Tangled Temptations

As evening fell, the mansion was aglow.

Eloise hadn't forgotten that she was Linda's mom. Her heart was in turmoil, yet she remained patient and gentle with Linda.

Linda was terrified and curled up on Eloise's lap. She asked in a pitiful voice, "When is Daddy coming home?"

Eloise was about to answer when they heard the sound of a car pulling up. She immediately took Linda's hand, and they rushed outside. Her face was marked with a level of anxiety she'd never experienced before.

Harvey stepped out of the car. His and Eloise's eyes met. They locked gazes. After a long moment, Harvey slowly approached, picked up Linda, and kissed her gently. But his words were for Eloise. "I'm fine. Don't scare Linda."

Eloise's eyes glistened with tears as she continued to stare at him.

Harvey wrapped an arm around Eloise's shoulders, pressing his forehead against hers. "Really, I'm fine! Eloise, I came back safe and sound!"

Her lips trembled. She knew she had to hold herself together, but she couldn't help but lean into his shoulder. Her silent sobs made his shirt damp and uncomfortably warm...

"Eloise." He gently patted her, and his tone was tender as if he were soothing a child.

At that moment, Parker walked over and signaled for the maid to take Linda away. Harvey always had a soft spot for Eloise, but with the current situation at home and Orlena being unreliable, Eloise had to step up and shoulder the responsibility for Harvey.

Parker said in a soft voice, "From now on, you'll have to take care of everything at home."

Harvey couldn't bear to let her go, but he knew better. He knew that he had to let go. His father was getting old and wouldn't be able to hold on forever. The only hope for their family now lay with Eloise.

Harvey, not wanting to put too much pressure on Eloise, gently touched her cheek and mumbled, "We'll talk about this later."

Eloise has calmed down. She took his hand and whispered, "Go see Mom. She's been in the kitchen all day. I know she's been secretly crying."

Harvey grunted in response. He changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed to the kitchen.

Pauline stood by the kitchen counter, quietly wiping away tears. As Harvey approached, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder and softly said, "Mom, I'm fine, see?"

Pauline was truly heartbroken. If only they had cut ties with the Lynch family years ago, Harvey wouldn't have had that affair with Joan, and they wouldn't be in this situation now...

Harvey and Eloise were just starting their happy life together. They just had another kid.

Dinner was a somber affair; the food was tasteless. In the end, Harvey sent his parents home.

The night was silent.

Eloise lay in the master bedroom with Linda nestled in her arms, lulling her to sleep. Perhaps due to the shock, Linda woke up several times.noveldrama

Harvey smoked a couple of cigarettes in his study and returned to the bedroom. As he gently shut the door, he asked in a low voice, "Is she asleep?"

"Yes."

Harvey lay down next to Eloise, fully dressed, and gently wrapped an arm around her waist.

Eloise shivered slightly. She closed her eyes, taking in his warmth. Harvey started to kiss her neck, and was loving her as he always had, but a sense of sadness lingered in their hearts. They didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

Their intimacy didn't progress any further.

Harvey whispered into Eloise's ear, "Eloise, don't be afraid."

Eloise suddenly turned around and clung to him. Her body was soft against his sturdy form, like a vine entwining a robust tree trunk, depending on each other for survival.

Harvey bent down to kiss her. Their kisses were intermittent and filled with sadness. He rarely showed vulnerability, but tonight, in front of his wife, he let his guard down. On this tender, sad night, he pleaded with her not to let go of him. "I won't. I won't!" She choked.

Harvey held her slender body tightly in his arms, whispering in her ear, "Eloise, say you're mine. Can you say it for me?"

Eloise looked up at him from within his arms. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she bravely told him, "Harvey, I'm yours! And you're mine! For the rest of our lives. I won't let anyone take you away from me!"

Harvey closed his eyes slightly. "Mrs. Horigan, you're quite the possessive one." He tried to sound nonchalant, but his trembling voice betrayed his inner turmoil. He was scared.

He feared that he'd forget his wife and child.

He feared that Linda wouldn't have a father to care for her.

He feared even more that his beloved wife would have to shoulder the burden of taking care of their two children and managing their vast estate...

...

News of the president of Everest Technologies being in trouble was completely suppressed. Harvey worked from home, and Denise traveled back and forth every day. After a few days, other than the occasional bouts of dizziness, Harvey didn't feel unwell.

He couldn't help but think that perhaps the doctors had got it wrong, that the drug wasn't as powerful as they said. He wouldn't forget his memories with Eloise, and he wouldn't forget Linda.

One morning, a week later.

Harvey came back from his run with a fresh, long-stemmed rose in hand, a gift for Eloise.

It was only seven o'clock, and Eloise was still asleep. Harvey tiptoed into the room and bent down to gaze at her sleeping face. A warm feeling was spreading in his heart. He placed the rose on the pillow beside her, unable to resist giving her a kiss.

She was so well-behaved, and so soft.

Smiling, he straightened up, only to feel a sudden wave of dizziness. His mind went blank, and for a moment, he couldn't even remember Eloise's name. All he knew was that she was his lover.

Harvey slumped down onto the bed, holding onto the headboard and trying to suppress any noise. As he stumbled out of the bedroom, he fumbled for a bottle of pills in his study. His hands shook as he unscrewed the cap. He poured out a pill and swallowed it before he started to calm down.

He sat alone in his study, lost in thought. He knew that he was starting to forget.

He was forgetting Eloise, forgetting everything they'd shared. He wouldn't accept

it. He wanted to hold onto these memories.

Harvey started to write a diary, and began locking himself in his study and recording every detail of his past with Eloise.

[My greatest love is Eloise. She loves playing the piano and wearing regular brand clothes. Every day, I'll bring her roses.

Our first child is named Linda. She's a life that Eloise brought into the world at the cost of her own health. Linda has a coagulation disorder and is AB-negative.

Eloise is pregnant again, already over six weeks along. I need to be careful with her.

Eloise can't drive.

Eloise's embrace was her silent plea for a kiss. No matter how pressing the matters at hand, I would always pause to bestow a tender kiss on her. She was still a young girl, yet she had become the mother to my two children. Eloise loved it when I called her 'little mommy.']

...

In three days, Harvey filled up an entire diary. Each night, he would sit quietly, reading and rereading, trying to memorize what he wrote, but some memories had already become hazy and unfamiliar.

Outside, Eloise carefully carried a fruit platter, and gently pushed the door open. The moment the door swung open, she caught a glimpse of the diary. Even though Harvey quickly hid it, Eloise had an inkling of what it was.

Harvey had stopped going to work these past few days and he had become reliant on Denise. Even on the rare occasions when he left the house, he would never drive himself. He was slowly forgetting, yet stubbornly trying to keep himself stationary, to stay by her side.