Ch. 141..145: The Adorable Twins and Their CEO Daddy Chapter 141-145
Chapter 141
Eliana was preparing herself to be exposed.
However, to her surprise, Maurice jumped to a different question. “If you were the only daughter of the Pierce family, then would you believe that I was the one behind all of this?”
He did not reveal her identity, in the end.
He did it because he knew that it would be difficult for Eliana to get along with him as the daughter of the Pierce family, and he felt that it was best for the both of them to maintain their current relationship.
Eliana fell silent, reminiscing the past few days she had spent getting along with him.
He had helped her stay in the company; he had helped her deal with the other employees who were making life difficult for her; he had taken her to the party, and had sex with her when she had been drugged; he had helped her clean up the mess, prove her innocence, and saved her from Rachel’s trap.
Eliana knew everything that he had done for her.
However, the Moran Group was still the one behind the acquisition of the Pierce Group, and Maurice was the dominant one.
Although she could not be sure that Maurice was the one behind everything just by relying on Asher’s words, she could also not bring herself to trust Maurice just because he trusted her.
Maurice had indeed occupied an important place in her heart, but the Pierce Group and her parents were also important to her. In fact, it was obvious that she would choose the latter.
“I only believe in evidence.”
Saying that, she shook off his hand, turned around, and left.
Maurice stood there, looking lonely, staring at her receding figure.
At the same time, Asher had not gone too far, so when he saw Eliana walk out alone, he immediately caught up with her.
“Eliana, long time no see. I didn’t have time to talk to you lately. How have you been?”
Just when he was about to grab her hand, Eliana dodged him.
“Mr. Harrison, please behave yourself. You are married now.”
Eliana’s indifference towards him embarrassed him, but still he continued to talk to her.
“Eliana, don’t be like that. I care about you. Remember not to get too close to Maurice, okay? He is a shrewd guy, and he won’t think twice about deceiving you.”
There was a tenderness in Asher’s eyes, as though he was still infatuated with her.
Eliana got goose-bumps all over her body, disgusted by his shamelessness.
“Asher, how dare you say that you care about me? You slept with my best friend and she almost killed me. Did you really think that I was going to trust you again just because you said that you cared about me? That won’t even happen in your dreams!” Eliana retorted in disgust.
Asher’s expression darkened when he heard those cold words, but he suppressed his anger, and pretended to be affectionate towards her.
“Eliana, you misunderstood me and I don’t blame you. But everything that I did was for your own good. You will understand one day.”
Eliana sneered, “Stop pretending like you’re a loving man. If you don’t have anything useful to say, then leave!”
It was Asher’s first time seeing her so determined, and he had no choice but to leave.
And the moment he left, Eliana’s phone started ringing.
Looking at the ID, she saw that it was from the same unknown number.
With a deep frown, she decided to answer it.
“Hello?”
There was a long moment of silence on the other end, so she was about to hang up when the man spoke.
“Eliana, it’s me, Hodge.”
“Hodge!”
She was surprised to hear from the man she had been looking for in the entire city.
Thinking about the circumstances, she figured that there must be something fishy about it.
“What are you doing?”
“Haven’t you always wanted to know the truth behind the bankruptcy of the Pierce Group? Well, I can tell you all about it, but in exchange, I want you to get some information from Maurice for me.”
Eliana’s heart skipped a beat as she asked, “What information?”
“It’s about an important ring. Maurice said that he lost it before, but… He seems to have found it recently.”
Chapter 142
A ring!
Why did both Preston and Maurice lose a valuable ring?
Eliana was a little surprised. What a coincidence!
“What do you need me to do?” she asked after a brief pause.
“All you have to do is find out the whereabouts of this ring.”
Without waiting for her response, Hodge sent her a photo of the ring.
Eliana clicked on the photo and realized that the ring was familiar.
It was the gigolo’s ring!
It was exactly the same as Preston’s ring.
Eliana’s mind was a mess as she examined the ruby ring in the photo.
Why did two people who had nothing in common and weren’t connected with each other have the same ring?
The only answer she could come up with was that Mr. Moran and the gigolo were the same person.
However, Eliana immediately dismissed this possibility.
Maurice and Preston both appeared at the same time that day. So it was impossible that they were just one person.
Eliana was still hoping to get some useful information, but Hodge didn’t give her the chance as he abruptly hung up the phone.
She held the phone and her heart was in turmoil.
Something was definitely wrong.
The mystery about the ring was like a small, sad stone in her throat. Things couldn’t possibly be so coincidental.
Eliana dialed Preston’s number.
Maurice was in a meeting at that time.
On the stage, the Project Department’s director was explaining the company’s project plan for the upcoming quarter. Maurice noticed that his phone was buzzing. He picked it up and realized that it was a call from Eliana.
