Ch. 151..155: The Adorable Twins and Their CEO Daddy Chapter 151-155

Chapter 151

“So Hodge called you and asked you to inquire about Maurice’s ring. And he will tell you the truth in exchange… Now, you have to find a ring that looks exactly like the one that… Preston lost?”

“That’s right.” Eliana nodded.

“Oh God! Who the hell does that ring belong to?”

Nana was perplexed to hear Eliana’s words.

Eliana was also stunned, feeling like the whole issue was a little outrageous.

“What do you think I should do now?” Lost in thought, Eliana rubbed the bridge of her nose.

All of a sudden, a brilliant idea occurred to Nana.

“Eliana, I don’t think now we should worry about the owner of the ring now. Hodge wants the ring, right? How about we use whatever we know about the ring as bait to lure him out?”

Upon hearing that, Eliana’s eyes lit up at once.

“Great! Why didn’t I think of this before? You’re right. I will try to lure Hodge out the next time he calls me.”

Hodge called her not long after they came up with the plan.

Eliana took a deep breath and answered the phone, putting it on speaker.

“Eliana. Have you made up your mind yet?”

Hearing Hodge’s question, Eliana and Nana glanced at each other.

“Yes. I found the ring you were looking for,” Eliana said in a firm voice.

“What? You found it? Really? Where is it now?” Hodge asked excitedly.

“Listen, Hodge, I can give you the ring, but you’ll have to meet me in person and tell me the truth.”

Seeing that he was about to take the bait, Eliana did not waste any time.

However, there was a long silence on the other end of the line.

With a slight frown, Eliana asked, “Are you hesitant to meet me because you’re following someone else’s orders?”

“No, you think too much,” Hodge retorted stiffly.

Eliana sneered, “Then why are you so afraid to show me your face? It’s because the one who instigated you to do all this is the real mastermind, right?”

Hodge fell silent again.

For some reason, Eliana felt like she heard someone else’s voice over the phone. And the person seemed to be commanding Hodge. She thought that it might be because she was feeling nervous.

“The ring is what I want. You don’t have to know the reason. I can meet you, but you must let me decide when and where.”

Hodge finally took the bait!

Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Eliana said in a calm voice, “Sure.”

“I will see you at the Impression Cafe on Phoenix Road, at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, it’s settled, then.” Eliana was relieved.

As soon as she hung up, Nana jumped and sat down beside her. “Great! We did it!”

“Yes, it was not easy, but we can’t let him run away from us this time,” Eliana remarked with a smile.

“Don’t worry. We can ask someone to help us catch him. I am sure we can make him tell us the truth!” Nana cried out.

“But have you ever thought of the fact that Kimora is the only one who can help us? The three of us are all women. How can we manage to catch Hodge?”

Eliana was not as optimistic as Nana, because Hodge was a man. Moreover, they were suspicious that there might be someone else controlling him.

“You are so silly. Go and find Preston! He has a lot of contacts, right? So it won’t be a big deal for him to find some men. And you can ask Hodge and Preston about the ring tomorrow since they’ll both be there. Killing two birds with one stone, you know?”

Eliana realized that it was perfect.

Nana’s plan was the best way to find the truth.

Chapter 152

Eliana immediately picked up her phone and called Preston.

On the other side, Maurice stared at Eliana’s caller ID on the screen of his phone. All the dissatisfaction that had accumulated within him finally reached the peak.

So when he answered the phone, it was in a rather unfriendly way.

“Eliana, what’s wrong with you? Earlier, you called me so many times and even texted a bunch of strange questions to me. What’s your reason for calling again? Do you think that there’s no limit to my patience?”

“It was definitely a misunderstanding! I was so dumb that I just blindly blamed you,” Eliana said in an apologetic tone.

“A misunderstanding? Have you ever trusted me? You always believe whatever others say, but you don’t believe a word I say. Can you tell me why?”

To say that Maurice was exasperated by Eliana’s attitude towards him would be an understatement. It seemed that regardless of whether his identity was Maurice or Preston, he never had Eliana’s trust.

