His Destructive, Toxic Love

Fear flickered in Brock's eyes. Casper placed a firm hand on Brock's shoulder. "Do you want to win first place?"

Brock's eyes welled up as he shook his head.

Casper narrowed his eyes. "I'll ask you again. Do you want to win first place?"

Brock hesitated.

He saw Casper with a certain charm. Casper could make him believe anything was possible, even winning first place.

"Mhm." Brock agreed.

Casper felt a surge of pride. Brock still had some fight in him. "Alright then, let's go get that first place."

Casper and Brock joined the kindergarten relay race. These kiddie races were really all about the adults. The kids' abilities were pretty much the same across the board. Watching from the bleachers, Dillon raised an eyebrow. Hadn't Casper and Eliza had a huge fight? So, Casper caved in after all.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," a woman's anxious voice piped in from beside him.

Dillon turned to see a sweaty Eliza. He lowered his gaze slightly, turning his face away.

"I'm glad you made it. Brock's about to compete, and we can't wait to watch the race," the principal said with a smile.

Eliza nodded and then looked toward the field. She quickly spotted her son, but she also saw... Casper.

What was he doing here? Why was Casper with Brock at his sports day? Could Casper have figured something out? She shook her head. Brock looked more like her than Casper. He wouldn't suspect anything.

The race started.

Brock sprinted with all his might but only made it about twenty or thirty meters before crashing down with a thud.

Eliza's heart clenched, her eyes brimming with worry. She thought Brock would burst into tears like he always did when he fell. He'd always been a bit fragile and not good with pain.

To her surprise, Brock showed incredible resilience. He quickly got up, brushed the dirt off, and, without a second thought, continued running towards Casper.

By the time Brock was passing the baton, the parents in the other lanes were already a good distance ahead.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

No one expected the dad in this last-minute "father and son" duo to be so fast and powerful. It left everyone stunned.

Not surprisingly, Casper took first place.

At the award ceremony, Brock looked a bit shy. He stuck close to Casper, his big, clear eyes shining with excitement and a touch of caution. Casper bent down and extended his large hand. "Want to sit on my shoulders?"

Brock blinked in surprise but then gathered his courage and nodded.

Casper smiled, lifted him up, and placed him securely on his shoulders.

It was Brock's first time sitting on a man's shoulders, and from up there, he looked around with an expression of pride.

Down below, Eliza couldn't take her

eyes off the two on the podium. She

felt a swirl of complex emotions. inside her, like ripples spreading across a lake, impossible to calm.

Brock was the first to spot her. He ran over with his medal, eager to show it off. Casper trailed behind, also heading her way.

Dillon handed him his jacket. "Mr. Casper."

Eliza turned to look at Casper, about to say thank you.

But he didn't acknowledge her, his face cold as ice, as he left the kindergarten with Dillon.