His Destructive, Toxic Love

Chapter 545



After everyone exchanged polite hellos, the mood was pretty laid-back. Eliza and Juan were off to the side, chatting away. "Do you have any idea who the mystery bigwig bankrolling this shindig is?" Eliza asked. "I've heard it's someone loaded," Juan replied, with that air of mystery.

Eliza rolled her eyes. That was about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine. "I mean, who is he really?"

"How would I know? It's my first time here too."

Eliza couldn't shake the feeling she'd seen those eyes somewhere before. But where?

"Juan, don't you think his eyes look a lot like... Casper's?"

Juan paused, taking a moment to peek over. "Now that you mention it, there's definitely a resemblance."

"So, do you think it could be Casper?"

Juan was dumbfounded. Was she losing it? Casper was supposed to be dead.

"Don't be like that," he said, a chill creeping down his spine.

Eliza suddenly laughed, "Just kidding."

Juan wasn't amused. "You really shouldn't joke about stuff like that. I take things seriously, you know."

Eliza just gave a sly smile. But her eyes drifted back to the silver mask the man was wearing. "Juan, why's he wearing a mask anyway? How old do you think he is?"

"With that kind of dough, he's probably pushing at least fifty," Juan guessed.

"That's pretty old," Eliza nodded, her interest shifting to the little pastries in front of her. "Should we head back soon? It's getting kinda dull here."

"Let's hang around a bit longer and sneak a peek at the mansion. I heard the original owner was some noble who had a fling with a princess and got his head chopped off."

Eliza knew he was itching to explore.

But barging in without the owner's okay? That was a big no-no. The owner didn't exactly seem like a chill dude, and risking it all for a bit of nosiness just didn't seem smart.

"Watch it, curiosity killed the cat," she warned.

"Just a quick look-see, we're not taking anything."

He figured the owner wouldn't be too uptight about it. They lingered at the event a while longer before Juan, always the adventurer, pulled Eliza out with him.

Juan was captivated by the mansion's design, inspecting every nook and cranny with care. "Come on, let's check out upstairs," he suggested.

Eliza wasn't feeling it, plopping herself down in a chair. "You go ahead, I'll hang here."

"This place is centuries old, and they say some of the original design and antiques are still around. I'm gonna snap some pics."

And just like that, Juan was off. Eliza opened her mouth to suggest he get permission, but he was already out of sight.

The mansion had an eerie vibe

under the dim lights, sending a shiver down her spine. Feeling a bit chilled, she decided to head back to the party to wait for Juan.

As she turned around, she walked straight into a human wall. The silver mask on his face was particularly creepy in the cold, dark night.

"Ah..." She admitted she was startled, but after a second, she recognized him as the mansion's owner. "I'm really sorry."

She quickly apologized. As she tried to sidestep him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

He just stared at her, not saying a word. Eliza didn't get what he wanted, so she tried apologizing again, "Sir, I accidentally bumped into you. I'm really sorry." Still, he said nothing, and his grip on her arm didn't loosen.

It hurt a bit, sure, but more than

anything, she was baffled by his intentions. "Sir, could you please let go? I know I shouldn't have been wandering around, but I didn't take anything. What's the deal with holding onto me like this?"

She glared at him, clearly annoyed. The man just lowered his gaze, still staring, yet silent as ever. Eliza wondered... Could he be mute?


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