She had just declared that she didn’t believe him. What made her call him now? Oh! She was actually calling Preston. But Maurice was in a meeting and couldn’t answer the phone and guise as Preston.
Maurice stared silently at the buzzing phone for a few seconds before turning it off.
Eliana became angrier when Preston did not answer the phone so she sent him several messages.
“Tell me the truth, Preston. Is the ring really your mother’s?”
“Are you lying to me?”
“You’ll be dead meat if you’re lying to me!”
Eliana felt deceived and became more enraged after not receiving a response.
Maurice and Preston were not one person, but they had the exact same ring, so there could only be one truth.
Most probably, Preston stole the ring. Right! After all, how could a gigolo own such a valuable item?
Eliana suspected that Preston had stolen Maurice’s ring from somewhere. Then she had taken it away by mistake, and he just tried to get her sympathy by saying it belonged to his mother.
The more Eliana thought about it, the angrier she became. She had felt guilty the entire time, but it turned out that the gigolo was lying to her.
Maurice kept looking at his phone while in the meeting. He was getting anxious.
Maurice went back to his office right after the meeting. He then turned on his phone.
Several missed calls from Eliana popped up.
Why was she so eager to talk to Preston?
Several messages from her also appeared.
Reading the content, Maurice immediately felt alarmed and nervous.
Eliana learned about the ring?
Who told her?
Did someone tell her about it on purpose?
Why?
Maurice was deep in thought when Corbin came in.
“Boss, our men have found some information about Hodge.”
Maurice’s eyes lit up and he asked, “Where is he?”
Corbin wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. He just answered, “Hodge appeared in Gerald’s territory.”
Sure enough, it seemed that Gerald had something to do with the issue about the ring.
Damn it! Both of his identities were now at odds with Eliana.
Maurice was expressionless and looked so cold. The temperature in the office seemed to drop several degrees.
Even Corbin didn’t dare to take a deep breath or do any noticeable action for fear of irritating the CEO.
All of a sudden, Corbin’s phone alarm rang.
He glanced at Maurice as he turned off the alarm, hesitating to say something.
After a while, he uttered, “Boss, today is… that day.”
“I know.” For a few seconds, Maurice remained silent. “Postpone everything. I’ll come with you to pick up Silas and have dinner at the old house. You can leave now.”
Maurice then closed his eyes. He was so tired.
Corbin turned around and walked away quietly. He had been working for Maurice for five years. Every year on this special day, Maurice would stop working and show his vulnerability.
It was the death anniversary of his sister.
Chapter 143
“It’s over. My heart can now enjoy some peace.”
Eliana leaned back in her chair and looked over the design draft on the computer with a sigh of contentment. The day had come to a close for her.
She took a peek at her phone and saw that it was still early.
What if she left work early today? That way, she was able to avoid seeing Maurice and still pick up the children.
Eliana hurriedly packed up and left the workplace, thinking it was a wonderful idea.
Maurice and Corbin were standing nearby with a Rolls-Royce parked in front of them as she approached the corporate gate.
Could Eliana go back unnoticed?
Corbin waved at Eliana when he saw her standing outside the company’s gate. “What a coincidence! You finished up your work early today. What’s your plan?” he asked.
“The timing couldn’t be better! It seems that Mr. Moran also leaves work at this time. I have an errand to attend to near Glamor Road.” Eliana feigned a grin as she stealthily retracted her left leg and turned to face the other direction.
Adrian and Aileen’s kindergarten was located close to Glamor Road.
Eliana was certain that Maurice would find no errors in her assertions.
It dawned on Corbin that they were both headed in the same direction.
Corbin had an idea after casting a close look at Maurice, who was standing aside quietly.
“What a happy accident! We’ll be heading to a nearby place as well. I bet you need a ride. Hop in the car.”
Maurice gave Corbin an apathetic look and ultimately did not refuse.
Eliana’s jaw dropped. They couldn’t possibly be going to the same place.
When she was ready to reject, she recalled Hodge’s condition and swallowed her words of rejection.
She didn’t want to betray Maurice, not in the slightest. She was just looking for information about the ring. Suppose the ring Hodge described was the one that the dog had swallowed. Then she had a clearer idea of where it was.
“Sure, Mr. Moran, thank you very much.”
Eliana opened the door and climbed into the vehicle. She was seated next to Maurice.
Maurice had been quiet until now, his ice-cold features projecting an air of aloofness.
Eliana had no idea how to start a conversation with him; thus she had to make peace with the chilly atmosphere.
Even Corbin, who was driving the automobile at the time, was unable to handle the dismal mood.
To help de-stress, how about tuning in to the broadcast?
The radio was cranked up by Corbin.
“That breakup couldn’t get any better. I pray for your well-being. The good ones are still not over…”
Crap! Who wrote that sort of song?
Corbin did not waste any time changing the channel.
