Ch. 41..45: The Adorable Twins and Their CEO Daddy Chapter 41-45

Chapter 41 Take Responsibility For Her

In the old house of the Moran family, a gray-haired old woman was sitting on the sofa with a stern expression on her face.She was Maurice’s grandmother, Nancy.

Walking up to her calmly, Maurice greeted her, "Grandma."

"Care to explain these?"

Nancy tossed a stack of photos on the table.

Maurice looked down, The photos on the table were of him and Eliana from the night of the party.

In these photos, they were holding hands, or his arm was wrapping around her waist, or she was in his arms.

There was even a photo in which they looked like they were kissing.He picked it up and said, "It just looks like it because of the angle."

"That’s not what I asked, though."

 

Nancy glared at him.

Maurice grinned and replied in a serious tone, "Grandma, I don’t want a political marriage with the Jarvis family."

Nancy looked into his eyes.

All of a sudden, she raised her hand and slapped his arm.

"You b*****d! The political marriage is not our biggest problem now."

Maurice was a little stunned.

"Grandma…"

He couldn’t figure out what his grandmother was saying.

Nancy regretted that her grandson didn’t live up to her expectations.

"You brat, did you sleep with that girl?"

Maurice did not move as he let her slap him.

After all, her slap did not hurt him in the least.

Nancy continued to ask, "You! Did you do something that you shouldn’t have done?"

Maurice felt that her question was a little unnecessary.

Thus, he felt helpless.

‘Wait… Why is she asking me such a question to begin with?’ he wondered.

"If you’re not saying a word, then it proves that you did it."

Nancy glared at him and pinched his cheek.

"It doesn’t matter whether you marry the daughter of the Jarvis family or not.But as a man of the Moran family, you cannot abandon a woman you’ve slept with.You must take responsibility for her!"

Maurice retorted in a low voice, "It was an accident…"

"Even then, you’re responsible for it!"

Furious, Nancy pinched him harder.

Maurice couldn’t help but hiss in pain.She immediately let go of his cheek, but by then his face was red.Her expression softened a little.

"Bring that girl home.I want to see her."

Maurice knew well about Nancy’s temper, and he knew that if he refused, she would not just let it go, Closing his eyes, he said, "Alright, I will bring her to meet you."

Hearing that, Nancy smiled.She looked at him and asked, "Does it hurt?"

"No."

Maurice shook his head, and found that his grandmother was looking at him expectantly.He was confused.

"What’s wrong?"

Nancy pushed him to stand up and urged, "Hurry up!"

Maurice’s eyes widened.

"Now?"

"Yes!"

With a firm look, she drove him away mercilessly.

"If you don’t bring her with you, then you won’t be allowed to enter the house."

Bang!

She closed the door on him.

Maurice was driven out.

After seeing that, Corbin hung his head, but he could not help laughing.

However, the cold gaze from Maurice’s eyes frightened him.

Maurice turned to look at him and asked, "Where is Eliana?"

Corbin murmured, "She left this morning after sleeping with you.How can she be so shameless?"

"What?"

Maurice squinted his eyes at him, displeased with what he just said.

Scared, Corbin immediately apologized and felt like slapping himself.How dare he talk like that? That moment, Maurice’s phone rang.He glanced at the screen and saw that it was from Eliana.

Corbin also seemed to be overjoyed when he saw her name on the screen.She was calling Maurice right when they were talking about her.

Maurice answered the call, but he did not hear her voice at all.

"Eliana?"

Eliana’s weak voice sounded pitiful.

"Preston, can you come to be with me for a while? for a while?"

"Where are you?"

Maurice immediately walked to the garage without hesitation.

Corbin clicked his tongue.

How could Eliana want to see the "gigolo" after sleeping with his boss? She was so sham In the heart of the city, Eliana stood alone by the street.

As soon as she hung up, she regretted what she did.

Although she had no one to talk to, she felt that it was not appropriate for her to call Preston now.

Covering her eyes with her hands, she recalled her passionate night with Maurice.

She guessed that Maurice might be the culprit behind her father’s death.But how could she have slept with him?

Chapter 42 The Treatment Exclusive To The Best Pimp

All of a sudden, a deafening honk roared amid the silence of the streets.

