Tangled Temptations

He was quite the kisser. His lips and tongue spun a web of seduction, and he tenderly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

Even though Orlena had been in relationships before, she couldn't resist his allure.

When Brett finally let her go, her legs were so weak that she couldn't stand. If it wasn't for Brett holding her, she would have collapsed. All she could do was lean against his shoulder, unsure what to do next.

She had just kissed Eloise's uncle.

The world around her was a buzz. One moment, it was the sound of their friends partying in the private room, the next, it was the sound of Brett's heart pounding.

Brett had sobered up a bit. Before he brought her here, he was actually quite nervous.

In this secluded environment, she was trembling from their kiss, naive and sweet like a sour-sweet apple.

It was beautiful, but not suitable for his world.

Brett gently stroked her hair, saying softly, "Orlena, I've told you before, I'm too old for a young girl like you. Look, even when we go out, it's all about socializing, there's never a moment of relaxation."

His voice turned rough. "Don't fall for me."

It was supposed to be a tender moment, but he had just said something so rejecting and hurtful. Orlena had her pride, too. Tears welled up in her eyes as she retorted, "I don't like you."

It was just a kiss. She didn't care about it at all.

At her words, Brett seemed to let out a sigh of relief, but there was also a hint of disappointment. However, he quickly concealed it.

Later, he excused himself from his old classmates.

Mr. Moreno was surprised. "You're leaving so soon? We were waiting for you to play poker; the game's just getting started."

Brett skillfully excused himself, taking Orlena with him.

Once they were in the car, the atmosphere was tense. After a long silence, he lit a cigarette to ease his mood.

Orlena softly said, "I'll drive. I'll take you back to the hotel."

Brett was quite surprised. He had been with many women before, especially

those from good families and with good looks. Most of them had some sort of temper. They were not the kind to throw tantrums, but they would always try to get

something from Brett, either an apology or some affection.

Orlena's innocence and simplicity felt like a luxury to him.

They switched seats.

Orlena silently drove him to the hotel, where Donny was already waiting in the underground parking lot. As soon as the car stopped and the door opened, he smelled the alcohol and grinned. "Wow, you've had quite a bit to drink. Thanks for your help, Miss Orlena."

Brett's alcohol had a strong aftereffect. He hadn't noticed it before, but now he felt a bit light-headed.

Donny asked Orlena to help him upstairs, saying, "It wouldn't look good if someone caught a photo of this."

Orlena agreed. She thought they probably wouldn't be seeing each other again, anyway, considering they were still going to be relatives.

The three of them remained silent in the elevator.

Donny found the atmosphere strange. He wondered if anything had happened during dinner. Just as he was thinking, the elevator stopped on the first floor.

Max was standing outside, looking surprised. He couldn't help but sneer, "So, you really do have a new lover. You're not answering my calls or listening to my explanations. How old is he, Orlena? 35 at least?... Can an old man like him satisfy you?"

Tears welled up in Orlena's eyes. She had truly loved Max once, and it was he who cheated on her. What right did he have to question her?

But she was not good with words, and couldn't find anything to retort.

Max was about to say something more offensive, but Brett, with a casual flick of a matchstick, said over his shoulder, "No matter how old I am, any woman that's with me is definitely satisfied. But Mr. Velona, with all your affairs, you must be quite the limp shrimp at home, huh?"

Max wanted to retaliate.

Brett straightened his shirt, humming, "Max, right? I'm Eloise's uncle, Brett."

Max was stunned. In a flash, he remembered how he deceived Eloise for four years. How he used Eloise to send Angus to jail, and then hooked up with Orlena of the Horigan family. He didn't expect Brett, the big shot in Brockville, to be Eloise's uncle.

If that was the case, what had he been doing for the past four years?

Not trusting Orlena to leave on her own, Brett let her enter his suite. As soon as they entered, Brett said to Donny, "Look into the Velona Corporation. If there are any loopholes, send an investigation team tomorrow."