Being treated by Eliana this way was a big blow to him.

Eliana, on the other hand, was a little flustered after hearing the cutting anger and disappointment in Preston’s words.

“Because… Because compared to being deceived by other people, being deceived by you would really hurt me!”

In her anxiousness to appease Preston, Eliana blurted out a flurry of words in one breath. But as soon as she finished saying them, she was gripped with regret.

What on earth was she talking about? She wished she could just press a button to withdraw all the words she had just said!

For a moment, there was a tense silence on both sides.

“Eliana, what do you mean?” Maurice finally asked, subconsciously tightening his grip on the phone.

To him, Eliana’s words sounded like a confession of love. The possibility made his heart almost beat out of his chest.

Eliana, too, came back to her senses.

It was only now that she also realized why she had been so angry at the prospect of Preston’s deception in the first place—she already unconsciously regarded him as a very important person in her heart.

She was angry at him because she cared about him, and she felt hurt because she cared about him.

Somehow, while she was thinking about Preston, Maurice’s face also appeared in Eliana’s mind.

Did that mean that she also cared about Maurice the same way?

The answer was yes, even if Eliana didn’t want to admit it. Deep in her heart, she still didn’t believe that Maurice was the one who had brought the downfall of the Pierce Group.

She seemed to have inexplicable feelings for both these men.

How had she fallen into such a mess?

While waiting for the right opportunity to take revenge, Eliana also had to uncover the mysteries that both Preston and Maurice seemed to be shrouded in. And now, she couldn’t even figure out her own feelings. How could she say such a thing out loud to anyone?

In the end, Eliana chose not to answer Preston’s question. It was not that she wanted to torture Preston with suspense, but that it was impossible for her to untangle the thread of her own feelings.

Maurice hung up the phone disappointedly without hearing an answer from her.

Seeing Eliana put down the phone, Nana raised an eyebrow and asked, “How did it go? Did he agree?”

Eliana bit her lip and shook her head.

Nana didn’t ask any further questions. She just patted Eliana on the shoulder and comforted her, “Eliana, don’t worry. Since you can’t trust the gigolo, I’ll help you find a way.”

After saying that, Nana took out her phone and sent a message to Corbin.

“Corbin, we’ve found Hodge. He’ll be at Impression Cafe on Phoenix Road at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning. If you help me get some capable men, I’ll catch him in the trap.”

As soon as Corbin received the message, he called Maurice.

“Boss, Nana just texted me and said that they’ve found Hodge, and that they need help to catch him. How did they find Hodge?”

Corbin couldn’t believe it at all. He and Maurice had been looking for Hodge for a long time, but they always ended up at a dead end. However, Nana and Eliana seemed to have found him easily.

How could it make sense? In fact, it was a little humiliating.

“Mr. Moran, it must be a trap. Should I warn them not to be fooled by Gerald?”

As Corbin spoke, he quickly opened the message app to type a reply to Nana.

But he was stopped by Maurice’s low voice, which came from the other end of the line.

“Corbin, don’t do that. Just agree to what Nana asked for.”

Corbin’s fingers hovered uncertainly over the keypad, and he frowned. “Mr. Moran, do you have a plan?”

“Get some people to intercept Hodge tomorrow and ask him about what happened back then. After that, we will directly tell Eliana the truth.”

At this moment, Corbin understood.

His boss was going to take advantage of the situation

Chapter 153

All of the players in the game were resting peacefully at night, awaiting the advent of tomorrow with a variety of motives and emotions.

Eliana dropped off Aileen and Adrian at kindergarten the next day like she always did.

The twins said their goodbyes to their mother. When they entered the classroom, Ivy was standing beside Aileen’s seat, as if she was expecting her.

However, her excitement faded as soon as she spotted Aileen and Adrian. She took a few steps closer after a few moments of hesitation.

Adrian remembered that Ivy had lied and betrayed his sister only yesterday. A strong desire to stop Ivy sprang in him right now.

He was dragged over by a hand. It was Silas.