The loud sound struck Eliana like a bolt from the blue.

Startled, she snapped out of her daze and returned to her senses just in time for a car to brake hastily inches away from her.

"Screw you!" the driver barked, furious.

He shot her a fierce glare from the windshield.

Eliana, despite having regained herself, was still stunned.

She hurriedly looked around to ascertain her surroundings, and realized that she was standing smack dab in the middle of a busy road teeming with cars.

 

"I-I’m sorry…"

Facing the driver’s justified anger, she was quick to bow and apologize as sincerely as she could.

Just then, someone grabbed her wrist from behind and pulled her away from the car-filled road.

The palm wrapped around her wrist was large and masculine.It was the hand of a man.

Eliana found herself dragged unwittingly from where she stood and to the safety of the sidewalk.

Preston’s handsome face fell into her view.His attractive features were strained with concern and anger.

"Are you crazy? What if you get hit by a car?!"

Eliana stared at Preston’s furrowed brow and bright eyes, startled by his unexpected appearance.

All the sorrow and misery in her heart washed over her like water out of a broken dam, and suddenly, she couldn’t control her emotions.

Without an ounce of hesitation, she flung herself into his strong arms and dug her face into his warm chest.

When she spoke, it was in a childish tone full of pleading.

"Hey… Can I borrow you for a minute? Please…?" Maurice paused.

At that moment, time stood still and silence reigned between them.

The only clear sound was the subdued rhythm of their pulsating hearts.

"What’s the matter?"

Maurice closed his arms around Eliana’s waist and ran his hands through her soft black hair to comfort her.

"I’m in a bad mood." Eliana replied vaguely, not bothering to dive deep into the details.

After all, she couldn’t possibly tell him what had taken place the night before.

Despite her curt response, Maurice didn’t question her.

Instead, he accompanied her quietly just as she had requested.

A long time passed before Eliana finally raised her head from his chest.

Red dusted her cheeks as she muttered shyly, "Umm, you see… I want to get some drinks.If you pay the bill… Will you get a discount?"

Maurice had waited for her to speak for quite a while, and didn’t expect this to be the first thing she would say.He was caught by surprise.His lips quirked up into a smile before he burst into amused laughter.

They entered his Aston Martin, and he drove to the Imperial Golden Club.

Once there, he stopped the car right at the entrance.

Eliana was about to get out but stopped instantly when Maurice interrupted her with a curt call.

"One second."

Eliana wondered what he was planning.He stepped out of the driver’s seat, and then made his way to the passenger seat to open the door for Eliana from the outside.His charming, gentlemanly conduct surprised and flattered Eliana.

Never did she expect him to be so attentive to her! As Maurice escorted Eliana out of the car, their gazes met.

In his eyes, Eliana could see warm affection and adoration.

The two stepped into the club’s premises and soon passed the entrance gates.

As Eliana and Maurice walked, the waiters passing by stopped briefly to give the two a short, respectful nod before returning to their tasks.

Their show of respect puzzled Eliana, who couldn’t understand why all of them were acting that way.

She promptly tugged at Maurice’s sleeve and whispered curiously, "Are they always like this?"

Maurice turned briefly to her.

His eyes shone with a mischievous glint as he grinned at her and said teasingly, "This is the treatment exclusive to the best pimp.They wouldn’t do the same to others."

"I see! You deserve it," Eliana replied seriously, her face the expression of dawning comprehension.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine the most famous pimp to enjoy such a distinguished position in the Imperial Golden Club.

A thought crossed her mind.

What of the discount on the drinks later on? A little while later, Maurice and Eliana reached their private room.

Inside, Eliana immediately ordered all kinds of alcohol without the slightest hint of restraint.

Maurice couldn’t stop her, nor did he have any intentions of doing so.

After all, it was so much better for her to seek solace in drink rather than suffer the alternative of crushing misery.He didn’t love best Pimp want her to remain in the throes of depression.

It didn’t take long for the thought to slap him in the face after the alcohol was served.

Eliana’s restraints were non-existent.She downed an entire bottle of wine in one go, and immediately opened the next with little reservation.She brought it to her lips and chugged it down with great relish, taking gulp after gulp without a moment’s pause.

In just a short while, empty wine bottles piled up into a small mountain.

