Tangled Temptations

Brett flashed a small smile. "The Horigan family, is it?"

The butler let out a nervous chuckle, then glanced at Eloise. The whole household knew about the young lady's affairs with the Horigan scion.

Brett took a moment to consider, then ordered for them to be let in. A line of 18 black Mercedes and 88 lavish gifts appeared, all in pairs.

Brett pointed to these and asked, "Is this a gift-giving or a proposal?"

A representative from the Horigan family replied with a laugh.

Just as the old lady was about to speak, Brett whispered into her ear, "I've met the man. He seems promising!"

The old lady, always concerned for her son, nodded in approval.

Brett accepted only half of the gifts, indicating no agreement to the proposal. In doing so, he was setting a strong image for Eloise in the Noland family. His niece was so sought after that even the richest family from the north had proposed. He wanted Eloise, the Noland family's young lady, to feel secure.

Eloise was moved. What did Harvey mean by this?

In the evening, when she finally had a moment, she was about to call him, but Harvey beat her to it.

Eloise picked up. His tone was surprisingly gentle. "Are you enjoying your time in Brockville?"

Eloise nodded. "It's alright."

She thought for a moment, then decided to be straightforward. "Stop sending gifts to the Noland family. I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of misunderstandings? Eloise, I was indeed proposing, but your uncle refused!"

Late at night, Harvey's voice was seductively low. "What should do I do? It seems more difficult to pursue you! Eloise, do you want me to come over?"

Eloise shook her head. Recognizing kin was one thing and it had nothing to do with their relationship. Harvey was clearly fishing in troubled waters.

Eloise stayed calm. She spoke softly, "If there's anything, let's talk about it when I return to Peterborough!"

On the other end of the line, Harvey was silent for a while, then quietly asked, "Eloise, are you rejecting me from your life?"

In the Noland family's generation, she was the only girl. Brett's behavior clearly indicated that he wanted her to return to Brockville. If Eloise was willing, would there still be a chance for them?

After he asked, neither of them spoke. Eloise knew he wanted a promise, but she couldn't give one at the moment! She didn't want to impulsively hand over her emotions and her everything, once again.

Finally, Harvey hung up the phone.

...

Eloise stayed in the Noland family home for three days, then returned to Peterborough. As the driver dropped her off at her apartment, a black Maybach was parked there. The window was down and a slender arm was rested there, its owner smoking back and forth.

It was Harvey.

He saw Eloise, got out of the car, and took her suitcase from her hands. "You're back?"

Eloise hummed in response. They hadn't seen each other for half a month, so it felt a bit strange now.

Harvey put out his cigarette and walked ahead of her upstairs. Eloise wanted to stop him, but looking at his lonely figure, she swallowed her words and followed him.

As Eloise was unlocking the door, Harvey couldn't help but embrace her from behind. She stiffened slightly. Harvey probably noticed; he whispered into her ear, "I won't touch you. We haven't had a meal together in a long time, how about some chicken soup?"

Eloise nodded. She opened the door and walked in. Harvey followed behind her, looked around, and asked, "Where's our dog?"

Eloise smiled. "In Brockville."

Harvey turned her around, gently pushed her onto the small sofa, and asked in a low voice, "Do you plan to make that dog a Noland too?"

Eloise thought he was being ridiculous. She pushed him away and went to the kitchen. She hadn't had lunch and wanted something hot.

Harvey made her a cup of milk. He leaned against the kitchen counter, and casually mentioned, "I heard the Rossland project is off to a great start."

Eloise nodded. "It is! I left Dwight there for two months, and he's fully in charge of the project. you don't have to worry about his ability, Mr. Arellano will guide him if necessary."

Harvey's gaze was intense. These past few months, Eloise had transformed. He liked it, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to completely possess this woman. Brett's appearance made him uneasy.

While she was washing the vegetables, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. "Are you thinking of moving to Brockville in the future?"

Eloise paused. "Hmm, I'm considering it."

Harvey's heart sank slightly, but he patiently asked again, "And then? Will you go on blind dates arranged by the Noland family? Eloise, what should I do? How are you going to deal with me?"

After all the back and forth, he finally asked the key question. Again, he wanted a promise from her!

Eloise was not heartless. She had tasted the bitterness of love. She knew Harvey liked her, but she really wasn't ready to get married. Just because they liked each other, it didn't mean they had to be together.

Being with him was indeed enjoyable, but who knew what the future held? What if one night, he received a call from the Lynch family and left her?

Eloise continued to wash the vegetables. The room was quiet, except for the sound of the faucet.

Harvey got her message. He slowly let go of her, and whispered, "I'm going to smoke a cigarette."

Eloise looked up. "Cut down a bit. You've been smoking a lot lately."

"Do you care about me?"

Eloise turned around and smiled at him. "Harvey, we're not enemies. We still have 9 months together, so it's not strange for me to care about you."

