Tangled Temptations

Harvey gripped the steering wheel with one hand.

His cell phone was pressed to his ear. Eloise's voice rang out from the other end, "Harvey, you went to see my mom?"

"Yep." His voice was uncharacteristically gentle, bearing no resemblance to the ruthlessness he expressed last night.

Eloise hesitated before finally saying, "We're divorced, Harvey. You should stop bothering her."

Harvey chuckled lightly. He retorted, "So, I can't visit my ex-mother-in-law? I think she was quite happy to see me."

Eloise was at a loss for words at his audacity. After a moment, she sighed, "Fine. If it makes you happy."

She was about to hang up when Harvey quickly added, "I'm sorry about last night."

Eloise didn't respond.

Harvey's voice softened. "I just got carried away when I saw that old piano. We used to play it together, remember?"

Eloise froze. He was talking about the past.

Hearing Eloise's sharp intake of breath over the phone, Harvey chuckled. "You forgot? It was Christmas Eve."

Eloise's grip on her phone tightened, her fingers turning white. She abruptly hung up.

...

As soon as she hung up, her phone started ringing again. Assuming it was Harvey, she didn't want to answer, but the phone kept ringing.

Looking at the screen, she saw it was Veronica. Feeling a bit guilty, she quickly picked up. "Veronica. I'm sorry."

Veronica feigned annoyance. "What were you doing? I've been trying to reach you. Come drink with me."

Eloise agreed, planning to give Veronica her share of the dividends.

Half an hour later, Eloise arrived at a well-known pub. The place was fantastic, Veronica had reserved a small private room with an unbeatable view of half of Peterborough.

Eloise handed the check to Veronica. She glanced at the amount. It was much more than she had expected. Veronica was surprised. "Dwight is quite capable."

Eloise took a sip of her cocktail, smiling lightly. "Blake is in charge now, Dwight just gives some advice here and there."

Veronica thought of Dwight and felt a pang of regret. She then asked about the actor named Oliver. "He's quite a catch. I checked; his personal life is not scandalous, and his family background is simple. You sure you don't want to be with him?"

Eloise simply shook her head while swirling her glass. She gazed out at the bustling city lights outside the window, her eyes slowly becoming misty.

Veronica could guess who Eloise was thinking of and sighed inwardly. The one Eloise had always loved was Harvey.noveldrama

To lighten the atmosphere, Veronica feigned annoyance. "Ever since you took over Everest Technologies, you've been too busy for me."

Eloise gave a small smile. “Linda and Darrien need to be taken care of."

"But what about when you go on your business trip to Southern River tomorrow? What will happen to the kids?"

"I'm sending them to their grandparents' house for a week."

·

The next morning, Eloise took the kids to their grandparents' house.

Today was Saturday, and Linda was excited to go back to the Horigan Mansion. She even put on her prettiest dress. She missed her dad.

Noticing Linda's excitement, Eloise couldn't help but smile. She ruffled Linda's hair. "When you get there, make sure you play with Daniel, okay?"

Linda had already hopped into the back seat of the car.

A few chauffeured cars drove to the Horigan Mansion, arriving there by nine. The Horigans were already waiting.

After Linda had a little chat with her grandparents, she ran into Harvey's arms, asking him to pick her up.

Harvey gave her a kiss and looked at Eloise. She was dressed simply for her trip, in light-colored casual pants and a turtleneck sweater. Over it, she wore a light wool coat.

Harvey casually asked, "What time is your flight?"

"Eleven."

Harvey's gaze intensified. After a moment, he said, "I'll drive you to the airport.”

Eloise saw his intent and declined softly, "That won't be necessary. The company has arranged a car to pick me up."

Harvey was somewhat disappointed.

Eloise didn't want to get tangled up with him, so she chatted briefly with Pauline. Despite Eloise's divorce from Harvey, she still had a good relationship with the Horigans.

As Eloise talked, Harvey was playing with Linda but his eyes were always on Eloise.

Eloise only stayed for half an hour before the company car arrived to pick her up. As the black business car pulled up, Gerald stepped out and respectfully greeted Parker.

Harvey frowned, lowering his voice to ask Eloise, "Is Gerald going with you?"

Eloise gave him a puzzled glance. Gerald was the vice president of the company. Wasn't it normal for him to go?

Harvey gritted his white teeth and personally helped Eloise into the car. He then turned to Gerald. “Eloise has a weak constitution, so I hope you can take good care of her."