Maurice was beside himself with shock.

Frowning, he finally decided enough was enough and grabbed the bottle in Eliana’s hands, taking it away from her grasp.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Eliana, who was now more than a little drunk, was red all over from the intoxication.Her fair complexion was flushed a dark crimson, and her hazy eyes were unfocused from the alcohol.

"Are you trying to kill yourself by drinking this much?"

Maurice gritted his teeth in frustration and pressed her against the wall in warning His reprimand had no effect on Eliana, who simply replied with a foolish smile.

The next second, she passed out on the floor, muttering incoherently to herself as she lost all consciousness.

Looking at the blacked out Eliana, Maurice felt his anger disappear.He sighed helplessly and helped her back up, putting her by his side.

"What happened to you…?"

Had what occurred last night vexed her so much? As he pondered this, Eliana suddenly moved and raised her head.Her soft lips brushed his chin with such gentleness that his heart skipped an excited beat.

Blood surged to his face, heating up his cheeks as his heartbeat thumped loudly.He lowered his head ever so slightly to stare at Eliana’s closed eyes.

They were so near that the distance between them was nearly nonexistent.

Suddenly, he found himself breathless.

Unable to stop himself, he succumbed to his urges and bent down to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.

Chapter 43 That B*****d CEO

In just mere moments, the two grew closer and the distance between them vanished steadily.

In her drunken stupor, Eliana opened her bleary eyes and saw shadows lurking around her blurred vision.

Despite her haziness, one thing remained clear: the bright, vivid gaze of a single man, shining like blessed light within creeping darkness.

His gaze, so deep and bottomless… They were Maurice’s eyes.

Anger rushed through her veins and shot up straight to her head.

Struck by a sudden inspiration of fury, Eliana rose with angry determination and pounced on Maurice like a scorned tigress.She pinched his neck, digging her fingers into his flesh as she roared a mighty yell, "You absolute b*****d!"

Her unexpected fit of fury caught the shocked Maurice off guard.

Unable to react in time, Maurice found himself pushed to the sofa.

 

As he fell, he instinctively reached for Eliana and held her firmly so as to prevent her from falling with him.

Eliana ended up straddling on top of Maurice, ready to launch her attack.

But at the most crucial second, she froze in confusion.

She stared at him, blinking her eyes, and mouthed, "Preston? Wait… Why is it you? Where’s that guy?"

"Eliana… You’re drunk."

"No! I saw him just now! I really did! Where did he go? Where is he?!"

Eliana rubbed her eyes, still confused, and removed herself from Maurice.She stumbled to a halt, and then realized that aside from her and Maurice, there was no one else in the private room.

The realization astounded her, she was so sure she saw him a moment ago… Maurice stared at her, unable to make head or tail of her puzzling actions.

"Who?"

His question fell on deaf ears.

Eliana ignored him and promptly took out her phone, and then drunkenly went through her contacts list.

The alcohol had gone to her head, giving her repeated pangs of dizziness.

Her mind was clouded with a strange haze, and she couldn’t think straight.

For a long time she browsed her contacts, only to realize that she didn’t have Maurice’s number saved.

With that, she hopped to the closest thing she had: Corbin’s number.

All the while, Maurice watched her silently.

Her angry outburst reminded him of a temperamental cat, hissing and spitting with its fur standing up.It was both amusing and endearing, to say the least.

Eliana waited for the call to connect.

The moment it did, she hollered at the phone with a roar that sent the entire room shaking.

"Hey!"

Corbin, at the other end of the line, was simultaneously confused and horrified.

"Corbin! It’s you, isn’t it? Listen up! Get… Get Maurice to answer the phone!"

"I… I beg your pardon?"

Corbin was understandably startled.

Eliana’s demand only served to further confuse him.

"Hey, why do you want to talk to Maurice so badly?"

Maurice quickly approached Eliana and held her shaking body steady, for fear her drunkenness would lead her to falling to the floor.

Eliana leaned against his chest, overwhelmed by her dizziness.

She looked at him with a dissatisfied expression and pouted cutely, muttering crossly, "…I want to curse that guy.I’ll curse that b*****d CEO roundly! How dare he take advantage of me when I was in deep trouble? I’ll make him pay!"

