His Destructive, Toxic Love novel Chapter 532

Manuel was always genuine, but she didn't want to burden him. "Really, it's fine," she said.

"I just want to help," he replied, his smile warm with understanding and respect. Even with the little things, he hoped she wouldn't see him as an outsider.

Eliza gave a slight smile, her fingers gently tracing the rim of her porcelain teacup. "Thanks, Manuel, but I can handle it myself."

Years of living solo had made her self-reliant. Loneliness wasn't something she struggled to adapt to anymore.

Manuel didn’t push further. Gazing out at the misty rain, his mind wandered.

The rain continued into the night. Eliza and Manuel stayed over in the guest rooms their mentor had arranged. Eliza found herself unable to sleep. She lay in bed, clutching her phone, tossing and turning.

Her mind kept circling back to Casper. She hadn’t deleted his contact info, even though his number was now unreachable. Their argument before he left haunted her; it was her biggest regret. She should have explained things better. Maybe then, he wouldn't have left in such anger.

Relationships are about give and take, mutual understanding. What he owed her had long been settled, yet he always saw himself as the guilty one, just like she saw him.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

Father Henry used to say, love is about letting go and finding redemption. But those two ideas clash. How can you redeem someone if you let them go? And if you let go, how do you find redemption?

She didn’t get it. But, either way, it was too late to change things or make it right.

The rain dripped like time slipping away, each drop trying to carry something with it. She listened, captivated by the sound...

...

After Juan went back to France, Manuel became a familiar face at Eliza’s place. He helped with whatever he could, never asking for anything in return, just being there for her. But this left Eliza feeling a bit guilty.

That weekend, Eliza headed to Falconridge. First, she picked up Brock from kindergarten and took him to the old family house.

Audrey had fallen ill after the tragic news of Casper's passing, shutting herself off from visitors. On this day, Casper’s memorial, only Caroline was organizing everything, with Dillon helping out.

"Hey, Sis," Eliza said, holding Brock’s hand as they approached Caroline. "Thanks for handling all this. Didn't Luke come?"

Luke’s absence was glaring. With the significance of Casper’s departure, it was odd not to see him at the funeral or today.

Caroline held Brock close, planting a kiss on his cheek, and gave a wry smile. "He won't be showing up."

Eliza was baffled. She looked to Dillon for answers, but he avoided her eyes. So, she turned back to Caroline. "Did something happen?"