Seeing that it was still early, Eloise, bored, squatted by the outdoor flowerbed outside the hall, plucking leaves to pass the time. She destroyed an entire branch, and the shattered leaves scattered across the tiles, her fair fingers stained with green sap.
The chatter coming from inside the hall was lively, but what reassured her was the absence of others. No one usually came here. So when that familiar voice suddenly appeared ahead, she thought she was seeing things. "Why are you asking about me?"
Eloise lifted her head from the leaves and met that gaze. She rubbed her eyes, then rubbed them again, harder this time, and as a result, a large, yellow-green ring appeared under her eyelids out of nowhere.
Isidore: "..." Every time they met, she always managed to pull off something unexpected.
Eloise gazed at the tall figure, bathed in the moonlight, where shadows and light intertwined. Her mood grew a little complicated. Seeing him as handsome and unruly as ever, and even more so in his formal attire, adding a touch of sophistication, only made her feelings more complicated.
So this was what it felt like to face a scoundrel who abandoned her after using her—angry and resentful, yet not wanting him to see it at all.
She stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt, and said casually, "It's you." Isidore slightly furrowed his sharp brows, repeating his question, "What are you asking about me for?"
Eloise stared at him for a second and a half, her thoughts briefly flashing with the idea of slapping him across the face, then grabbing his collar to ask: "You scumbag who forgets about me after the intimacy movements—what do you have to say for yourself?"
She was grateful for her calm and quick-witted mind, able to come up with a reasonable excuse in such a short time. "Oh, you still haven't given me that photo you took of Lucienne and Mr. Kingswell last time!" She extended her dirty hand, pouting. "Hand it over, it'll come in handy today."
Isidore's gaze dropped to her hand, his lashes casting a shadow across his face. "Is it because of this?" Eloise looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "And what else?"
He stood still, the corner of his mouth curling up in what seemed like curiosity. "What is it that you're trying so hard to capture evidence of Lucienne's so-called affair for?" The question, which involved many matters, didn't seem like something he would care about. Eloise was taken aback and momentarily speechless.
In the face of her silence, Isidore's gaze grew unnervingly cold under the moonlight, his lips curling with mockery. "Could it be... that you're trying to achieve some personal, unspoken goal?" Eloise's heart felt like it had been struck by a small hammer. She smiled mockingly and asked, "For example?"
"For example, after ruining her relationship with Quintus, you could take her place." He seemed to have merely offered an example, but the smile at the corner of his mouth faded after he spoke, his expression turning neutral as he shrugged. "Just a guess. You can take it as a joke."
Eloise stood there, her sapphire-like eyes flashing with something that flickered like sparks. Her eyes narrowed into two thin slits. "What business is it of yours?" Isidore's eye muscles twitched, and with a tone of admiration, he said, "I have no interest in moral judgments. I just admire how far you're willing to go."
Isn't it? To get him to agree to take a photo or two, she willingly sat on the toilet, exposing her most intimate parts. With a shy, slightly irritated look, her acting was flawless, making him think it was a mutual flirtation. Her heart had once raced wildly.
Truly impressive. With his discerning eye for talent, even he considered her an exceptional find.
If she stayed here any longer, Eloise worried she might accidentally commit murder. She no longer cared about taking any more photos. In fact, before coming today, she had already decided to use a method of wild distortion to slander Lucienne. She had used similar tactics in the past when lacking key tools, and it was enough to push the plot forward, albeit awkwardly.
The real problem was that if she kept listening to him speak like this, she'd lose control and want to slap that mocking face of his. Who did he think he was to make such a face?
She had just taken two steps when "Eloise," he called out to her from behind. Eloise's back stiffened, and she turned around in surprise. She clearly remembered never revealing her identity or name to him.
Isidore offered no explanation, his gaze calm and composed. He didn't mention how, that night at the welcome banquet, his subordinates had spotted her tying the rope and appearing outside his room's window, nor did he say that every move she made after sneaking into the upscale restaurant had been under his control.
Eloise took a step back, her mind in chaos. She reasoned to herself that maybe when he had ridden in her car, he had seen something with her name on it, or maybe a good luck charm. Otherwise, had he investigated her? That seemed too bizarre...
After calling her, he spoke in a calm, ultimatum tone: "If I clearly told you that there is no and will never be any romantic involvement between Lucienne and Isidore, would you still want to use those photos to prove something that doesn't exist?"
Eloise bit down on her lower lip, leaving a white mark, her eyes filled with a stubbornness that Isidore couldn't quite understand. "You don't get it. Isidore, He likes Lucienne in his heart! Even if not now, something will definitely happen between them in the future!" She had read the original story thoroughly—who could know it better than her?
Isidore closed his eyes in restraint, his voice heavily suppressed: "What makes you think Isidore likes Lucienne?" Eloise raised her chin defiantly: "Lucienne is as beautiful as a fairy, and so gentle. What normal man wouldn't like her type?"
"What if he happens to like a rough, silly girl?" He almost snarled the words, but seeing Eloise stunned and frozen in fear, he took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Fine, I'll give you the photos," he said calmly, his gaze dark as ink. "But just so you know, not many people dare to order me around. Those who do, always offer a fair exchange."
Eloise recalled how he had pinned her beneath him, touching her all over, then discarded her at the hot spring resort after the night. She couldn't help but think bitterly—wasn't the "exchange" she had given already more than enough? She let out a cold laugh, then confidently stretched out her palm towards him. "Give it to me!"