Corbin listened to everything Eliana said from the other end, silent all the way.

Privately, he thought Eliana had a lot of guts for being able to say all that about Maurice.

"Preston! You’re great with words.Curse that b*****d for me! Help me do it!"

Eliana’s eyes snapped wide open in wrathful determination.She pressed her phone to Maurice’s ears, excited.

Maurice, for his part, was rendered tongue-tied.

What should he say now? His hesitance went unnoticed by Eliana, whose eyes were shining with eager expectation.

"You’re the only one I can rely on! If I’m really your friend, curse at him for me! Even just a bit is fine!"

Corbin was shaking in fear, but at the same time, he was also quite curious.How on earth would his boss rebuke himself? Maurice’s eyes turned red as annoyance seeped in him.

Scowling, he clenched his teeth.

"You’re digging your own grave, Eliana!"

"Huh…? What do you…?"

Eliana stopped immediately as the alcohol finally got the better of her and struck her into a drunken faint.Her body went limp as her consciousness faded, and she fell on Maurice.

Night soon bled into morning… Eliana slowly woke up, her eyes wide open.

Before she could do anything else, a sharp pain banged her head like the blow of a sledgehammer.

"Miss Pierce, you’re awake.Have some honey water.It’ll make you feel better."

An unfamiliar voice surprised Eliana as she was contending with her stinging headache.

Next to her, a neatly-dressed maid placed a delicate porcelain bowl on the bedside table before leaving the room respectfully.

Questions raced through Eliana’s confused mind.

Where was she? Unfortunately, her curiosity was trumped by her overwhelming hangover.

As she got out of bed, her eyes swept around her surroundings.

The room bathed in bright light, looking spacious and luxurious, and it was furnished with lavish furniture and exquisite decorations.

There was a balcony with an excellent view overlooking a huge lawn meticulously decorated with various kinds of landscape plants.She could also see many uniformed servants walking around.

Whoever owned this place, he must be either rich or powerful.

Still… Wasn’t she drinking with Preston at the Imperial Golden Club yesterday? She recalled the events.

She’d chugged down bottle after bottle, and then got drunk to the world.

Eliana gasped in shock as realization dawned upon her.

Could this lavish place be Preston’s house? Was he this rich?! In her shock, she rushed out of the room to look for him.

The building was a magnificent villa with opulent decorations.

Despite its vast space, the people were few and far between.

The flawless floor underneath her reflected her lonesome figure as she walked around in aimless circles.

Suddenly, the door to one of the rooms she had just passed by swung open.

Frightened, Eliana jumped and retreated in a hurry.

The opened door soon revealed a pair of long legs that belonged to an impeccably handsome man.

He was clad only in a single bathrobe.

His short black hair was drenched wet, and it seemed he had just stepped out of the bathroom.

At his appearance, Eliana’s eyes went wide with shock.

Unable to believe the sight before her, she stammered in confusion, "W why are you here…?"

Chapter 44 Granddaughter-in-law

Eliana could not help but scream in her heart.

‘Why is Maurice here?’ "Why do you look so surprised?"

Flipping his wet hair backwards, he walked towards her with a faint smile.

"Don’t you remember what happened last night?"

‘Last night? Did I have s*x with him again?’ Thinking of that, Eliana had a splitting headache.

"Last night, I was with my friend…"

Her voice grew weaker as she said those words.She had been with Preston the night before, and she had wanted to call Maurice to scold him.

"Are you playing dumb now?"

 

Maurice was not as serious as usual.He waited for her to take the bait patiently.

Gulping, Eliana racked her brain and found a breakthrough.

"Why am I at your place? And where is my friend?"

Maurice raised his eyebrows.

However, he kept silent.

Anxiety grew in Eliana’s heart as she walked to him and questioned, "What did you do to him?"

As they got closer, Maurice put his arm around her waist and pulled her into an embrace.

"Why are you so worried about him? What’s your relationship with him?"

Feeling his hot breath on her ear, Eliana felt numb, as though a bolt of electricity had struck her.She struggled with embarrassment, but that did not work at all.

"You won’t tell me? Alright, then.I will ask my men to deal with him," Maurice threatened in a cold voice.

"No! He is my friend," Eliana replied, gritting her teeth

"Is that so?"

