Tangled Temptations

Harvey returned to his law firm. An hour later, a file was placed before him.

[Monika, 22 years old. Taken to Emerald Crest as a child, she was orphaned at 12 and left under the care of others.]

The detective skillfully reached for a cigarette, placing it between his lips. "Something unfortunate happened to this girl when she was 16. That's why her biological family doesn't want to accept her back."

Unfortunate circumstance... Harvey had a fair idea of what it could be.

The detective, seeing him silent, asked, "What's the plan then? Should we bring her here?"

"No need!" Harvey spoke calmly, "Find her a decent part-time job, but don't mention me!"

He was, after all, a mature man, and could see the admiration in Monika's eyes. So, he felt somewhat sympathetic but didn't want to get involved, especially with Eloise giving him a hard time.

He had been married to Eloise for over half a year, and he had a good grasp of her temperament. She had a pretty strong sense of possession.

After taking care of business, he sat alone in his office, lost in his thoughts. Outside, the snow continued to fall softly.

He examined his feelings. He thought about the late Joan, and his current wife Eloise. He considered the fact that he did like Eloise, to some extent. Even if a large part of this affection was due to her looks, her figure.

When he snapped back to reality, it was already nine o'clock.

The night sky was dark, and only the white brightness of the falling snow was visible.

Harvey picked up his coat, left his office, and on his drive back to the Horigan Mansion, he noticed a flower shop still open. Without a second thought, he stopped and bought a bouquet of champagne roses. He thought, women always loved flowers!

At ten o'clock at night, his car stopped at the entrance of the Horigan Mansion.

The lights had been turned off, and the living room was dim. Harvey was about to head upstairs when a gruff voice echoed from the hall. "Where have you been? You come back this late!"

As the voice fell, the lights turned on. Harvey squinted against the sudden brightness, shielding his eyes with his arm. It took him a moment to adjust. Parker sat on the sofa, legs crossed, looking displeased. "You actually remembered to come back? If I were your wife, I would have left you already. Wait, you even bought flowers? Do you think your wife need your flowers?" Harvey sighed. "Dad! If there's something to talk about, let's do it tomorrow!" He was heading upstairs again.

Parker snorted. "Your wife hasn't come back! If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't come back either! Leaving your wife alone in this snowy weather, only you could do such a thing! Harvey, let me remind you, there are plenty of men out there who are interested in your wife. Don't take yourself too seriously!"

Harvey came back down the stairs and put on his coat.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the villa!"

...

Harvey didn't know what was wrong with him. He knew it was snowing, and he knew she was a mature woman with bodyguards and a driver. She wouldn't be in danger, but he just wanted to see her tonight.

Late at night, the car stopped in the villa. He got out of the car and looked up to see the light in the study on the second floor.

Eloise was here.noveldrama

He walked into the hall with the flowers, and a servant came up to take his coat, whispering, "Madam has been in the study for quite a while. She hasn't eaten dinner!"

Harvey nodded to show he understood. As he went upstairs, he figured she must have been angry. He had promised to accompany her to the dinner party but had left halfway.

Women, they always needed to be comforted.

On the second floor, in the study.

Eloise was holding a file, Monika's background information. Monika was Joan's biological sister. She was young and reckless, smoked, dated, and even had an abortion.

Eloise looked down, her smile cold. Such a colorful life, but now she was pretending to be innocent, like a innocent girl-next-door... Well, her husband was feeling pity for her because of her dead sister and introduced her to a decent job.

Eloise felt suffocated.

Anyone but Monika! She would not allow such a girl to get close to Harvey, then, like Joan, love him hopelessly and hurt the people around her!

Eloise slowly sat down, took a lighter, and burned the file. The ashes burned her hand.

The door opened. Harvey frowned. "What are you burning?"

Eloise looked up at him. He was still so sophisticated, with his designer coat and handsome face. This was her beloved husband, but she felt estranged. After a long look, she finally said softly, "Just a piece of the past!"

Harvey walked over and gave her the flowers. Eloise took them and sniffed. "Do you like them?"

"No woman dislikes flowers."

...

Harvey moved behind the desk and leaned down to kiss her. After a long kiss, he whispered against her lips, "Are you mad?"

Eloise mumbled a vague yes.

Harvey chuckled lightly at her honesty. Sometimes, Eloise could be quite endearing.

On the snowy night, the study was warm. He kissed her, sparking some lust.

Eloise found a small square box in his pocket and remembered that it had been 42 days since she gave birth. He had rushed back tonight, probably wanting to be sexual with her.

Eloise gave a cold smile. She took the small box out of his pocket and threw it on the desk. Under the dim light, she slowly said, "Harvey, I told you before, the love of three people is too crowded! I still stand by that. If you can't let go of the past, we'll have no future!"

