Tangled Temptations

Eloise, with her disheveled hair, darted down the stairs. She searched all over the mansion, but he was nowhere to be found, not even in the basement.

"Harvey, where are you?"

Just as Eloise was losing hope, a tall figure stepped in from outside. His face was hidden in the shadows, but Eloise instinctively knew it was Harvey.

"Harvey!" She threw herself into his arms.

Harvey held her with one arm, nuzzling against her neck gently. "What's wrong?"

Eloise's face was pressed against his chest. "Harvey, I'm scared! I'm afraid you'll leave and never come back!"

"You silly girl, why would I? Stop crying. It's breaking my heart." He helped her sit down and placed a bag of breakfast on the table.

Eloise was a bit dazed. Had he gone out to get breakfast?noveldrama

Harvey caressed her cold cheeks, smiling gently. "You haven't been eating well recently. This is from your favorite breakfast place. You used to love their chilled vanilla pudding. Eat up!"

He prepared a serving for Eloise.

Eloise's fingers trembled slightly as she took a small bite. The taste was salty, and it tasted like tears.

Harvey sat beside her, watching her eat. After she had eaten about half of the vanilla pudding, he spoke softly. "Eloise, I've found a high-end rehabilitation center. The environment there is good. I'm thinking of getting treatment there!"

The spoon in Eloise's hand clattered onto the table. Harvey tried to pick it up for her, but she was faster. She quickly picked it up and started wiping it furiously with a napkin.

Harvey watched her in silence. He knew she couldn't accept it, but this was the best choice. He was starting to forget; the times he could remember her and Linda were getting less and less. Once he forgot entirely, he wouldn't feel anything for them anymore. Living together would be unbearable then.

Linda has autism, so he couldn't frighten her!

He slowly explained all these to her, coaxing her gently, "Eloise, perhaps with treatment, I could recover my memories!"

Eloise's lips trembled. She understood in her heart that if the situation wasn't dire, he wouldn't have chosen this path. Linda was his life after all.

Eloise cried silently, and her cries were low and suppressed. Harvey couldn't bear it and gently hugged her. "Stop crying, okay? If you cry, the baby in your belly will cry too!"

Eloise clung to his shirt.

...

In the afternoon, Harvey shut himself away again.

Eloise stood at the entrance of the basement. Her slender fingers were lightly tracing the heavy door. She didn't dare to go in. She was afraid to see the unfamiliar look in his eyes. She was afraid to see him reading his diary over and over again, just to buy some more time to spend with her.

She knew Harvey was paying a painful price for this. He often suffered from migraines.

"Harvey, will you stop hurting when you truly forget me?" Eloise left quietly. She instructed the driver to prepare the car.

A servant carefully asked, "Should we bring some food to Mr. Harvey?" Eloise was about to get in the car when she heard this. She lowered her gaze. "There's food inside. Let him have some peace, and don't disturb him!"

She thought, "Harvey is such a proud man. He wouldn't want others to see."

After saying this, Eloise got into the car. The driver asked softly, "Madam, where are we going?"

"Central Hospital."

The driver didn't say anything more and just drove. The old servants of the Horigan family were tight-lipped, they all felt sorrow for Harvey and Eloise...

Half an hour later, the car arrived at the rehabilitation center. Eloise met with the top doctor. When she got back into the car, she couldn't help but cry. The doctor's words were still echoing in her ears.

"If I am not mistaken, Harvey's memories from the last five years had gone! Although he had lost some of his memory, he could still live and work normally! Trying to forcibly awaken his memories would not only be ineffective, but it would also cause him great pain. In fact, he had tried it before! Yes, he was in great pain at that time!

"Mrs. Horigan! Please think it over!"

...

How much pain was Harvey in when he tried... how much did he suffer?

Eloise closed her eyes lightly. She felt an unspeakable sadness in her heart.

The driver kept silent, only handing tissues to Eloise in silent comfort.

Eloise didn't go home. She went to Everest Technologies and entered Harvey's former office, carefully touching every corner.

Taylor brought in some tea.

Eloise turned and quietly instructed, "Please ask Denise to come here."

Taylor nodded and smiled. "Of course, Ms. Laurent."

Taylor left, and soon Denise walked in. With Harvey not around, she was really busy. She came in with a pile of documents. "Ms. Laurent, these all need your signature."

Eloise indicated for her to put them down. Denise was puzzled but did as she was told.

Eloise asked her to sit down, and after a long pause, she asked softly, "What kind of person was Harvey in the past?"

In fact, she knew from the moment her and Harvey met, but she still wanted to ask Denise, who had worked with him for many years.

Denise was quite surprised. Then she smiled, as if reminiscing, and told Eloise about the past how Harvey had established Prestige Legal Advisors after graduation, how he won his first case, and how haughty and distant he was usually.

Denise said a lot, and finally laughed embarrassedly. "Eloise, I talk too much!" But Eloise spoke softly, "Thank you."

Denise was quite moved. She had been in the legal profession for many years and had seen many couples split up. She had seen countless fights over property. She could feel, Eloise and Mr. Horigan really loved each other!

Just as Denise was figuring out what to say, Eloise had already stood up and quietly instructed, "Arrange for a press conference. I have something to announce."

Denise realized what was happening.

Eloise's face was calm, but there was a hint of determination in her expression that was not easy to detect. That was the calmness after deep thought and consideration.

After a moment of surprise, Denise nodded. "Yes, Ms. Laurent, I'll arrange it right away!"

The office door closed. Eloise softly stepped into the lounge, and gently opened a cabinet to reveal a line of Harvey's dress shirts, and a crisp, white Issey Miyake suit for women. She changed into the outfit, slipping into high-heeled shoes.

Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she gathered her brown hair and applied light makeup.

Every move she made was slow, deliberate, as if she was replaying Master Lee's words in her mind. He'd said that Harvey was about to take another turn in the cycle of life.

"Harvey, if I can't keep you, if you're destined to fly towards broader skies, then I'll let you fly. I will wait, wait for your return..."

An hour later, Eloise made her first appearance before the media as the new CEO of Everest Technologies. Her attire was a simple professional suit, devoid of any excessive, expensive jewelry. All she wore were a pair of delicate pearl earrings, which were gifts from Harvey.

Facing the microphone, facing countless cameras, she spoke in a soft yet resolute tone, "My husband, Harvey, will be working on a brand-new venture. As for me, I will be taking over as the CEO of Everest Technologies! From now on, I will strive alongside Everest Technologies' 4,500 employees, for the success of Everest Technologies!"

The media was abuzz. Rumors had been circulating that Harvey was ill and unfit to continue his duties, and Everest Technologies' stock had been on a downward spiral. But today, Ms. Laurent's press conference seemed to have provided everyone with much-needed reassurance. Everest Technologies was still under the control of the Horigan family.

That day, Everest Technologies' stock began to rebound.