Tangled Temptations

At the Grand Peterborough Theater, the Music College's anniversary was in full swing in the grand auditorium.

On the stage sat a grand piano that was once played by the legendary Louis II and was now a gift from Harvey to his beloved. Everyone was buzzing with anticipation for Eloise's performance.

The crowd was a familiar one. Riley, Veronica, Gunner, and Max were all there. After Max's company received a hefty investment from Harvey, fortunes had turned, and Max, ever the career man, had come to terms with the past. He had brought Jeffrey along to watch Eloise play.

Not far away sat Ravenna, unable to resist stealing glances at Max. No matter how low she stooped, her heart always yearned for him. Max paid her no mind, and Ravenna's face twisted into a spiteful sneer. She knew that no matter how much Harvey admired Eloise, it would all be over after tonight's performance Ravenna would have everything.

The lights dimmed, and a figure in white took a seat at the piano. Applause thundered through the hall.

Ravenna couldn't help but smile, knowing that the pristine white gown would soon be tainted with blood... and no one would suspect her.

The piano began to play, not the piece Eloise had planned, but "Moonlight Lover."

As the lights slowly rose, the crowd was stunned. It wasn't Eloise at the piano, but Harvey, resplendent in a white suit. His fingers danced elegantly over the keys under the crystal chandelier. No one knew Harvey's talent on the piano could be so captivating.

Ravenna paled. How could it be Harvey? She looked up to see the chandelier's support wire looking tense and quivering, about to snap. She tried to scream, but nothing came out.

Fear gripped her. If anything happened to Harvey, the Horigans would stop at nothing to uncover the truth, and Ravenna would be done for. She stood abruptly just as the chandelier began to sway.

Harvey could have easily moved, but he remained playing as if the music was his lover in the moonlight.

Then, the wire snapped.

The chandelier crashed down, eliciting screams from the audience. But the figure in white remained seated, and blood stained his forehead and suit. He never faltered, and continued to play Eloise's favorite tune, "Moonlight Lover."

Each note seemed to beckon Eloise home.

Amidst the chaos, the doors burst open, and a beam of light revealed Eloise. She rushed towards Harvey as tears streamed down her face. "Harvey..."

The world fell silent around them.

Eloise tried to reach him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get close. She watched him, bloodied yet undeterred, playing their song.

Suddenly, the man in white began to fade, his presence growing translucent as if ready to vanish. He stopped playing and looked at her intently.

The music continued...

Eloise finally reached him. Harvey's nearly transparent hand caressed her cheek, his voice tender. "Why did you come?"

Tears flowed freely. "Harvey!"

It felt like a dream, but could dreams hurt this much?

"Don't cry," he comforted her. "It doesn't hurt. The most important thing is we'll be together again... trust me!"

Eloise, lips quivering, finally looked up, showing him the ring on her finger. "Harvey, I trust you!"

Harvey's fading smile was the last she saw of him before he vanished on stage. The rose petals around them slowly rose.

"Harvey!" Eloise was just twenty years old. She cried out in anguish, collapsing to her knees.

Was it all a dream? Would he come back?

...

"Harvey, no, don't!"

In Peterborough's finest hospital, Eloise, who had been in a coma for seven days, suddenly opened her eyes. Every move she made was a reminder of her stiffness and pain.

Seeing her awake, Pauline sobbed with relief. "Eloise, you're finally awake!" Eloise scanned the room but didn't see Harvey. "Mom... where's Harvey?"

Pauline's expression turned somber.

Eloise, insistent, asked again.

Pauline gently tucked Eloise in, revealing the truth. "Harvey's gone to the mountains to see Master Lee."

The mountains?

Eloise paused, then looked outside at the world blanketed in snow. How did he make it up there?

Concern filled Eloise's eyes. Pauline wiped away her tears. "I'll call him right now with the good news. Don't worry, just focus on getting better."

Pauline dialed the phone. It rang for an eternity before Harvey's familiar, weakened voice came through. "Mom!"

