Tangled Temptations

On the other hand, Eloise felt quite agitated. Her intuition telling her that this man, Linda's parent, was harboring inappropriate thoughts towards her.

In an attempt to maintain her distance, Eloise made an excuse to skip out on the PTA meeting. When she called Linda to explain, the little girl sounded utterly disappointed. Even over the phone, Eloise could imagine her despair seeping through every strand of her hair.

The mere thought of it wrenched Eloise's heart. But she couldn't very well tell her, "Your dad is sexually harassing me!"

Feeling down after hanging up, Eloise received a call from Brett. Eloise was surprised, "Brett, you're in Peterborough?"

Brett paused. Well-versed in handling any situation, he quickly replied, "I came to visit your mom and found a renowned expert for her! What? You have a problem with your uncle having some leisure time?"

Brett changed the subject, "You're free tomorrow night, right? Come join me for dinner." Eloise, wanting a change of scenery, agreed.

The next day at eight in the evening, she arrived at the unique private dining restaurant as promised. Only then she realized it was a blind date.

In addition to her uncle Brett, there was a dignified older woman present, and sitting next to her was her son, a strikingly handsome and well-mannered man.

As soon as Brett saw Eloise approaching, he ended his conversation and introduced her with a smile, "This is my niece, Eloise."

Eloise did not want to embarrass him. She smiled and politely greeted everyone as she took her seat.

The other party was Brett's old colleague, well-aware of Eloise's background. They didn't probe further, making the atmosphere quite pleasant.

Brett introduced the man. A 28-year-old graduate from a prestigious university in Britain, and a researcher in biology. The man was very attentive and clearly interested in Eloise, which made her feel somewhat pressured.

She glanced at Brett, who didn't say anything but wore a mysterious smile. This blind date was not his arrangement. In fact, it was his old colleague's son who was interested in Eloise and had requested it. Without Brett's input, Eloise had no choice but to interact with the man. What she didn't know, however, was that Harvey was also in the restaurant.

An important client was visiting Peterborough, and he had invited them to dinner. Just as he was discussing something crucial, he saw Eloise on a blind date.

He recognized the man. His name was Diego, the only son of Melissa, Brett's old colleague, and a man of high stature. Diego was a year younger than Eloise and was looking at her with a smitten gaze.

This blind date was all about waiting for Eloise's agreement.

Harvey was not very calm; he stared at Eloise's expression, as if he wanted to pry open a crack and see what was going on in her head.

He was scared, as he had been separated from Eloise for so long. Harvey's gaze was dark and unclear.

When Eloise excused herself to the restroom, Harvey quickly rose, "Excuse me, Gregory, I need to use the restroom."

Eloise was washing her hands slowly. Truthfully, she didn't want to return to the table; the pressure was too much.

Silently, Harvey drew near, resting against the wall as he quietly observed her. She was the epitome of elegance that night, clad in a crisp white shirt, a stylish knee-length beige skirt, with her slender, straight legs completing the picture of grace. She had gracefully thrown a light beige cloak over her blouse which added a mystic charm to her persona. From the start, Eloise was always pleasing to Harvey's eyes, and after three years, she was even more attractive to him than before. Harvey gave her a thorough once-over before lazily asking, "Here for a blind date? How's it going?"

Eloise was taken aback. She hadn't expected to run into Harvey here. Their eyes met in the mirror, and the air between them was thick with unspoken tension.

After a moment, Eloise turned off the tap. She spoke slowly, "It's not bad! He's a nice guy!"

Harvey lit a cigarette and took a slow drag, giving a mocking laugh, "He looks younger than you! What, do you prefer younger men now? Dwight doesn't meet your aesthetic standards?" His words were filled with sarcasm and veiled accusations.

Eloise softly retorted, "What does my preference have to do with you?"

Harvey took a deep puff. In the past, his smoking habit had always been a turn-on for her, especially the way his cheeks hollowed out. Now, with the added element of maturity, it was even more appealing to women. Eloise found herself taking an extra glance.

With a smirk on his face, Harvey said, "Apologies, I forgot we're divorced!" Eloise tried to walk past him. But he grabbed her arm, tugging her lightly, and pinning her against the wall. Her soft body pressed against his.

In an instant, Eloise could tell something was off with Harvey's body. She blushed and angrily asked, "Harvey, you've said it yourself, we're divorced. What on earth are you doing?"

Harvey had her trapped; there was no escape. He leaned in, his forehead against hers, his high nose rubbed against hers, hinting at something more which made Eloise's breath hitch. She turned her face away, "Harvey, let me go!"

His gaze was intense, "In these years, have you been with any other men?"

Eloise's face turned beet red. This was a public place, and he was being downright shameless!noveldrama

Seeing her reaction, Harvey knew he had hit a nerve. His hand began to roam up and down her waist, his words provocative, "Do you remember our last time? You cried several times because of me!"

Eloise couldn't tolerate it any longer. She slapped him, "You're disgusting!" Harvey didn't seem to mind being hit. He touched his chiseled face, wearing a smirk, his tone mocking, "I told you, you'd lash out at me. Eloise, you hitting me proves that you know I'm going to spoil you!"

Eloise's expression turned cold. She knew he wanted to reconcile. Harvey was too clever. He knew that if he tried the usual tactics, she would ignore him, so he chose to sexually harass her instead. To put it bluntly, he was using himself to seduce her. Women had desires too, and Harvey was the man who knew her body the best, having been intimate countless times. But Eloise didn't want it! She couldn't possibly have a relationship with him again!

She said seriously, "Harvey, I'll say it one more time. It's impossible between us!" After saying that, she took advantage of his momentary shock to push him away.

Harvey chased after her, trying to get her back. Just as she was about to leave, Brett's voice rang out, "Oh, what's going on here?"

The atmosphere turned awkward. Brett took a long, hard look at Harvey, a cynical smile playing on his lips.

Eloise felt a pang of discomfort. She dipped her head, "I think I'll step out for a bit!"

Brett chuckled, "Sure, go say hi to Melisa. Diego was asking for your number earlier. He seemed genuinely interested, so I gave it to him! Not happy? It's always good to have options, sweetheart!"

Eloise didn't know how to respond. In front of Harvey, she was even less likely to voice her refusal. It would make it appear as if she was rejecting him for Harvey's sake.

Brett escorted Eloise away. After bidding adieu to the Strand family, he ushered Eloise into his car, offering to drive her home.

Once in the car, Eloise was about to refuse.

That was when Brett said, "Diego's seen you a few times and he seems to really

like you. He's a good catch. As for the outcome, that's up to you. I will respect your decision!"