“I wasn’t being dishonest. Is there any reason for me to fabricate a story? You’re familiar with who I am. I will never put on a show for you. I didn’t make any false statements. If you believe you are not replaceable, you’re wrong…”
The air in the automobile was becoming thicker and thicker.
“Could those be the worst songs ever composed? My head is pounding because of the commotion. You may turn it off now,” Maurice yelled angrily.
Cold perspiration dripped from Corbin’s brow as he switched off the radio.
Why was he always the one getting hurt?
The music stopped, and Eliana was finally able to open her mouth.
She pretended to remark unwittingly, “I have a question for you, Mr. Moran. I hope you’ll answer me.”
“Well, of course,” Maurice calmly said.
There was some hope!
“I wonder whether you know anything about the design of jewelry rings,” Eliana inquired.
Maurice’s gaze shifted to Eliana as he heard this. He hadn’t looked her in the eyes since they’d gotten in the vehicle.
Maurice was thinking about the messages she’d sent to Preston then. He was aware that Eliana was testing him in regards to the ring, but had no intention of exposing her.
He would like to see how she was going to do that.
His eyebrows arched, Maurice said, “I have some rough ideas. What’s the point of asking?”
That was just awesome! “May I ask you, Mr. Moran? Do you recognize this ruby ring?” questioned Eliana, after locating the picture of the jewelry Hodge had sent her and giving it to Maurice.
Maurice’s pupils constricted. He had no idea Gerald’s staff would present the picture to her directly.
What a dummy!
As soon as Eliana mentioned a ruby ring, Corbin’s attention turned from the road to the conversation.
He feared that his employer’s other identity would be found out.
Corbin was engrossed in his thoughts and didn’t see the automobile ahead. So he braked hard…
Chapter 144
Eliana’s body moved forward uncontrollably because of the sudden impact.
She was so terrified that her heart almost leaped out of her chest.
A pair of warm hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.
When Eliana came back to her senses, she was already in Maurice’s arms. He was holding her very tightly.
“Are you okay?”
Maurice’s low, hoarse voice came from above her head. Eliana’s face immediately turned red, and she jerked away from his arms.
“Ye…yeah” She shook her head, trying to calm her racing heart.
Corbin turned around and apologized, “I’m sorry, boss. It was my fault,”
“Be careful,” said Maurice, straightening his tie.
The car was restarted. The embarrassing stalemate was immediately broken after the minor mishap. The atmosphere between Eliana and Maurice became intimate again.
“You have yet to respond to my question.” Eliana dared not to look directly into Maurice’s eyes.
Maurice took the phone and pretended to examine the photograph. “I know this ring, and I’m actually looking for it,” he said calmly.
“Is it yours?” Eliana asked.
“It’s not mine. I just want to collect it.”
That was it?
Eliana still did not believe Maurice.
Would Hodge make such an effort to find something so insignificant? He had even lured her with the truth in the past.
“Why are you so interested in this ring? Do you know where it is?”
Maurice stared at Eliana. His deep eyes seemed to be able to see right into her soul.
Eliana was agitated. “Of course not. How could I know something you don’t even know?”
Maurice looked so calm. He didn’t appear to be lying.
Eliana had to temporarily put her doubts aside.
Besides, it was easy to get information whenever necessary.
Eliana breathed a sigh of relief. She then realized something crucial.
Preston hadn’t lied to her because the ring was indeed not Maurice’s.
Damn it! She had wronged the gigolo again.
She wished she could just vanish when she remembered the messages she had sent.
Eliana was the type of person who couldn’t keep her emotions to herself. Her face could clearly show what she felt. Maurice noticed her face changing in a matter of seconds, from being relaxed to complacent to regretful.
Maurice was amused by the quick change in her lovely expressions.
After a few moments, Eliana asked to get out of the car because the kindergarten was already nearby.
“I have arrived at my destination. Thank you.”
Eliana got off the car. Maurice watched her walk away thoughtfully.
“Boss, it seems that Eliana is also heading to the kindergarten. Is she picking up the kids for Nana?” Corbin guessed.
Kids?
Images of the twins flashed immediately in Maurice’s mind.
The little girl was lovely and cute, and the little boy was cool and handsome as well. He had no idea why the images of the twins overshadowed Eliana’s face in his mind.
Maurice thought the twins resembled Eliana more than Nana.
Something flashed through Maurice’s mind out of nowhere.
“Are we still picking up Silas?”
Corbin’s voice broke into Maurice’s thoughts.
“No, have the bodyguards take him out first. Don’t let Eliana see you there,” Maurice ordered.
He didn’t want to reveal that Silas was his nephew just yet.
Meanwhile, Eliana thought that she had done a good job keeping the secret as she took a detour to pick up the children at the kindergarten gate.
