His Destructive, Toxic Love (Jasper and Eliza)

Casper yanked a towel from the rack, drying his hair as he strolled out of the bathroom. Damn, that really hurt. "What's this big secret you've got? Spill it."

""Mr. Casper, it's Mikey-your wife's father. He's not dead."

Casper, who had been wincing from the pain, suddenly went still. "What did you just say? Mikey isn't dead?"

"Not only is he alive, but he also changed his name and moved to Crescent Creek. He got married and even had kids..." Casper was floored. Then, who was the guy who supposedly committed suicide in prison? And who got buried? "Did you see him?"

When Mikey was arrested, Eliza had begged Casper, with tears streaming down her face, to find a way to clear her father's name. Casper had asked around about Mikey, but he admitted he hadn't put much effort into it at the time. Eliza always suspected-and eventually believed that he had set up Mikey's arrest.

But it wasn't him.

Casper stroked his chin, trying to piece together the events from back then. Could this be a classic case of faking one's death?

He said Mikey was released for lack of evidence and that the suicide was completely made up. Mikey's been

like Eliza's death

does this all sound

fake death, the same fake news, the same fake

deceptions seemed to

this? He's orchestrating a

and bring him to Oak Falls immediately, by any means necessary. I need

"Understood."

had not only stolen his wife but also turned against him, harboring secrets no one

...

while, hermood sour. It wasn't unti her neighbor called, asking when she'd be home, that she snapped out of her daze and headed back to

long shadows of the passersby. Eliza walked slowly, lost in thought, and absentmindedly wandered into a dark alley. The streetlight was out, but doubling back would take too long, so she quickened her