Understanding the territorial claim in his words, Gerald responded with a smile, "Don't worry, Attorney Horigan, that's part of my job."

Harvey wasn't satisfied. He gave Eloise a meaningful look.

Gerald got into the car. Once they had driven a fair distance, Gerald finally asked, "Are you and him getting back together?"

Eloise wanted to say no. But she knew Gerald's feelings for her and didn't want to lead him on. So, she vaguely responded, "Maybe."

Gerald gave a small smile. He was a gentle and accommodating man.

At the Horigan Mansion.

Still a baby, Darrien spent most of his time sleeping and was taken to the baby room by the nanny.

Harvey was busy playing building blocks with Linda. Parker joined them, but after a while, he couldn't help but say, "Seeing them together doesn't sit well with you, does it?"

Without lifting his head, Harvey responded flatly, "It's just a business trip. What do you mean, 'together?""

Parker didn't believe Harvey was not jealous.

In the afternoon, Linda was ready for her nap. She crawled into Harvey's bedroom, her little body sprawled on top of him, as soft as a kitten.

Her hair was fluffy and adorable. Harvey patted her little head, lulling her to sleep.

At around two in the morning, he rose and went downstairs. Parker was sipping coffee, and upon seeing Harvey with his car keys, he grunted, "Where are you off to at this ungodly hour?"

Harvey paused. "To the hospital."

He straightened his shirt collar, saying with an air of sophistication, "I recently consulted with a specialist. After treatment, it seems I'm starting to remember a lot of things."

Parker's eyes widened. Had Harvey regained his memory?

But judging from his son's demeanor, he understood and snorted in disapproval. "You've run out of options, haven't you? To think you could come up with such a rotten idea."

·

That day, Eloise arrived at the Southern River.

Perhaps Eloise wasn't acclimatized to the new environment because she developed a fever in the evening. When Linda video-called her, she seemed a bit dazed.

Linda, being the young girl she was, promptly fetched a stethoscope. She intended to diagnose Eloise.

Eloise watched the small brunette head on the screen, her heart softening. She missed her terribly. She even regretted taking the business trip.

Harvey took the phone from Linda. He watched Eloise lying on the white hotel bed, her cheeks flushing abnormally. She was clearly sick. He murmured, "Why does a woman need to push herself so hard?"

With Linda not around, Eloise no longer needed to put up a front. Her eyes fluttered shut, her long eyelashes trembled gently, and she retorted, "Harvey, are you discriminating against women?"

Harvey remained silent for a moment. His voice was a soft rumble. "Eloise, I'm worried about you. I left Everest Technologies to you not because I wanted you to be a powerful businesswoman, but because I wanted you to have something to rely on."

Eloise was stunned. This was the second time he'd said something ambiguous. It made her feel as if Harvey had returned.

Her eyes closed, her breathing became erratic, and her cheeks were reddening even more.

Just then, there was a knock on her hotel room door. She could vaguely hear Gerald's voice. "Ms. Laurent, I've bought you some medicine."

Eloise seemed to snap awake. She whispered, "I have to hang up now."

The phone screen went dark. Harvey's face darkened. Why could Gerald enter

her hotel room? And why were they alone together? Where was her assistant?

Did it really have to be Gerald looking after Eloise?

He felt he had to go. Moreover, Eloise seemed quite ill.

Harvey gently stroked Linda's small head, saying, "I'm going to see Mommy. Be a good girl and listen to Grandpa, okay?"

Linda clutched her stethoscope. She generously offered, "Take this with you. Use

it to treat Mommy."

She was so adorable. Harvey picked her up, pressing a tender kiss on her forehead. "I will not only cure Mommy's illness, but I'll also bring Mommy back." Linda hugged his neck, making a soft sound of approval.

Harvey left Linda with Parker, asking them to look after her while he contacted Denise to arrange a private jet. Parker teased his son while taking care of his granddaughter, "Harvey, you're going all out to woo your wife, aren't you?" Harvey responded quietly, "Eloise is not well. She has a fever."

Parker felt a pang of concern. "Then you should hurry. Linda and Darrien are in good hands with your mom and me."

At three in the morning, Eloise, having taken her medicine, was dozing off. The door to her room was knocked. She had no energy to answer it, but the persistent knocking compelled her to drag herself to the door.

She assumed it was Gerald. "Gerald, I'm fine."

Gerald...