Pauline's tears flowed. She had been so worried. "Eloise is awake," she managed to say.

There was silence, then a soft, hoarse voice mumbled, "Let me talk to her."

Pauline passed the phone to Eloise. Silence again. Neither spoke as the memory of pain from the dream was still sharp.

Finally, Eloise broke the silence with her voice raw. "Harvey... I had a dream."

On the other end, Harvey's Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed his emotions before finally speaking up. "I had a dream too, Eloise... I dreamt we fell in love. It was a beautiful dream."

Eloise burst into tears. How could he describe it so nonchalantly? The pain was evident at the end of the dream, yet he called it beautiful.

"Hey, don't cry! Please, Eloise, don't," he coaxed her.

Eloise had always been reserved and rarely showed her affection for Harvey in front of others, but now she was desperate to see him, to touch him, to know if he was alright.

"Harvey... I want to see you."

Harvey wanted to see her, too, but

he couldn't leave, not just because the snow had blocked the mountain roads, but also because his legs were frostbitten. He had been kneeling for most of the night, and

now he couldn't walk a step.

In his Spartan cabin, he had experienced the heart-wrenching pain in his dream,

only to wake up and comfort his wife.

"The snow has stopped. I'll come over in a helicopter, okay?"

Eloise lay on her side; tears

continued streaming down her face. It was just a dream, but she remembered it so vividly. It wasn't hard for her to guess the pricenoveldrama

Harvey had paid. It was possible he might never make it out.

Eloise's delicate fingers gently touched the phone, and with a whisper as light as

a feather, she said, "I'll wait for you."

"I'll wait for you..."

Those words felt like they had been a four year promise.

On the other end, Harvey tilted his chin up slightly and hummed in affirmation.

"Eloise, once the snow stops, I'll come back."

After hanging up, he gently caressed his chest. His heart was still beating with fervor!

...

Eloise woke up.

The Horigan house was bursting with joy. Parker had been running around for days and could finally relax. He called his son to sing his praises. Then, he came to see Eloise with his precious grandkids.

As the door swung open, three little kids rushed in, and Parker walked in with Darrien cradled in his arms. Darrien was just over a year old and could already mutter, "Mama."

Eloise slowly regained her strength, leaned against the headboard, and reached out her hand.

But Parker didn't let Darrien go to Eloise. "Mama's not feeling well, and there's still a baby in her belly. Let me hold you, little Darrien."

Darrien seemed to understand Parker's words in his own way. Darrien loved his grandpa. His soft, chubby hands cupped Parker's aged face, planting a wet kiss. Parker stared at Eloise, and tears were streaming down his face uncontrollably. "It's good you've woken up. It's just wonderful!" he kept saying. "If you hadn't come around, Harvey would've lost his mind."

Eloise gave a faint smile.

Linda and Luca came over, snuggling close to her. Eloise gently stroked their little heads, especially Linda, who gazed adoringly at her mother. Eloise's heart melted, and she invited Linda under the covers.

Linda immediately kicked off her tiny shoes and snuggled into the blankets,

carefully cradling her mother's belly.

Eloise also gently touched her belly. She remembered in the dream, Harvey had

said the baby's name was Stephanie. Well then, Stephanie it would be!

Luca, on the

Other hand, touched Linda's hair, finding her particularly clingy. She was getting so big, yet she still wanted to climb into her mother's lap all the time. He thought Linda would be quite the handful when she grew up.

Eloise also stroked his head.

Pauline brought in a bowl of creamy porridge, sat beside the bed, and tenderly

took care of Eloise. "Orlena's tied up right now, and she'll come by in the

afternoon."

Eloise acknowledged with a hum.

The hospital room was filled with warmth, and just then, the door opened. Eloise looked up, and then froze for a moment. It was Harvey.

He had lost weight, looking slightly haggard yet still strikingly handsome, and at

that moment, his dark eyes were intensely fixed on Eloise with a warmth that made her cheeks flush and heart race.