His Destructive, Toxic Love novel Chapter 549

"Manuel..." Eliza stared at him, caught off guard by his sudden kindness, leaving her a bit flustered. "...all these things..."

"Let me in first; this stuff is really heavy," he said with a warm smile.

"Oh, of course, come on in." Eliza quickly stepped aside, holding the door open wider for Manuel. "Why did you... buy so much for me?"

"You need these things. You're pretty far along now, and it's hard for you to get around. I want to help out where I can."

As a friend, his actions were top-notch—thoughtful and kind.

But Manuel wasn't like Juan.

His feelings were complex and subtle, making her feel both comforted and overwhelmed.

"Manuel, have a seat. We can sort through everything later." Eliza poured him a glass of water.

Manuel nodded, took the glass, and sat down. "I've come to Falconridge and plan to stay for a while. I want to be here to look after you."

Something stirred deep in Eliza's heart.

What did he mean by that?

"You really don't have to. You've got work; it's not necessary just for me..." she started to say, trying to gently decline.

But before she could finish, Manuel's soft voice cut in, "I want to take care of you, and I hope to do it well. To be honest, I really want us to have a future together."

Eliza hadn't expected such straightforwardness from Manuel; his intentions were crystal clear: he wanted a future with her.

But she couldn't give him what he wanted.

Looking up, her eyes were filled with conflicting emotions. "Are you saying... you want... to marry me?"

"Yes," Manuel replied, unwavering and sincere.

Eliza was taken aback.

In her mind, Manuel was a quiet, reserved person, not one to openly express his emotions. Why now, out of the blue, would he bring this up?

Especially knowing she was pregnant...

A shadow of pain crept into Manuel's eyes, "I'm willing if they're yours. Please, don't turn me away."

"No, it can't be."

The more Manuel showed such generosity, the more she felt it was wrong to be so selfish.

No one is born to be a martyr.

It wasn't fair to him.

Eliza was trying to figure out how to get him to stop being so persistent when suddenly, Manuel clasped her hand tightly.

His hand was warm, reaching straight to her heart.

"Eliza, if you had someone else, I wouldn't interfere. But right now, you're single, and so am I. Why not give us a shot?"

A flicker of struggle danced in her eyes.