Tangled Temptations

Eloise was torn. She scrolled her long fingers across her phone, hesitation filled her, but she didn't respond right away. It wasn't until half an hour later that she finally replied: [Sorry, Attorney Horigan. Just woke up.]noveldrama

On the other side, Harvey held a glass of wine in his hand. Seeing Eloise's message, he slightly smiled, thinking, "Ms. Laurent's restraint, kinda adorable."

He didn't respond anymore, just slowly savoring his red wine.

For the next few days, Harvey was out of sight but would occasionally drop Eloise a message, a photo, or a line or two. Lazy yet exuding the aura of a mature man.

Eloise didn't always reply. But they both knew the subtle connection between them.

One morning, Eloise received a call from Harvey on her way to work. She hesitated for a moment before answering, "Attorney Horigan?"

Harvey sat in the car, with a file about Angus' case on his lap.

Attorney Bowen handed him this file the previous night, smiling knowingly, "Harvey, had a change of heart? Is it because of Ms. Laurent? I think Ms. Laurent's quite the catch. Landon likes her a lot."

Harvey just smiled lightly, telling Dominique to keep it from Eloise for now. He said he needed to think it over.

Now, Harvey gently flipped through the file, telling Eloise on the other end of the phone, "I'll be away for a week. Let's meet up when I get back. I have something to tell you."

Eloise couldn't figure out what he was thinking, but she knew maintaining a good relationship with Harvey wouldn't hurt.

She quietly agreed.

A warm feeling filled up Harvey's heart, and he whispered like a lover, "Why so obedient and soft? Don't you know men will take advantage of that?"

Eloise blushed, speechless for a moment.

Harvey chuckled, not teasing her further. After hanging up, he flipped through the file for a long time. This decision wasn't just a business deal, it was also his sympathy for Eloise. He figured he could consider it compensation for her.

On the other end, Eloise hung up, wondering what Harvey was going to tell her in a week. She was so lost in thought, nearly missing her stop. She rushed to Crescendo Sound Workshop, and noticed her colleagues were looking at her differently when she clocked in.

She was puzzled until a close female colleague told her, "Eloise, the director knows about your part-time job. He'll probably want to talk to you. I heard Ravenna tipped him off. You guys joined at the same time, and your students are doing better than hers. She's been jealous for a while, and now she finally has her chance."

Eloise was stunned.

Her colleague whispered a bunch more, hinting that everyone understood Eloise's predicament. Then, Ms. Vanessa's assistant came over, politely asking Eloise to come with her.

Eloise followed her to the director's office on the second floor. The assistant knocked on the door and said, "Ms. Vanessa, Ms. Eloise is here."

"Come in." A female voice answered.

Eloise walked in.

Ms. Vanessa, a smart and capable woman in her 40s, sat behind her desk, looking at some papers. When Eloise came in, she gestured for her to sit.

Eloise tried to explain, but Ms. Vanessa cut her off, "Indeed, Ravenna told me about your issue. But I chose to ignore it because I knew about your family's difficulties. However, Eloise, starting from yesterday, more and more parents found out about your side gig. They're demanding we fire you. I've received dozens of calls in one day! You know, the children who joined our Crescendo Sound Workshop, their families are all affluent. Neither I, nor even the president, can afford to offend them."

At this point, Eloise naturally understood. She didn't want to cause trouble for Ms. Vanessa who had always been very supportive, nor did she want to shamelessly stay. Eloise gently took off her work badge, placed it on the table, and softly said, "Thank you for taking care of me all these years."