Tangled Temptations

Eloise woke up to find Harvey by her side. He was sitting beside her. His one

hand gently stroked her brown hair. It was an intimate gesture that made her feel

a bit uneasy. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked, sitting up.

Harvey pulled his hand back. He stared at her for a moment before he smiled. "A little over an hour."

Eloise got up and slipped on her shoes. "Did I hold you up?"

He caught her hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at him.

He lifted his hand and gently pinched her nose. "A little delay for my wife is nothing."

Eloise smiled lightly. She was especially soft after just waking up, and it had been a while since he last kissed her. Even though the setting wasn't ideal, he couldn't help but lean in and kiss her.

"Harvey..." She leaned against his shoulder, reminding him.

He just couldn't control himself. He gently parted her lips and kissed her deeply. After a while, he finally pulled away.

Eloise leaned against his shoulder. Her cheeks flushed from the kissing.

Harvey held her slender waist. He wanted her, but he was careful not to push her too far, afraid that she might feel repulsed. Eloise sensed his desire, so she whispered, "Let's do it tonight."

At his age, it wasn't good for him to hold back his urges all the time. Besides, she had no intention of getting a divorce. It wasn't like she had no feelings for him.

Harvey lazily tapped her once.

As they got into the car, Harvey wanted to keep her company. He leaned towards her and said softly, "Do you want to go to the office with me? I can nap with you at lunchtime, and pick up Linda early in the afternoon."

Eloise thought for a moment before declining, "Darrien needs to be taken care of."

Harvey was a bit disappointed, but he drove her home anyway. The golden Bentley slowly left the clinic.

In the clinic parking lot, a woman stepped out of a black Mercedes. Sporting a flashy style, it was none other than Ravenna.

She had seen Eloise at the clinic earlier and thought she was mistaken, but it really was her. Everyone thought Eloise was living the best life, but it turned out she needed to see a shrink.

Their high school reunion was coming up. If Eloise's secrets were exposed, who would still envy her?

But this clinic was high-end, and getting a patient's records wasn't easy. Ravenna spent a lot of money to bribe a nurse in the records room to get the information.

Postpartum depression, an untrusting marriage, once-a-month sex. All this made Ravenna laugh in disbelief.

The nurse was a bit scared. Ravenna dismissed her with a few words. When she left, Ravenna got in the car and dialed a number. "Is this The Daily Chronicle? I have something you might be interested in."noveldrama

...

After hanging up the phone, she smiled, taking pleasure in the thought of a wounded marriage. Was there any need for it to exist?

Would a man like Harvey still stay with a wife who had a mental illness? What kind of woman couldn't he have? In his prime, there were plenty of women willing to bear his children.

Just the thought of it made Ravenna happy. She was waiting to see Eloise's downfall, waiting to see Veronica's heartbreak. As long as those two were hurting, she would feel truly satisfied.

That afternoon, The Daily Chronicle reported the news. They posted compelling screenshots and a recording of Eloise.

The report was filled with enticing words like postpartum depression, Joan, Monika, and sex...

"Broken marriage in the rich family."

"The rich don't believe in love."

"The secret story of the CEO of Everest Technologies."

Shocking headlines quickly trended, and the recording was irrefutable evidence. The private life of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey was exposed for all to see.

Peterborough was in a state of chaos. Everyone was waiting for Harvey's response, as it would directly affect the stock prices of Horigan Inc. and Everest Technologies.

Denise pushed open the door to the CEO's office. Harvey was on the phone. On the other end of the line was Eloise. As the people involved, they couldn't possibly not know about the news. But Harvey didn't mention it directly. He just spoke to her gently, “I'll pick up Linda this afternoon. You stay at home. By the way, is Darrien almost out of baby food? I'll buy some when I pick up Linda. Do you need anything else?"

On the other end, Eloise was sitting in front of the piano. She saw the trending news and understood why Harvey was calling.

