Tangled Temptations

Harvey had left for the office that afternoon. It was a chilly day, and Eloise, preferring the warmth of indoors, hadn't ventured out. Instead, she made a call and summoned someone over.

Tiara.

Driving up to the mansion, Tiara barely stepped out of her car when a smiling servant greeted her with, "Mrs. Horigan is in the study on the second floor. Please, Ms. Tiara, she's expecting you."

With a nod, Tiara followed the servant's lead, climbing the grand staircase. Her feelings about the opulent mansion were entirely different from before.

...

Reaching the second floor, the servant knocked on the door. "Mrs. Horigan, Ms. Tiara is here."

Eloise's soft voice responded, "Let her in."

As the servant opened the door, Tiara's gaze fell upon the vintage-styled study with its floor-to-ceiling windows and a set of hunter-green leather sofas that screamed luxury.

Dressed in a floral maxi dress with her caramel locks cascading down her waist, Eloise exuded a lazy charm and seductive maturity that spoke of a man's affection —Harvey's, Tiara thought. But now, she dared not entertain any improper thoughts.

While Tiara took in Eloise's appearance, Eloise lifted her eyes and welcomed her with a faint smile, "Come in, have a seat!"

Tiara sat across from Eloise, her posture a bit stiff.

Eloise tilted her head and instructed the servant, "Brew a coffee for Ms. Tiara, please."

Nursing her coffee, Tiara still felt uneasy. She needed a favor from Eloise. She had come from Ravenna's camp, and Ravenna, holding a grudge, made life difficult at every turn. "Ravenna sure knows how to schmooze. She's got some big shots on her side now, making my life miserable. I nearly couldn't get out of a dinner party last time," Tiara said, the words tumbling out amidst her nerves. She could have just played along, but since signing with Eloise, she didn't want to do those things anymore. She wanted a clean slate.

Eloise looked out the window, where snow had started to fall gently. She traced her finger on the glass, musing, "We've had a lot of snow this year."

Tiara was puzzled by the change in topic.

Eloise's gaze was serene, betraying none of her thoughts. Her voice grew even softer, "You may be signed to me now, but that doesn't mean you can't play nice with Ravenna."

Tiara didn't quite understand.

Eloise pulled out two tickets from a book and smiled. "Next week's Formula 1 race. I hear the drivers are quite young and handsome. Ms. Ravenna might enjoy that."

Tiara began to see Eloise's point.

Eloise, however, preferred to keep her counsel, asking in a soft voice, "Would you be willing to help me with this?"

After a few seconds of thought, Tiara nodded firmly. Eloise beckoned her closer and whispered a plan that took Tiara by surprise. Eloise, seemingly gentle and vulnerable, was playing a deep game. Tiara believed it was only a matter of time before Ravenna, the toxic figure of the circle, would fall.

Tiara stayed a moment longer. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway was followed by children's laughter.

Soon, Linda and Luca scampered up the stairs. Linda rushed to the nursery to wake up the sweetly sleeping Darrien, chilling his little hands and cooing, "Time to wake up, Darrien!"

Darrien's cry filled the room at the abrupt awakening.

Linda kissed his cheek, then eagerly reached to hold him. Luca frowned, checking Darrien's diaper before efficiently changing it and wiping him down with a wet wipe. "He's not a doll, Linda. Be gentle," he advised, showing her how to change a diaper.

"Got it?" he asked.

Resting her cherubic face in her hands, Linda grinned, "You're here to help, right, Luca?"

He glanced at Linda and then quickly looked away.

With Darrien now comfortably in a fresh diaper, Linda and Luca brought him to Eloise. "Mama, Darrien's hungry," Linda said in her sweetest voice.

Eloise knew her daughter's antics all too well, but without a word, she prepared a bottle of milk and fed Darrien.

Luca read quietly on the side, and Linda, unable to resist, joined him. The scene was so peacefully beautiful that Tiara felt a twinge of envy.

As she left the mansion, Tiara thought about how Eloise, despite her youth, was tied down by her children. Then again, with wealth, leisure, and a loving husband, this was Eloise's own choosing.

...

A few days later, Tiara encountered Ravenna at a social gathering.

With a few words, Ravenna had Tiara inebriated. Tiara's agent, intimidated by the heavy-set man beside Ravenna, couldn't voiced their anger and escorted Tiara to the restroom.

The misery of retching followed.

Ravenna's reflection appeared in the mirror, leisurely applying lipstick with a slight smirk. "Not pleasant, is it, Tiara? I truly wanted to help you, but you chose Eloise over me."