Donny had been with him for a long time, and he was a shrewd man. He could tell that Mr. Brett was in a bad mood, and it wasn't something that Max could provoke. It must have had something to do with the young lady. Donny chuckled, "As long as we look carefully, we're bound to find something."

Only then did Brett calm down. He undid a button on his shirt, and casually said, "Arrange for a driver to take her home."

At this point, Donny was certain that there was a disagreement between them. He could tell something was amiss and was more considerate towards Orlena in his words.

Brett had teased Orlena, but he had also helped her out. She wasn't the type to cling on, and her feelings for Brett were vague and unclear.

She thought they shouldn't meet again, but as she was leaving, she couldn't help but look back.

Brett was holding a bathrobe, looking back at her, his gaze somewhat dark.

"Brett." She whispered his name, her eyes a bit red. She knew that a man like him

would never be interested in a naive girl like her.

She lowered her head and left with Donny.

Brett put down the bathrobe, slowly

sinking into the sofa. He had a moment of regret. But he preferred women who knew when to advance

and when to retreat. Even if they were a bit dramatic, they wouldn't annoy him and knew how to read the room.

Maybe, he just hadn't been with a woman in a while.

Just as he was lost in thought, his phone rang. It was his mother from Brockville.

Tracey was anxious. They had already found Eloise, so why hadn't Brett brought her home yet?

Brett reassured her a few times, then playfully said, "Eloise is on a business trip in Rossland. When she's done, she'll go straight to Brockville to keep you company."

Tracey brought up Brett's marriage

again. Brett chuckled, "Mom, marriage is a matter of destiny Do you really want me to marry some random gal and have us bickering over breakfast every morning?"

Tracey snorted dismissively, "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. I know you too well."

As they continued their conversation, Donny returned and heard Tracey's words. Brett hung up the phone. "Did you drop her off?"

Donny nodded, then after a moment of consideration, he suggested, "You know, if you like her, why not go for it... the age difference isn't much, and she's pretty and innocent."

Brett was lost in thought. He remembered the kiss in the club restroom; it had felt good.

Snapping back to reality, he gave a bitter smile. "It's not suitable. We would inevitably be related by marriage. Plus, with her innocence, it's better not to involve her in all this."

With that, Brett grabbed a towel and went to take a shower.

The next day, Orlena slowly descended the stairs.

From the living room, she could hear voices. It sounded like her dad and brother

were talking.

Parker was sipping his coffee, casually mentioning, "Heard that Max is in the IRS's crosshairs again. A whole investigation team was sent over first thing this morning, so he's bound to lose some skin this time."

He then cleared his throat and asked, "Harvey, did you have a hand in this?"

Maintaining his composure, Harvey replied, "It's likely the work of another party. He must've upset someone."

Parker nodded. He had an idea of who was behind it. Aside from that person, who else had the power and the motive to target Max?

As they conversed, they failed to notice Orlena's pounding heart. Was it Brett? Did

he retaliate because of the harsh words Max had said?

Suddenly, she wanted to see him.

Without even eating breakfast, she drove to the hotel where Brett was staying. She did not clearly know what she would say to him; she just wanted to see him.noveldrama

Upon reaching the top floor of the hotel, she rang the doorbell. No one responded after a long while.

Just then, the manager passed by. Recognizing Orlena as Mr. Brett's guest, he informed her, "Mr. Brett has checked out."

He had left...

Orlena was stunned.

Sensing the young woman's disappointment, the manager gently consoled, "This

suite is reserved by Mr. Brett year-round, you can find him here next time he visits."

Orlena nodded. She did not remember how she left the hotel.

Once in her car, she held her phone hesitantly for a long time, but did not call that

number. He had left without a word. It seemed like he really didn't care about her.

"Orlena, are you not embarrassed to be trailing after a man like this?"

"Let it be..."