His Destructive, Toxic Love

The wind was howling, and the snowflakes were like tiny needles, making it hard for Eliza to keep her eyes open. She fell silent, lost in her thoughts. By the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, her feet felt like blocks of ice.

Back in her cozy hotel room, Eliza immediately ran a hot bath, eager to thaw out and relax for a bit.

Meanwhile, over in Falconridge, a juicy piece of gossip had exploded onto the front page of the entertainment section. It read:

#MovieQueen's Rumored Beau Seen with a Mystery Woman

#Allysha's Boyfriend Caught with a Married Woman, Allegedly from the Wealthy Monroe Family

The buzz was all about Allysha and Casper. Internet sleuths were quick to uncover the name of the rumored boyfriend and every detail about the mysterious Monroe woman.

In just a few hours, a snapshot of Gabe carrying Eliza down the mountain became the hottest topic on various websites.

Dillon stumbled upon the news just as he had wrapped up sending Tristan off. Exhausted, he felt a fresh wave of stress wash over him. Should he tell Casper or not? These tabloid stories were usually rubbish, but the exposure of Eliza's information online was bound to have repercussions. It could affect her, Crystal Clear, and the entire Welton family, including Welton International.

With a grave expression, Dillon walked into the CEO's office.noveldrama

"Mr. Casper."

"What's up?" Casper asked, still engrossed in his work.

Opting for a straightforward approach, Dillon explained, "There's a trending story about your wife and Allysha's rumored boyfriend hiking together. Eliza's personal details are all over the internet. Should we get it pulled from the trending list?" "What?" Casper was shocked. "Hiking with who?" He reached out, "Let me see." "You've probably seen this guy before," Dillon said, handing over his phone.

The photo had been taken at a professional angle, exuding an air of intimacy no matter how you viewed it. Whether true or not, it made Casper green with envy.

"Who the hell took this? These paparazzi really need to be reined in," Casper said, tossing the phone onto his desk. "I'm gone for one day, and this is what I come back to?"

"Yeah, they'll do anything for clicks," Dillon sighed. Having worked with Casper for years, he had seen countless rumors about him, Eliza, and other women. Most of them, around ninety percent, were pure fiction.

Simply put, these paparazzi thrived on this sort of stuff. Without Falconridge's

wealthy residents, they'd be out of jobs.

"Get it off the trending list

immediately, and wipe any trace of Eliza's info from the internet. Warn

the major media outlets: if Eliza's personal details appear again, those sites will be blacklisted."

"On it," Dillon replied, leaving the room.

Casper sat there, unable to concentrate on his work, his fingers drumming restlessly on the solid oak desk.

After what seemed like forever, he picked up his phone. Despite his hesitation, he called Eliza.

She had just finished her bath and was in good spirits. Her voice was light and cheerful, "Hey there?"

"Did you go hiking?" Casper's voice was deep, probing.

Eliza, drying her hair, moved to the balcony, watching the snowflakes drift down. Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Yeah, I did. But it started snowing halfway, so I turned back. The view was gorgeous,

though. Is it snowing in Falconridge

too?"

"It is," he said, looking out at the heavy snowfall, his gaze distant yet intense. "It's coming down pretty hard."

"Wow, wonder how long it'll keep up."

"So, who'd you go hiking with?" He lit a cigarette, taking a drag as he asked, "Were you alone?"

Eliza put him on speaker, setting the phone aside to dry her hair. "There were lots

of people, but they were all pros. I couldn't keep up, and when the snow got heavier, I just headed back."