Silas shook his head and then signaled Adrian to have a look at Aileen.

Aileen’s little face was instantly covered with grief and sadness. The corners of her lips drooped, and she still seemed quite depressed.

Silas was well aware that the one who created a problem should be the one to solve it, and that they should reverse their actions. Silas and Adrian just needed to be there for Aileen no matter what she decided.

Ivy’s eyes were as red as a rabbit’s when she stood in front of Aileen.

“Aileen, I’m sorry for my stupid actions. Yesterday, I should not have lied to wrong you by claiming you damaged the necklace. In any case, I was frightened of getting in trouble with my mother, so I… Can you accept my apology?”

That apology took a long time to come out of Ivy. She bowed her head in embarrassment and avoided looking Aileen in the eyes when she completed speaking in one breath.

Ivy’s apologies had little effect on Adrian.

Aileen’s pain could not be erased by an apology.

But he had to put up with it for Aileen’s sake.

Aileen had the same reservations. Yesterday, she was so enraged by Ivy’s actions that she decided she would never forgive her again. However, after hearing what Eliana had to say, she realized that Ivy could have lied out of fear of her mother.

“Apology accepted.”

Aileen was set in her ways.

“Really? Does that mean we’re still friends?”

Ivy’s gaze remained fixed on Aileen as she waited for her response.

In spite of her forgiveness, Aileen shook her head and stated, “I’ll never be friends with you again.”

Aileen made the call. She was able to forgive Ivy for what she had done to her, but she was unable to become friends with Ivy as if nothing had occurred because of her past actions.

“You’re right. My sister is intelligent.” Adrian was full of admiration for Aileen.

“It’s okay. Keep your spirits up. In the future, we shall meet new people,” Silas promised Aileen, caressing her head.

Ivy’s jaw dropped. Adrian and Silas had already dragged Aileen away, so she couldn’t say anything further in an attempt to win her over.

Ivy’s eyes filled with tears as she saw Aileen and the other kids enjoying a good time.

Eliana and Nana, on the other hand, had arrived at the Impression Cafe.

Eliana advised Nana, “Nana, let’s separate now and work together afterward. At all times, keep your phone on. Unless Hodge tells me, you may bring the others to capture him. It’s imperative that we succeed in our mission!”

Nana gave a confident thump to her chest. “The only way to find out the truth is to ask him directly. Everything else is on me.”

Eliana took her seat at the table as scheduled. To ensure a prime spot for the prize catch, Nana had booked the private box with the best view of the entrance.

Everything was now in place, and the only thing left to do was take the last step.

Nana retrieved her phone and dialed Corbin’s number.

“Hello, Corbin. Right now, I’m stationed at the entrance. What is your location?”

Corbin was hiding out in an Audi parked outside the cafe at this point in time.

“I can’t come today because of something urgent.”

Corbin felt somewhat embarrassed, but his appearance in front of Eliana was very inconvenient for him. As long as Eliana pursued the evidence, the secret of his employer could no longer be protected once he was unmasked.

“Fuck! Am I dreaming?”

Was he being serious?!

“Do not get too irritated. Relax. I got some people to help because I can’t be there,” Corbin said in haste.

“You swindler! Where are those helpers? There isn’t even a soul in sight!”

Nana was so enraged that she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She would give Corbin a solid lesson right now if he stood in front of her.

This individual lacked dependability.

 

Chapter 154

The cafe’s gate was immediately unlocked when Nana reprimanded Corbin.

She was approached by a group of imposing guys. Their punches were powerful enough to take out three of her in a single blow.

Nana’s eyes became wide.

What in the world did Corbin do? Where did he come across these people?

Hodge seemed to be in trouble.

“Are you Nana Marlin?” said the leading guy with sunglasses.

“Yeah…yes,” Nana answered haltingly in a choked voice.

Afterward, the male leader removed his sunglasses. He was clearly a mobster based on his square features and imposing physique.

He extended his hand in greeting. “Mr. Jenkins instructed us to come here. What can I do to help you?”