Tiara turned on the faucet, splashing water over her face to sober up. Once she felt a bit better, she rasped, "But what did you ask me to do? Harvey's not a man I can control!"

Ravenna just laughed softly, leaning against the wall and lighting a slim cigarette, her demeanor exuding allure and confidence. She thought of Harvey, a man who rarely mingled with women as if made solely for Eloise.

Ravenna had never encountered such a man.

Exhaling a smoke ring, she taunted, "As long as I'm around, you won't have a good life, Tiara."

Tiara's eyes reddened.

Ravenna smiled, "That's what you get for backing the wrong horse. Eloise may have strong connections but lacks ambition and won't invest much in you. What future do you have with her?"

Tiara pondered this.noveldrama

With a gentle pat on Tiara's shoulder, Ravenna left her with something to think about before walking away.

After a few steps, Tiara called out hesitantly, "Ms. Ravenna..."

Ravenna couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

Tiara carefully wiped her face clean, her gaze fixed on Ravenna as she spoke, "I've crossed you before, Ms. Ravenna. If I want to come back into the fold, I need to bring something to the table, some kind of victory or glory, so everyone else will accept me without question."

Ravenna raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the assertion.

"I've heard you're interested in funding a play, but you're short on the cash."

Ravenna's interest was piqued. "Are you saying you can secure an investment for me?"

Tiara shook her head.

Sensing Ravenna's disappointment, she quickly added, "I know a way to make a fortune!"

With that, Tiara pulled out a VIP ticket to an F1 race and whispered conspiratorially, "These races are all rigged. The bigwigs decide who wins. If you've got the right connections, you can make serious money."

Ravenna was skeptical. "You know people?"

Tiara just smiled. She reapplied her makeup in front of the mirror, her beauty undeniable.

Ravenna suddenly realized the implication. Tiara, a dazzling celebrity with her good looks, would undoubtedly have some wealthy admirers eager to win her favor. It wouldn't be surprising at all.

On the day of the F1 race.

Eloise and Harvey were there too, in the best seats in the house, just a private box away.

Tiara and Ravenna stood side by side, with Ravenna holding a pair of binoculars and peering into the distance. She murmured, "I've placed a small bet on car number five. There won't be any surprises, right? Is your tip reliable?"

Dwight was driving car number five. Through the binoculars, his racing suit and helmet couldn't hide his striking presence.

"Quite young," Ravenna muttered.

Tiara reminded her, "He's the sole heir of the Arellano family down south, but he's

off the market now-married!"

Ravenna felt a twinge of disappointment but then shrugged it off. What did it matter? Men will be men, after all.

Sensing Ravenna's thoughts, Tiara whispered, "He's not one for playing the field. But there are a few guys on his team who might catch your eye. Number eight, for instance, is quite the fadies' man-he knows how to have a good time. Shall I introduce you?"

Ravenna, not one to be particular and with a healthy appetite for such encounters,

simply smiled in agreement.

As the race began, the tension was palpable, but the outcome was just as Tiara

had predicted: Dwight, in car number five, took pole position, with his teammate in number eight coming in second.

Eyeing the second-place driver's lean figure and muscular legs, Ravenna whispered, "This race just netted me a cool ten million. Tiara... you've really impressed me."

In addition to the money, the prospect of robust young men was too tempting for Ravenna to resist.

Draped in a white coat and donning sunglasses, Tiara idly toyed with her manicured nails and downplayed the success, "This was a small game time, nothing to write home about."

Ravenna's look of appreciation deepened.

After the race, there was a cocktail party. Drivers mingled with the club's owners

and the Peterborough elite. Eloise and Harvey were naturally invited as guests of

honor.

Ravenna found herself face-to-face with Eloise. "Eloise!" Ravenna greeted her

with a glass in hand and a sly smile. "What a surprise to see you here! Have you

developed an interest in racing?"

Eloise replied with serene composure, Just out for a bit of fresh air. And you, Ms. Ravenna? heard you've been embroiled in some legal troubles recently-associated with a murder case, no less. Yet here you are,

enjoying the races."

Ravenna's face flickered with emotion, but she feigned indifference. "Innocent

until proven guilty."

As Eloise was about to respond, someone approached them. "Ms. Ravenna!

About our..."

The person faltered, suddenly uncomfortable. It was Tiara.

Eloise's gaze shifted to Tiara, her brow furrowing slightly. "You're still associating

with her?"

Tiara was at a loss for words.

Eloise's demeanor chilled. "Tiara, you signed with my company, yet you're still dealing with Ms. Ravenna... You've crossed a line!"