His Destructive, Toxic Love

Six months later.

In Oak Falls, Eliza was back at her old school, picking up where she left off. After everything she'd been through, she found solace in this calm and warm life.

Her older colleagues had made it their mission to set her up on dates. Every time, she declined with a polite smile. Marriage wasn't something she felt she needed. "Ms. Valerie, there's a new teacher around your age. He's quite the looker. You should go for it," one colleague nudged.

"Yeah, Ms. Valerie, you're stunning, and honestly, no one would guess you've had a child. Don't let this rare catch slip through your fingers," another chimed in. "Ms. Valerie, you can't stay in one place forever. Sometimes, you just have to take a step forward..."

Her colleagues' voices overlapped with suggestions and encouragements. Eliza smiled politely, though she felt a bit awkward.

All she knew about the new teacher was his name, Carlos. She hadn't met him yet, but she heard he just graduated from a renowned art academy overseas and was here on an internship. He wouldn't be around for long. Not that it mattered to her anyway.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

With textbooks in hand, Eliza smiled and backed out of the office. She hadn't gone far when she accidentally bumped into someone. "Sorry, my bad."

She looked up to see a young, handsome face, the kind that seemed sweet and disarming. Though he seemed friendly, Eliza knew better than to judge by appearances. She often struggled to read people accurately and opted not to comment. "Are you Ms. Valerie? I've heard about you from the Art Academy of Falconridge. Maybe we could exchange some pointers?" He smiled gently, but there was a competitive glint in his eyes.

This was their first meeting, and it was filled with the usual pleasantries, yet it was the first time someone had issued a challenge right off the bat.

Eliza forced a smile. "Sure, why not."

"By the way, Ms. Valerie, there's a painting competition coming up, themed around blue-collar workers. Have you signed up?"

Eliza hadn't kept up with these

things. Previous competitions had brought her a lot of attention and boosted her painting prices. She didn't want too much fame and

rarely entered contestsnet

"No," she replied honestly.

"Why not?" His tone was oddly accusatory, as if not participating was a huge mistake.

Eliza's expression cooled. "What? Is it mandatory now?"

"Not exactly," Carlos quickly backtracked, offering an embarrassed smile. "Don't get me wrong. I just meant..."

"I have a class to get to."

Eliza didn't give him a chance to explain further. His intentions didn't matter to her. Her first impression of him was not good. She sensed a subtle domineering streak she didn't like. Looking harmless and actually being harmless were two different things.

This reminded Eliza of Zach-a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Rumor had it he had made it onto the board of Welton International. Becoming the CEO was a matter of time. After Casper's death, Welton International had gone downhill. The е news was filled with internal scandals, including those involving

Tristan and Zach. Welton

International had turned into a mess.

Every time she saw these reports, she felt reassured that leaving Falconridge was the right decision.

After dinner, she spent some time playing with her son, Brock and then settled down to enjoy a quiet evening of reading. The doorbell rang.

Puzzled, she got up to answer it.