Maurice noticed the flush on her face with an amused look in his eyes.

"What kind of a friend is he? Have you slept with him?"

Not only had Preston slept with her, he was also the father of her children.

However, she did not have any reasons to tell Maurice about it.

In the end, she looked away and said, "No.".

The room was so quiet that even their breaths could be heard clearly.

Maurice pinched her chin and raised her face, forcing her to look into his eyes, which were burning with desire.

"Do you like him?"

Under his intense gaze, Eliana felt flustered.She looked away and asked, "Who do you think you are? It’s none of your business."

"I’m someone who wants to sleep with you."

Raising his eyebrows with a smile, he said those seductive words.He looked like a dissolute playboy, who had never been in a serious relationship, Eliana pushed him away, thinking that he was being too shameless.

"Mr.Moran, I am sure that countless women are dying to sleep with you.Are you really going to pretend like you don’t have anyone to have s*x with?"

Maurice leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I lack a woman whose size matches mine perfectly, like you."

Hearing that, Eliana felt like her brain was about to explode.Her expression darkened at once as she said, "I still haven’t settled with you after what happened that day."

Maurice sneered, "Who scolded me on the phone yesterday?"

Eliana’s heart immediately skipped a beat, and she was so nervous that she curled her toes.

‘D**n it! Did he really hear it?’ Maurice raised her chin and stared deep into her eyes.

"Did I not make you happy?"

His words left her with a headache.

Thinking of the crazy s*x they had that night, she could not help but regret it.

"Answer my question."

Maurice’s expression darkened as he pinched her chin harder, making her frown in pain.She had actually called him yesterday to ask him if he had forced her father to die.

However, she had been afraid of hearing him admit it or deny it.

As she felt really irritable, her face and eyes turned red.

Lowering her head, she bit his neck.

And she exerted so much force that she heard him hiss in pain.

In a voice as gloomy as the devil’s, he wamed, "You have to pay the price for biting me…"

But before he finished his words, he felt a hard slap across his back.It was Nancy.

"You brat! How could you bully her again?"

With a frown, Maurice let go of Eliana.

The playful look in his eyes disappeared as he turned around and held Nancy’s hand.

"Grandma, be gentle.Be careful not to hurt your hand."

Eliana was dumbfounded.She never thought Maurice could be so gentle or obedient.

Nancy snorted arrogantly.

Looking at her grandson, who was only wearing a bathrobe, she frowned, and asked, "Why aren’t you dressed? Go inside and put on your clothes."

Maurice glanced at Eliana, who looked like she was watching a play, before he went back to his room with a sullen look.

Seeing that, Eliana almost burst into laughter.She reminded herself that evil needed to be punished by a bigger evil.

But the moment she turned around, she saw Nancy cautiously approaching her with a concerned look.

Smiling sweetly, Nancy said earnestly, "Girls must be careful when drinking outside."

Surprised, Eliana sniffed her clothes and asked, "Do I still smell of alcohol?"

"No.But I was also here when you came here last night."

Nancy then took Eliana’s hand and led her to the living room.

"Good girl.Now, come and sit with me."

Thinking that she had seen her drunk, Eliana could not help but feel embarrassed.She had lost face in front of Maurice’s grandmother.

Nancy was very talkative.She held Eliana’s hand as she began to ask her questions.

Eliana was confused by her kindness.

Soon, Maurice walked out of his room, neatly dressed.

Looking at him, Eliana subconsciously shrank back.

Nancy patted the back of her hand to comfort her and smiled.

"Wait here for a while."

Before she could answer, Nancy stood up and pulled Maurice aside.

"What’s the matter?"

Maurice looked puzzled.

Nancy hissed, "I asked you to bring her over to give her an explanation.What on earth did you do to make her so afraid of you?"

Hearing that, Maurice fell silent.

Seeing that, Nancy shook off his hand.

"You’re not going to tell me? Then I’ll ask her."

However, Maurice stopped her.

"She is just mad at me, so let me coax her."

"You sure have to," Nancy replied with a satisfied nod.

"Women should be spoiled.I don’t want to see you bullying her again."

Maurice sat down next to Eliana and said in a low voice, "Do me a favor.Grandma knows that we had s*x, and now she wants me to be responsible for you."