Nana promptly extended her hand to the guy and said, “Thank you, sir. Help us out today, please.”

As soon as they exchanged pleasant greetings, the situation turned tense. Neither Nana nor the muscular guys moved as they stared into each other’s eyes.

Everyone else would assume something was amiss if they continued to stand like this, not to mention Hodge.

Nana wondered what she should do as she saw the enormous guys

“Buddies, how about we hide for a bit and wait for the target to arrive before we show up again?” Nana proposed.

“Okay.”

After the answer, the guys remained silent again and followed Nana’s instructions to sit down in the box. They were quite obedient.

“Let’s first take cover here. My partner will later speak with the target. We’ll stay in contact no matter what happens. We’ll go after him as soon as we see anything fishy. Please keep in mind that we must capture him alive.”

Nana repeated her request. She was terrified that these big, bad guys would savagely murder Hodge.

“Of course.”

The leader nodded his head.

Something went amiss again. Awkwardness returned to the situation at that point.

Nana started to warm up to him after a while. “Our objective has not yet arrived. Would you want a cup of coffee, my friends?”

Even though she knew she was seated among a bunch of strong guys who were rooting for her, Nana was still nervous.

The males were really aloof and said nothing.

In the end, Nana requested some coffee for her and them.

Eliana sat uneasily on the chair outside, awaiting Hodge’s arrival.

Suddenly she felt a pair of eyes staring at her.

Someone was watching her.

With a frown, Eliana surveyed her surroundings.

There were few customers at the cafe at this time. They all sat together in small groupings.

A guy with a jacket and a mask sat with a piece of newspaper before his face in the cafe corner.

Maurice was the guy disguised as a spy.

He was worried that Gerald would be brewing a plot and Eliana might be in danger if she came to see Hodge by herself, so he followed her.

However, there was some kind of telepathic connection between him and that lady. She’d been scanning his face from the start.

Poor fool!

Maurice instinctively lifted the newspaper to block her view when Eliana’s gaze returned.

He had no idea that to others, he seemed to be… Much more bizarre.

The two females seated across the cafe from him were chatting in hushed tones.

“Weird, look at that guy in the corner. What’s up with his outfit? Do you think he’s a psychopath?”

“What makes you think that’s possible? He’s a sight to see. He wears designer clothing. In spite of his face being hidden, his demeanor remains upbeat. I’m sure he’s a big name. He may be terrified of being identified by others.”

“It’s not out of the question. It seems that he has a striking resemblance to Eli Goodwin, a recent internet sensation. No, I must request an autograph. What if he’s truly Eli Goodwin?”

One of the females summoned the courage to approach Maurice directly.

The girl approached Maurice, her huge eyes blinking as she inquired timidly, “Are you, Eli Goodwin, by any chance? Your most recent television play is excellent. I need your signature, please.”

What was she referring to?

This baffled Maurice.

He lowered the newspaper a little, glanced at the girl, and said, “You mistake me for someone else.”

“I’m sorry. It turns out that I had the incorrect individual in mind. Sorry for the trouble.”

The embarrassed girl rushed back to her seat, and Maurice hastily lifted the newspaper once again.

Eliana, on the other hand, was well aware of what was going on.

With each passing glance, he appeared to be more and more familiar.

Eliana sprang to her feet and headed directly towards Maurice’s.

Maurice was on the verge of being detected as the space between the two dwindled.

“Eliana…”

When Eliana heard that, she froze in her steps and instantly turned back.

Her name was yelled out by a middle-aged guy at the cafe’s entryway.

It was Hodge who appeared.

Chapter 155

After seeing Eliana drawing Hodge’s attention, Maurice heaved a sigh of relief.

However, noticing that Hodge had come there alone, he felt that something was suspicious.

How could Gerald have let Hodge come alone?

Such a move did not match up with his personality.

Sensing that something was fishy, Maurice frowned deeply.

At the same time, Eliana did not think as much as he did. She was only keen on finding out the truth about the past from Hodge.

“Please have a seat,” Eliana said.

