Tangled Temptations

Eloise went upstairs. When she got to the second floor, she couldn't help but take another look down.

Harvey's car was still parked there, the shiny gold Bentley a bit of a stand-out in the run-down neighborhood. It was no place for a man of Harvey's status.

Eloise thought Harvey was better suited for the society cocktail parties. Everything that happened tonight felt like a minor blip in her life, something she ought to forget after a good night's sleep.

Too scared to look again, Eloise hurried up the stairs.

Harvey didn't pull away until he saw the lights on the top floor turned on. Unbeknownst to him, a sleek black sports car had been lurking in the shadows, its driver had been waiting downstairs for over two hours.

Max had waited for Harvey and Eloise for however long they had been snuggling in the car. Dressed in black, he stepped out of his car. His dark outfit made his handsome face more striking. He lit a cigarette, leaning against his car.

The smoke from his cigarette was gently exhaled, swiftly swallowed by the night. He'd seen everything that just happened.

Max let out a chuckle, thinking, "Ha, Eloise was falling for Harvey this quickly? Wasn't Max her favorite?"

Max stared at the light upstairs, then made a call, "Let's start!"

After hanging up, he scoffed, "Eloise, you brought this on yourself!"

When Eloise got home and turned on the lights, Michelle came out of the bedroom in her pajamas.

"Why are you so late?" Michelle scolded.

Eloise poured herself a glass of ice water, bit her lip, and decided not to tell the truth, "Missed the last bus, so I'm late."

Michelle stared at her for a while, "Let me heat up some late-night snacks for you."

Eloise got the feeling that Michelle knew something, but she didn't explain. After all, there was nothing between her and Harvey, and there never would be.

A few minutes later, Michelle brought over an open-faced sandwich and told Eloise to come eat.

"I'm actually pretty hungry, thanks, Michelle." Eloise said quietly.

Michelle sat across from her, resting her chin in her hand and watching Eloise, who was feeling a bit uneasy. "What's up, Michelle?"

Michelle, like she'd been holding it in for a while, asked, "Was it Attorney Horigan who drove you home? Are you still in touch with him?"

Eloise nodded, saying, "We're just acquaintances, might never see each other again."

Michelle looked a bit disappointed. Partly because of Angus, and partly because of Eloise. Eloise had wasted her four years of feelings for Max, and Michelle really hoped Eloise could find a man even better than Max to show him up.

Eloise knew what Michelle was thinking. She gently held Michelle's hand and said, "Did you forgot? Attorney Horigan and Max are going to be a family soon. I dare not dream of having anything to do with him."

Michelle sighed softly, then added, "He can't just take you and not even feed you! And you smell like cigarette."

Eloise was drinking water and almost choked! She felt extremely embarrassed.

Back in her room after a shower, Eloise lay on her bed but couldn't sleep. Her mind was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts. Michelle seemed to have accepted the fact that her father would be in jail for two years.

This made Eloise very sad. She had considered taking revenge on Max, but she knew she couldn't affect him at all. Besides, she had to take care of Michelle, who had never experienced any hardship in her life.

Eloise tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

At four in the morning, her phone suddenly rang. She thought it was a spam message, so she picked up her phone to delete it, but froze when she saw the content.noveldrama

It was a text from Harvey: [Are you asleep?]

He attached a picture, probably taken from the balcony of his luxury apartment overlooking the bustling streets of Peterborough at night. There was a wine glass on the balcony railing, its clear body was reflecting the lights of the night, sparkling beautifully.