Harvey's gaze deepened. Suddenly, he lifted her up and placed her on the kitchen counter. The cold marble contrasted sharply with the heat of the man in front of her. Eloise couldn't handle it, so she leaned against his shoulder and weakly protested, "Harvey, not here!"

Harvey held her chin and offered himself to her. Lips and tongues entwined while they kissed passionately.

Eloise resisted fiercely, but he seemed insistent on making love right here. After a while, she finally succumbed to him, her body becoming soft against his, and her arms tightly wrapped around his neck.

A faint sound of a zipper, and he claimed her completely.

One time was not enough for him after suppressing his desires for so long. He made love to her all afternoon. Eloise thought that Harvey had gone mad, and by the time they finished, they were both in a daze.

She fell asleep exhausted, and when she woke up, it was the middle of the night. She was alone.

Eloise opened her eyes and was lost in thought in the dark. They had both crossed the line. The original one-year agreement was not enough for him, and he kept pushing for more. And she. Despite her tough exterior, Eloise knew she had secretly softened, otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed him to spend the night.

Harvey...

Should she give him another chance?

Eloise decided to leave the answer to time.

In the following days, Harvey didn't show up as frequently. He dated her once a week, sometimes at his house, and sometimes they would go out for dinner. Time ticked by, and before she knew it, it was Christmas.

Michelle was still in Brockville. Eloise had flown there twice, each time staying for

a few days. She also went to Rossland once a month to check on Dwight's

performance, which was really good! Eloise felt life was wonderful.

She invited Veronica for dinner at a Southern American restaurant.

Veronica was eight or nine months pregnant, and about to give birth. She was accompanied everywhere she went, and Riley was treating her like a goddess. Their relationship with the Colman family had also improved.

Eloise served her a bowl of soup. Veronica pinched her chubby cheeks and said, "Look how fat I've become! Eloise, I don't care, Riley isn't here today, and I want to eat something spicy. Let's order some Mexican food for takeaway!" Eloise gave her a look. "Ordering takeaway in a restaurant, are you crazy?" Veronica sipped her soup with a pinched nose.

After finishing, she stuck out her tongue and started gossiping, "Did you hear that Orlena and Max broke up for real! Max ruined his mistress' life. Not to mention her career in entertainment, she can't even get a job as a delivery girl!"

Eloise was not surprised. She laughed. "That's just Max!"

But she was glad for Orlena. She was an innocent girl and deserved better.

Perhaps it was thinking about Max that made Eloise's stomach turn. She told Veronica, "You sit for a while. I need to go to the restroom!"

Veronica teased her, "Feeling nauseous? Are you pregnant?"

Eloise thought about Harvey, who was eager but always careful, so she didn't have to worry about that, "Impossible!"

Veronica didn't take it seriously.noveldrama

Eloise went to the restroom and still felt uncomfortable, dry heaving a couple of times. Just then, a familiar face appeared. It was Ravenna, who had disappeared for a long time.

Ravenna looked terribly thin but was dressed in expensive clothes. She gave Eloise a cold smile. "What a coincidence!"

Eloise looked at her in the mirror, straightened herself up, and wiped her hands. "Indeed! Are you here for dinner?"

Ravenna became a little uncomfortable. Ever since Gunner's family found out the truth, Gunner didn't want her anymore and kicked her and her child out. She couldn't find a place in the piano society and couldn't find a decent man to rely on. She was just getting by.

Ravenna was jealous of Eloise, knowing that her business was doing well and that the Noland family recognized her.

Brett, from the Noland family, was a man many women wanted to marry. She

heard that the man was spoiling Eloise like crazy.

Ravenna stuttered, "Your happiness won't last long!"

Eloise didn't argue with her. She just asked, "How's the child?"

Ravenna grimaced. "Sent to an orphanage!"

An orphanage.

Eloise knew what that meant - the child was an orphan. How heartless of

Ravenna!

Ravenna trembled inside, but she tried to appear indifferent. She reapplied her

makeup in front of the mirror. The powder didn't stick to her skin properly, but she kept applying more. Finally, Ravenna gritted her teeth. "It's his fate! He's not Gunner's son!"

Eloise didn't know what to say.

Just then, a man with yellow teeth and a large gold chain came out of the men's restroom, saw Ravenna, and hugged her jokingly. "You've been to the restroom several times during the meal, are you having a bladder problem?" Ravenna played along with a few dirty jokes. But when she left, she looked miserable.

Whether life was good or not, only the person living it knew. Eloise couldn't help but sigh. She wanted to share this with Veronica, but thinking about the man with yellow teeth made her feel sick again. She leaned against the sink, dry heaving for a long time until she finally looked up, feeling uncomfortable.

She was a mature woman, and even though she was careless, she noticed something was off. Her period seemed to be 10 days late.

Eloise gently touched her lower abdomen, wondering if there was a child growing there, a child of Harvey's.