Harvey, his eyes narrowed, quickly scanned her from head to toe. She was in a white bathrobe, loosely worn. If one were so inclined, they could catch glimpses of her bare skin. Was this how she greeted Gerald in the middle of the night? Harvey felt a surge of anger, but Eloise was standing in front of him and was on

the verge of collapsing. He caught her as she swayed, carrying her back to the

bed.

Eloise became more alert, recognizing him. As she sank into the soft mattress, Harvey didn't leave. Instead, he held her with one arm and quickly removed his jacket with the other. Their foreheads touched. "You're burning up." "None of your business." Eloise turned her head away.

She knew very well it wasn't just the change in climate. It was also because of

what happened the night before when he had his way with her on the piano. She'd caught a chill.

The room was dimly lit.

Their proximity was inappropriate, considering they were divorced. Eloise pushed

him away, her voice hoarse. "Why are you here?"

Harvey moved away slightly. He dialed a number on his phone while saying, "I'm

worried about you. You're burning up."

Simple and straightforward.

Eloise was too unwell to argue. She closed her eyes.

Harvey made a call. "It's me, Harvey. My wife's not feeling well. Can you please

come and check on her?"

After a few polite exchanges, he ended the call. When he looked at Eloise again, she was watching him.

Perhaps it was the fever, but her eyes were watery, tinged with a soft red hue.

Harvey's heart softened. He sat beside her, playing with her brown hair. It was as if he was teasing a little girl. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Eloise softly closed her eyes, murmuring, "I just thought. even though you've lost your memory, you still interact with people in the same way." Harvey's gaze darkened. He stood to pour her some water, casually asking, "Do

you often reminisce about the past?"

Eloise didn't deny it.

Harvey helped her sit up, leaning her

against his shoulder as he fed her

water. She struggled a bit, but he

gently patted her butt, chiding, "Don't

be stubborn. When I rescued you from the kidnappers, you were more

obedient when you had a concussion. Eloise, are you becoming disobedient as you age?"

Eloise was stunned.

Kidnappers? That was years ago, not long after they'd first met.

He... remembered?

Her face was pale from the fever, her lips trembling as she looked at him, whispering, "Harvey?"

Was she hallucinating from the fever? Otherwise, how could she think that he'd regained his memory?

Harvey tenderly caressed her face, his voice low. "It's me."

Eloise closed her eyes. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, but she made no

sound. She was crying silently. She thought, if this was a dream, let it last a little longer.

Harvey gently tucked her back into the quilt, wrapping his arms around her through the fabric. His chin was resting on her forehead. "Don't cry, Eloise, it's just

me." He soothed.

Eloise's slender arms were wrapped around his neck. She was crying silently, like

a small girl, and it was hard for Harvey to restrain himself. His warm hand slipped under the quilt, caressing her soft body, teasing her clit.

Eloise was sick. She felt it, but it wasn't intense. Harvey stopped his caress after a

while, but she held onto his hand, her voice filled with a whimper. "Harvey, don't

go..."

He tightened his grip on her slim waist, rolling over to kiss her. The kiss was passionate, intense.

He knew he was acting shamelessly, but he couldn't stop himself. She was so

soft, so willing. She had him so ensnared he thought he might lose himself, as she guided his hand to her body over and over again.

All the intimate moments he'd had before this paled in comparison to the ecstasy

of this moment.

There was a gentle knock at the door. The doctor was here. Harvey propped

himself up, looking down at Eloise beneath him. She was lying there, eyes gently closed, as if she was asleep.

His throat bobbed nervously. Just moments ago, he had almost taken Eloise, and

she was still sick.

After straightening her clothes, he

opened the door for the doctor. The

doctor was a friend of Harvey's. He quickly prescribed some medication for Eloise and even set up an Idrip. Lastly, he glanced at the disheveled sheets, whispering a warning, "No intercourse for three days. She's just too weak right now."

Even thick-skinned Harvey felt his face heat up at the doctor's words.

The doctor left shortly after. Harvey closed the door and turned around.

Eloise was asleep. She was lying there peacefully, as if the unfinished sexual encounter from earlier was nothing but a dream.

Harvey's body was unsatisfied, but his heart, surprisingly, was calm. He

her

walked over, gently brushing smooth cheek with his hand. His

touch finally landed on her slightly dry tips. He murmured, "Such a good girt. When you're obedient, just

want to hold you in the palm of my hand."

He found it hard to define his feelings for Eloise.

He wanted to let go, yet he couldn't. In the end, he had lured her back into his life

in such an inappropriate way.