Hodge complied and sat down from across her.

Facing each other, they felt awkward and did not know what to say.

Five years ago, Hodge had been one of her father’s most trusted friends, but things had changed since. Recalling that, mixed feelings rose in Eliana’s heart.

That moment, a waiter walked over with a menu card.

“Sir, miss, may I take your order?”

Hodge glanced at Eliana, and said to the waiter, “Please take the lady’s order first.”

With the menu in her hand, Eliana was lost in thought for a while.

“A cup of Spanish latte and a Schwarzwald cake for the gentleman. And I will take a cappuccino and a tiramisu, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The waiter took the menu from her and left.

Eliana’s words caused a stir in Hodge’s heart.

He had watched her grow up, after all. However, Spanish latte and Schwarzwald cake were his and his ex-wife’s favorite foods, respectively.

And Eliana remembered it till day.

It was no wonder that she was Lemuel’s daughter. Just like her father, Eliana also seemed to value personal relationships a lot.

A surprising bitterness rose in Hodge’s heart.

“Where are your son and daughter? Why didn’t I see them?” Eliana asked.

“They are abroad. Like you saw that day, I owe some people a lot of money, and they come after me all the time. How could I let my kids stay with me in such a situation?” Hodge replied with a wry smile.

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

Hodge couldn’t answer her question. The reason he had not left with his kids was because Gerald had promised to pay off his debts, and after that, his children could come back and he would be able to reunite with them.

And that was the main reason he wanted to get the ring…

“Let’s stop with the small talk now. Where is the ring?”

Hodge was clearly quite anxious.

“Tell me why you want the ring first.”

Eliana needed to know the truth.

“You don’t need to know that.”

Flustered, Hodge awkwardly looked out of the window.

“You’re not the one that’s actually after the ring, right?” Eliana continued to question him as she guessed that there must be someone who was controlling Hodge.

Hodge remained silent.

“How can you expect me to just give you the ring if you won’t even tell me that much?” Eliana tried to persuade him.

“Yes, well, my creditor… That’s right! My creditor… Well, he wants the ring. He said that it was a part of a very precious jewelry collection, and he said that he will waive off my debts as long as I get him the ring.”

Obviously, Eliana was not a fool to believe that.

“If you don’t tell me where the ring is, then I can’t tell you what happened back then!”

Hodge seemed to be agitated, like he was forcing Eliana to tell him where the ring was.

Seeing that, Eliana decided to use her trump card.

“Okay, let me be honest with you. I’ve lost the ring that you are looking for.”

“What? You lost it? How?” Hodge stood up, his eyes wide open in shock.

“It’s because the dog is missing,” Eliana replied calmly.

“The dog?” Hodge was perplexed.

“A dog swallowed the ring, and then it ran away, so now the ring is missing.”

Hearing those words, Hodge was speechless.

“Are you kidding me? I don’t think you knew about the ring’s whereabouts to begin with. You were only trying to lure me out, weren’t you?”

Furious, Hodge turned around, intending to leave.

However, Eliana could not let him go, so she swiftly grabbed his hand and snapped, “You want to leave? Unless you tell me the truth, you won’t be able to get out of here!”

Enraged, Hodge was trembling as he roared, “It was Maurice Moran, who wanted to acquire the Pierce Group back then. He planned the Pierce Group’s bankruptcy. He’s the one that forced your father to kill himself. He is the real culprit!”

“Maurice… Moran?” Eliana asked in shock.

Pretending to be sad, Hodge said, “Yes. Maurice already knows about your identity, but the funniest thing of all is that you have slept with your enemy. If your parents know about that, then their souls won’t be at peace.”

Upon hearing those words, Eliana was startled. She suddenly remembered Maurice’s words.

“If you were the daughter of the Pierce family, then would you believe that I was the one that did it?”

Eliana had not understood the real meaning of his words at that time, but now she did.

She had been tricked…

Thinking of that, she fell into a long daze.

Seizing the opportunity, Hodge shook her hand away and ran towards the cafe entrance.