It was the end of school hours. As time passed, the adults who had been waiting with her had already left with the other children they picked up, but Aileen and Adrian were nowhere to be found.
Eliana became uneasy. Was there something wrong?
All of a sudden, she saw the teacher of the twins.
The usually amiable teacher had a straight face and asked, “You are Aileen and Adrian’s mother, aren’t you?”
Something must have happened.
“Yes. What happened to the kids?” Eliana asked anxiously.
“Nothing serious. It was just a minor squabble between the kids. Come with me,” the teacher said seriously. “Aileen broke another child’s valuable item.”
Aileen?
Eliana was taken aback when she heard that. How could her obedient daughter make trouble?
Chapter 145
Eliana followed the teacher into the classroom.
Both adults and children were present. Two groups of people were facing off in the center of the room.
Aileen and Adrian were standing on one side. Aileen’s eyes were red from crying and tears streaked down her cheeks.
Adrian stood on her right and comforted her in a low voice. Silas stood on her left and wiped her tears. Behind them stood Silas’s bodyguards.
Eliana also recognized the other group of people.
Erica was in the lead.
Why was this woman always trying to make her life harder?
Eliana paid no attention to Erica as she strode over to Aileen and squatted in front of her. She caressed Aileen’s tiny face and looked at her gently.
“What happened, my love? Don’t cry. Mommy is here. Tell me what happened.”
Her mother’s comfort only made Aileen felt more aggrieved. She pursed her lips and stayed silent. Adrian was about to explain the situation, but a sharp voice interrupted him.
“Eliana, you need to discipline your daughter. She is a little liar! She refuses to admit that she broke my daughter’s diamond necklace. She is so ill-bred. Well, it’s not surprising, since her father is a…”
“Shut up, Erica! Watch your mouth, or you’ll regret it!” Eliana shouted.
Everyone was stunned by Eliana’s outburst. Everyone except Erica, who was unfazed.
“Eliana, don’t think that you can scare me just because of what happened with the pink diamonds last time. You are far below my league.”
As she spoke, Erica held up the necklace, which was broken into two pieces.
“Everyone here can judge who is right and who is wrong,” she said to the crowd. “I bought this precious diamond necklace as a gift for my daughter. My daughter showed it to your daughter. Your daughter was jealous and broke it. Now she refuses to admit what she has done. What a cheap little liar! You won’t be getting away with this.”
The crowd whispered to each other and exchanged glances. Erica was satisfied to see that most of them were on her side.
Now that the Harrison family had gone through a crisis, her relationship with Asher was as good as before. Her status was far above that of Eliana, whose family had already fallen. Eliana was no competition to her.
“I didn’t do it!” Aileen shouted. “Mommy, I didn’t break the necklace. It was broken when Ivy showed it to me.”
Aileen gripped Eliana’s hand. Her face turned red and all of her little body trembled in anger.
“That is true!” Adrian affirmed.
Eliana’s heart ached. She hugged Aileen and patted her back. “Baby, it’s okay. I believe you.”
Aileen slowly calmed down.
Once Aileen had been comforted, Eliana walked to Erica’s daughter, Ivy.
She squatted down and asked gently, “Ivy, can you tell me what happened?”
Ivy stared timidly into Eliana’s eyes. She didn’t dare to speak.
Ivy liked Eliana very much because she was gentler than her own mother.
The truth was that Ivy had broken the necklace. She was terrified that her mother would punish her for it. She asked her friend Aileen for advice and showed her the necklace. It was at that moment that Erica entered. Erica insisted that Aileen had broken the necklace.
Ivy opened her mouth to speak. But her mother shot her a deadly glance that scared Ivy into hiding the truth.
“The necklace… Aileen broke the necklace.”
Though she spoke quietly, everyone heard her.
Erica smiled in triumph. “Did you hear that? Your daughter broke the necklace. It is your responsibility to compensate me for it.”
Eliana raised her eyebrows. “If you want me to compensate for this necklace, I need to take a look at it so I can judge the price.”
Erica thought that she was already the victor of this game, so she thoughtlessly handed over the necklace.
Eliana accepted the necklace and examined it carefully. It was an ordinary diamond necklace with a basic design. The diamond seemed to be expensive at first glance, as it looked like it weighed about 6 carats. The rest of the necklace was made of cheap pearls.
There was something off about the diamond.
Wait a moment.
Eliana realized what was wrong.
Eliana turned to the crowd and said confidently, “This diamond is a fake.”
Erica’s smile froze. “That’s impossible. You’re only claiming that because you don’t have the money to compensate for it!”
Eliana smiled in disdain at Erica’s refusal to admit the fraud.
She didn’t have the time or energy to argue with Erica. She put the necklace on the table, picked up a glass, and smashed it into the diamond.
“What are you doing? Are you crazy?” Erica yelled.