Eliana took a glance at Nancy, who was looking at them vigilantly.She felt like it was finally time for her to take revenge.She straightened her back, narrowing her eyes at Maurice.

"A favor? Didn’t you just threaten me a moment ago, Mr.Moran?"

Maurice gritted his teeth, thinking that Eliana was really smart to be using the situation to benefit herself.

But instead of getting anxious, he whispered in her ear, "My grandmother doesn’t change her mind once she fixes her mind on something.Now, you have to help me deal with her, or you won’t be able to leave."

Was he threatening her again? Eliana took a deep breath.

When she looked at him again, she held his arm and shouted in a distressed tone, "What did you just say? Your grandma doesn’t like me?"

Maurice raised his eyebrows in amusement as he rolled his eyes at her.

"He was talking nonsense.I like you a lot."

Nancy had been listening to them the whole time.

She immediately pushed Maurice Granadaugnter-in-law away and sat next to Eliana.

Hugging Eliana, she said with a kind smile, "If Maurice ever scolds you, don’t be depressed.Just tell me.I will be your backup and teach him a lesson!"

She then glared at Maurice fiercely.

Nancy was being so warm and gentle to her.

Eliana looked into her eyes.Her affection was like a warm spring that was wrapping itself around her, making her sink into comfort.

Mixed feelings appeared in Eliana’s heart and her eyes turned red.

Maurice might not be a good man for her, but he definitely had a loving and kind grandmother.

"Oh! Why are you crying?"

Upset, Nancy quickly took out a piece of tissue and handed it to Eliana.

"I was just thinking of my family."

Eliana wiped her tears away and gave Nancy a sweet smile.

"Grandma, can I hug you?"

"Of course, you can!"

Nancy’s heart melted.She gently patted Eliana on the back.

"It’s not easy for a woman to make a living outside.I will be your grandmother from now on.If you have any grievances or troubles, then please come to me."

"Hmm," Eliana replied in a low voice, hugging her.

Seeing that, Maurice could not help but admire her acting skills.

Nancy looked at him sharply and said, "Maurice, I will think of her as my granddaughterin-law from now on.You must take good care of her."

Chapter 45 A Stingy Man

Nancy and Eliana talked for a very long time.It wasn’t until night fell that Nancy finally bade goodbye and left.

The second she stepped out, Eliana’s sweet smile vanished, as if it was never there in the first place.

She turned to Maurice and said to him in a robotic tone devoid of any emotions, "Our cooperation is over.Don’t forget the rewards you’ve promised me."

Her curt and cold tone hardened Maurice’s gaze.He hissed icily, "Is that all you care about? Money?"

"What else?"

Eliana stopped in her tracks and stared at him, scoffing, "Are you saying you’ll be responsible for me?"

Maurice frowned.

"I can do that."

 

"No, thanks.I don’t need someone like you to be responsible for me.But if you really want to make up to me, answer my question honestly."

Eliana took a deep breath, steeling herself.

"Hodge Chadwick talked to you at the dinner party.Has he worked for you?" Maurice’s eyes darkened instantly.

"Why are you asking that?"

How odd.

Why was Eliana asking him about Hodge out of the blue? Maurice found it suspicious.

Perhaps Gerald told her to pry into something? Eliana was unwavering.

Her eyes bore into Maurice’s as she pressed in a firm tone, "Answer me, Maurice.It’s very important to me."

She looked so serious that Maurice found the whole situation to be delicious irony.

As it turned out, she couldn’t hide her secret anymore.

Maurice wasn’t about to answer.

Instead, he sneered disdainfully, "That’s our company’s confidential information.Do you think I have to tell you everything just because you slept with me?"

His callous words were such that Eliana felt her entire body heat up from anger.She was so furious that she ended up laughing despite herself.

Obviously, she never expected there to be any difference in their relationship even after that night.

Maurice’s refusal to answer her further strengthened her assumption.She had been right.

The ambiguous feelings she harbored for him that had been swirling about at the back of her mind disappeared instantly.

Gone were her lingering desires for him.Her heart turned cold, and she no longer cared.

Maurice stared down at her, ever cold and imposing.

He reminded her icily, "Don’t forget, you’re an employee of the Moran Group.Behave yourself."

