His Destructive, Toxic Love

"I'll handle it myself." She wasn't used to being this close to someone.

"Alright." He smiled slightly, looking at her beautiful, pure face. "Haven't had breakfast yet? Let's grab something to eat, then we can go see Dr. Roth. We've got enough time." "I'm... not hungry."ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

She felt uneasy being alone with Casper. Or maybe she just didn't know how to act around a man who had lost his memory.

"Even if you're not hungry, you should eat a little something. You don't want to talk to Dr. Roth on an empty stomach; hunger can make you a bit foggy," he said gently. She curved her lips into a smile, giving in. "Okay then."

Her cooperation lifted his spirits.

The street food stand was bustling with life. They found a clean spot to sit and ordered some breakfast sandwiches, herb-seasoned hard-boiled eggs, and oatmeal.

"This place is pretty famous in Falconridge. I used to come here a lot when I was in high school," Casper said casually.

Eliza didn't know much about Casper's past. She had always thought he was the type of guy who wouldn't touch street food. It was a bit surprising.

"You eat this too?"

"What did you think I ate?" he laughed, peeling a herb-seasoned egg and handing it to her. "Tycoons don't always live in ivory towers."

Don't they? During the years she lived with him, wasn't he always up on his high horse, unreachable and aloof?

Eliza laughed and shook her head.

He didn't get her laughter. "What?"

"I just never imagined Mr. Casper, who I thought only ate organic food, sitting in a diner eating herb-seasoned eggs."

Did he love organic food? Not

entirely. Probably for health reasons, he did eat some pricier ingredients. But essentially, rich people are still just people. Just like everyone else.

"Seems like you don't really know me."

She shook her head again; she didn't need to know him.

After their simple breakfast, they headed to the hotel where Dr. Roth was staying. A tall foreigner with a weathered face, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, greeted them.

It's funny, some people look scholarly with glasses, while others look like over-educated rogues. Her eyes unwittingly fell on Casper's face. Definitely the rogue type. After polite greetings, Eliza handed Dr. Roth Mikey's X-rays. He was French. Eliza didn't understand French, but luckily, Casper could translate.

Most of the time, she explained

Mikey's condition to Casper, who then translated into French for Dr., Roth. She just listened quietly on the side. He would also translate Dr Roth's insights back to her. Back and forth, she was fully involved.

She had never seen him work so earnestly before. This was the first time she saw him set aside his playful manner and seriously engage in something. Indeed, much more pleasant to the eye than usual.

Actually, before marrying Casper,

she knew he was quite

impressive not just in business but also academically. Fluent in multiple languages, skilled in music, painting, basketball, horseback riding archery... He was exceptional in every way.

Such a person was from a different world. Back then, she didn't know where she found the courage, but a single exchange of glances made her determined to win him over.

But isn't that what love is all about? Diving headfirst, like a moth to a flame. Only, she got burned and shattered to pieces.

Lost in thought, Eliza didn't notice Dr. Roth's question.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Dr. Roth asked Casper in French.

Casper shook his head, somewhat regretfully. "Not yet."

"She's very beautiful; you'll have to step up your game," Dr. Roth said with a smile, patting Casper's shoulder.