Eloise said calmly, "Did you have fun?"
Harvey took off his coat, casually threw it on the couch, and then sauntered over to her.
He picked up a glass of red wine from the bar, his gaze deep.
Eloise usually didn't drink; she lived a pretty orderly life. If she was drinking, that meant she was in a bad mood, and Harvey guessed that he was the reason.
He asked, his voice a little hoarse. "Are you mad?"
Eloise didn't respond. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell the truth either.
Silence fell.
Harvey let out a small laugh. "Eloise, when we first started dating, we made it clear that we'd get along, and if the feelings weren't there anymore, we'd break up peacefully. What's going on now?"
Eloise looked up at him, asking softly, "Harvey, are you tired of me?"
Harvey knew what Eloise was implying. She wanted to end the relationship.
Was it because of Joan?
Suddenly, Harvey scooped her up and placed her on the piano.
The piano let out a low sound.
Eloise struggled; her emotions were in a frenzy, and Harvey's actions felt like he was toying with her.
She was only wearing a black silk robe, and her struggling gave Harvey a glimpse of her skin.
His throat tightened. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered. "Does Joan's presence bother you that much? Eloise, can't you stand it?"
Eloise was a bit dazed.
Her brows furrowed, and her veins were popping.
But she held back. She looked up at him as her red lips parted slightly. "Harvey, tell me, what would make this bearable?"
She didn't wait for his answer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him lightly, and even initiated a deep kiss.
Harvey's body shuddered.
Eloise had never done this before.
He already liked being close to her; now she was even more irresistible. He forgot their argument just a moment ago, lost in the sweetness of their kiss.
The piano continued to make sounds.
"Harvey, is this bearable?" Eloise's voice was very calm.
Harvey looked up at her, and Eloise gave him a small smile.
"I'm sorry, Harvey; I crossed a line tonight. I'll be more careful in the future."
She paused, then said coldly, "I'll follow your lead; I can bear it!"
Harvey squinted and gently caressed her face.
At this moment, he couldn't sort out his feelings.
He hoped she understood their agreement, but when she was this submissive, he thought of her exchange of glances with Max.
That glance made his heart beat faster.
So had she exhausted all her emotions with Max and only had a little left for him?
Harvey let out a cold laugh.
He leaned over her with a look of determination on his face.
All the things he was reluctant to do to her before, he would do them all tonight!
Eloise let him kiss her for a while, then said lightly, "I'm on my period!"
"What did you say?"
"Harvey, I'm on my period."
Harvey stopped as his handsome face turned a slight shade of red. He looked at her, panting slightly. Unable to control himself, he actually pulled Eloise into his arms to confirm.
"Harvey! Harvey, you're such a jerk!"
But she knew what her relationship with Harvey was like.
Unless he said it was over, it couldn't end.
For the next few days, Harvey became very busy.
He rarely came home for dinner; sometimes he didn't even come home at night.
Eloise never called to ask him about it; they were like strangers living under the same roof, and the sweetness of the past was gone. Sometimes Eloise even doubted if they really had that sweet time.
She didn't interfere with his private life.
She was also very busy.
The preliminary work for Encore Soundworks was almost done, so she and Vanessa picked a good day to open.
That day, Eloise came home from Encore Soundworks. She had barely gotten into the car when she got a call from Veronica, who sounded hesitant, like she had something to say but didn't dare to.
"Did Gunner bully you again?" Eloise was worried about her.
Veronica immediately refuted. "Gunner is a total deadbeat; I gave up on him ages ago! But you, Eloise, why can't you pick a decent guy?"
Eloise felt a pang in her heart. She smiled softly, "What's wrong?"
Veronica couldn't hold it in any longer; she spilled it all out.
"Harvey's been going to a lot of social events lately, and Joan's been at every single one of them! And that's not all. Harvey went to Sydney for a business trip, and Joan actually went with him! I can't make heads or tails of it. Eloise, just look at the newspapers, and you'll understand!"
Eloise was a bit taken aback.
So Harvey had been to Sydney a few days ago, and she didn't even know. Was their relationship that distant, or were they just so busy that they didn't even say a word to each other?
Eloise gave a faint smile and confessed everything to Veronica. "That's the way things are between him and me. If he wants to be with someone, why should I stop him?"
Veronica was somewhat stunned.
After a while, she finally said. "Oh my! Eloise, you've got your head screwed on right!"
Eloise could still joke. "I learned it all from Harvey!"
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