.] [I've got reservations. I'll send you the details.]

[Okay.]

After sending the message, she pressed on Casper's name and deleted his contact. The night in Oak Falls was chilly with the lingering touch of spring.

Casper was pushing Robin along a forest path. "Do you think your sister will come tonight?" Casper wore a raresmile tinged with uncertainty. "Guess right, and you get a lollipop."

Robin was holding a doll and tilted his head, thinking. "Sister, pretty. Bugs, pretty." Casper chuckled.

Following the doctor's advice, he had leased a huge piece of woodland to release millions of fireflies just to improve Robin's treatment.

The fireflies were a specially bred

species that could glow all year net

round. It cost him a fortune,

didn't mind. It was, after all net

of seeking redemption.

Robin pointed at the twinkling lights. "Catch the bugs."

way