There was a brief silence on the phone. After a while, Harvey spoke softly again, "I'll hold a press conference this afternoon. Don't worry, Eloise. You can live however you want. Leave the rest to me."

Eloise played a few notes on the piano, and then stopped. "I want to know who did this."

Harvey nodded. Then he hung up the phone, still staring at it, lost in thought.

Denise spoke in a tense voice, "Mr. Horigan, I found that The Daily Chronicle was the first to publish the news. But so far, there has been no suspicious financial activity."

Harvey leaned back in his leather chair, spinning it slightly. He looked up. "Find the editor in charge. Have the security department invite him to dinner and pry the information out of him. If he doesn't talk, keep him at dinner."

Denise knew him well. She knew that Harvey was truly angry and whoever was behind this would suffer.

Harvey continued, "Prepare for the press conference."

Denise immediately went to do so.

After she left, Harvey was about to call Orlena to ask her to keep Eloise company when his father called.

Parker was furious. He chewed Harvey out for his incompetence, for not being able to protect his wife.

After a while, he softened his tone, "Your mother has already gone over."

Harvey felt a sense of warmth in his heart.

Parker discussed with him on how to handle the situation. In the end, he asked in

a rather uncomfortable tone, "Harvey, tell your old man the truth. Did that injection affect your sex performance? Otherwise, why are you so useless?"

Once a month... No woman could stand this.

Harvey was both amused and exasperated. "I have the energy, Dad, but are you seriously asking me to go solo on this?"

Sex requires a two-way street. It is a mutual dance of desire. That's what makes it interesting.

If he was passionate, but Eloise remained unfulfilled, that would be a scenario he hated to see.

Parker was simply testing his son. Now that he got his answer, he could finally breathe easy. As long as there's no illness, there's always room for improvement.

He further advised his son, "Take

care of your wife more often. Be

more involved in the housework. Let

her have her own time to enjoy a cup

of coffee, or watch a movie... I necessary, your mom and I can take care of Darrien. You just need to handle Horigan Inc."

Harvey hung up. He wanted to call Eloise again, but he knew his mother would

take good care of her.

Half an hour later, Denise walked in. "Mr. Horigan, the press conference is about

to start. All the mainstream media from Peterborough are here. Don't worry. I've

got it all handled. They won't dare to write anything out of line."

Harvey stood up, adjusting his shirt.

In the Everest Technologies' Conference Room 1, there were hundreds of journalists. Their cameras aimed like cannons at the stage. The crowd was abuzz with speculation.

The news was too explosive. They were guessing if Harvey would announce his divorce outright or would he and Mrs. Horigan put on a show of affection, pretending that nothing happened?

The conference room doors slowly opened. Harvey walked in, looking regal and composed, not at all like a man on the brink of divorce.

Before the journalists could ask a question, he addressed them.

"Firstly, regarding the leakage of my wife's privacy, I reserve the right to take legal action.

"Secondly, I will not divorce Mrs. Horigan.

"Thirdly..."

Harvey, facing hundreds of camera lenses, gave a slight smile. His eyes were filled with affection. "Mrs. Horigan, whether as a husband or a lover, will strive to do my best. We have a lifetime to try, and I believe that one day, you'll find interest in me and this body of mine again."

The audience was in an uproar. Was this Harvey's declaration of love?

But really, was this something to say in public?

Harvey remained smiling. "We do have some marital issues, but what does it matter? I will never fall in love with anyone else. Mrs. Horigan, I'm transferring all my assets to you. If you're not happy, we can have sex once a month, or perhaps once a year. It's your desicion. And I, will forever remain faithful to our

marriage."

Everest Technologies' lawyer came over and verified all of Harvey's assets. Right there and then, all his assets were transferred to his wife.

The journalists were stunned. When they got back to their desks to write their

pieces, they realized that Harvey's long speech could be summed up in a few words.

"Our marital affairs are none of your business."