"Well then, Mr.Moran.As you refuse to answer, there’s no point in me staying in the company.I’ll resign.We’ll never see each other again after this."

Having said that, Eliana leveled a burning gaze at him.

There was not a hint of fear in her eyes, only steely determination.She should have known better.

The Moran Group had strict management, and finding the truth here would be a near impossible task.

Rather than continuing a fruitless effort, it was much better to stop while she could.

Right now, it was obvious that any interaction with Maurice was a pointless attempt with a guaranteed failure.

Maurice, for his part, was stunned.

Never did he imagine she would tell him such words.He was instantly flustered and upset, but quickly recomposed himself.

Suppressing his emotions, he maintained his cold front.His eyes were dark and unfathomable, rendering his thoughts unreadable by anyone who looked at him.

"So, you’re intent on drawing a clear line between us?"

"That’s right."

"What if I don’t agree?"

It was Eliana’s turn to sneer.She scoffed, and replied to him in a voice dripping with mockery.

"Oh my, Mr.Moran.Do you enjoy keeping all the women you’ve had a one-night stand with in your company?"

Maurice, annoyed, grabbed her chin and lifted it slightly so that he could look into her eyes.He wished he could read her mind and see exactly what she was thinking.

"Tell me, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Perhaps you harbor feelings for me…?"

"No."

Eliana was quick to cut him off.

Despite her firm reply and cold appearance, what she felt on the inside was another story.His question sent her into a fluster and her heartbeat rose rapidly, thumping painfully against her ribcage.

Somehow, her throat grew dry and her voice was stuck.She didn’t harbor feelings for him, nor did she have a crush on him.She shouldn’t.

Never!

"Goodbye, Maurice."

Having said that, she spun on her heels and left without sparing him another glance.

This time, Maurice didn’t stop her.He simply remained rooted at the spot and watched quietly as her figure strode out of the villa.

As soon as Eliana reached the exit, Corbin stopped her.

Corbin gave her a polite nod and said respectfully, "Mr.Moran instructed me to see you off."

"That’s unnecessary."

She immediately refused without missing a beat.

Corbin, however, didn’t move.

Instead, he reminded her patiently, "It’s not easy to hail a taxi here."

Eliana stopped in her tracks to take a deep breath.

She turned around to head to Maurice’s Maybach, which was parked at the garage.

Just as she was about to approach it, however… She was startled by the sudden roar of ignition.

The Maybach drove away and disappeared right before her eyes.

"Huh…?"

Eliana was left with her jaw hanging.

Corbin smiled and pointed at a spot in front of them.

"Your ride is over there."

In confusion, Eliana’s eyes followed the direction he pointed.

A bicycle.

Before her lay a bicycle.

Eliana was struck dumb, too shocked to say anything.

Gnashing her teeth, she took in a deep breath and hissed, "Corbin."

Corbin kept smiling innocently, not a single change in his expression.

"Mr.Moran said that since you have resigned, you no longer have the right to enjoy employee benefits.This bicycle is a free gift from our company.By the way, there’s no need to thank him."

Eliana clenched her teeth and made her way towards the bicycle.

The moment she held it, the brace fell out of its body and crashed to the ground with a bang.

Eliana was rendered speechless from shock.This was unbelievable! She shoved the bicycle away and put it against the wall.

No longer wanting to entertain this ridiculousness, she readied herself to leave.

Corbin took the chance to give her another sly reminder.

"You’ll have to walk about ten kilometers."

Eliana turned around one last time, forcing herself to smile ever so sweetly.

"I’m very grateful for the reminder."

A tiring journey later, Eliana finally reached the kindergarten gate, albeit out of breath.She approached a teacher standing in wait by the gate and asked politely, "Excuse me, but I’m Adrian and Aileen’s mother.Have they set off for summer camp?"

"Not yet," the teacher replied warmly with a smile.

"Oh dear, if it isn’t Eliana! What are you doing here?"

An obnoxiously high-pitched voice caught Eliana’s attention.She looked in the direction of the voice, dreading to see its owner.

Erica strutted over proudly in her high heels, holding the delicate hand of a well-dressed little girl.She shot a disdainful glare at Eliana and sneered arrogantly, "My, are you here to send a child as well? May I know whose child it is?"