Harvey, being the proud man he was, was somewhat annoyed. He figured Eloise knew. He suppressed his anger. "There's nothing between us. I could never be interested in a young girl!"

Eloise slowly looked up, her eyes reddening. "You're giving her hope! She will feel that Attorney Horigan is special to her, that he is taking special care of her because of her sister... She might even want to replace Joan in your heart!"

Eloise's finger gently traced his chest and her voice was soft. "Harvey, if you really cared about me, you wouldn't help her!"

"I won't wait for you forever!"

Harvey whispered like a lover, "What do you want me to do?"

Eloise was straightforward. "She's an adult and can take care of herself. Withdraw

all support and take back your special care!"

Harvey stared into her eyes with an intense look.

"I suppose you've dug up her pitiful past, Eloise... Now that you're a billionaire,

can't you tolerate a job that only pays 5,000 dollars to someone else?"

"She's after my husband. Should I still be sympathetic?"

...

Harvey slowly straightened up, looking at her with a gaze that broke her heart. He left, pushing the door behind him.

Eloise didn't chase after him. She didn't want to cheapen herself. She sat quietly

for a long time, then took out the diary Harvey left her from the drawer. As she

slowly flipped through the pages, her vision blurred.

She thought, Harvey wouldn't be so cruel to her.

When he left a few years ago, his wife and daughter were the most important

people to him. Some random woman named Monika wouldn't make him upset

her.

That night, Eloise didn't return to the master bedroom.

Husband and wife, separate beds, separate dreams...

In the morning, when Harvey woke up and reached out to the empty space beside

him, Eloise was not there. After washing up, he went downstairs and saw the bunch of roses in the trash can in the stairwell.

The servants, looking uncomfortable, whispered, "Ms. Eloise left for the office early this morning!"

Harvey nodded. "I see."

His gaze fell on the grand piano, recognizing it as the one Louis II had played,

named Astral, meaning galaxy in English.

"Eloise, do you like it?"

"Eloise... you're my little galaxy!"

A sharp pain shot through Harvey's head, almost unbearable. The phrase kept flashing in his mind, but then it was extinguished, and he couldn't remember anything when he was sober.

The servant noticed his expression and said quietly, "I heard that the piano was a

gift from you to ma'am, and it's very expensive!"

She made a hand gesture. "Six billion dollars!"

Six billion? Was he out of his mind?

But Harvey still walked over, lifting the piano lid, and without thinking, he started to

play Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

Outside the window, snow was still falling.

He played it twice. Finally, he looked at his slender hands, murmuring, "Did I really love her that much?"

Eloise had given him the cold shoulder. She wouldn't answer his calls or see him. Except for occasional glimpses of her in the Horigan Mansion, he could only see his wife in the newspapers.

But that was not the wife he knew.

Harvey wasn't idle either, he returned to the legal world, taking on endless cases. He was often out of town, and the couple had fewer chances to meet.

In the meantime, Monika visited his office once. He refused to see her and asked Denise to deliver a message, asking Monika not to come again!

When he had some free time, he would think of Eloise, and the argument they

had that night. It wasn't worth it for a woman as irrelevant as Monika, but Harvey didn't like being manipulated by women, not even his wife!

As the year came to an end, Eloise had done well with Everest Technologies. She

had made a name for herself in the upper circles of Peterborough, not just as an accessory to Harvey.

On the eve of the New Year, she attended a banquet, and when she came out, she was dizzy.

Outside, it was freezing cold. She immediately sobered up.

Her driver, Baron, saw her and went to her with a coat, complaining as he helped

her put it on, "You should've worn this inside. You're relying on your youth and recklessly disregard your health. If you catch a cold, Mr. and Mrs. Horigan will blame me!"

Eloise paused. Only then did she remember that Mr. and Mrs. Horigan were

Parker and Pauline. She smiled. "I've been working out lately. My health is excellent!"

Baron grumbled, "You've only just given birth two months ago. Women are delicate. You can't take your health for granted!"

Eloise felt a warmth in her heart. She whispered, "I know. I'll be more careful from

now on."

Baron opened the car door for her, his tone cheerful. "Let's go home. It's almost New Year's, and the house is so lively!"

Eloise was about to get in when she heard a pitiful voice behind her. "Mrs.

Horigan!"

Eloise stiffened and slowly turned around.

Not far away, Monika stood in thin clothes, looking pitifully frail. As she

approached, several burly bodyguards blocked her, not allowing her to get close to Eloise.

Monika bit her lip and looked at Eloise.

The night wind was fierce. Eloise, in a red dress and wrapped in a good quality

coat, stood there elegantly. Behind her was a luxurious car with flowing lines and

an array of colors. The jewelry she wore was also extremely expensive.

This woman was enjoying everything Attorney Horigan gave her and was still ungrateful. Monika's lips trembled as she said, "Mrs. Horigan, you shouldn't treat Attorney Horigan like that!"