Afraid of being ambushed, Eloise didn't dare to go straight home. After running two blocks, Isidore's car was no longer in sight. She stopped, out of breath, stuffed his pants into a trash can, and leaned on her waist, thinking about where to pass the time.
After pausing for a moment, the ache in her joints and muscles hit her all at once. She no longer hesitated, heading to a spa she frequented. After a shower, she booked a full-body massage and treatment, then fell asleep on the warm stone slabs in the steam room until the afternoon.
After waking up naturally, her mood had improved a bit. She bought a little dress at a nearby mall, grabbed a bite to eat, and got herself styled. After finishing her perm, it was already around five or six in the evening. She swung her bag and went alone to have BBQ.
She ate all the meat, thoroughly enjoying every bite. Then, she headed to the arcade to play racing games and claw machines, staying there until the store closed before catching a ride home.
As soon as she opened the door, there was a heavy sound of footsteps from upstairs. Edward Devereux waddled down the stairs, his face full of joy and affection.
Eloise thought something was wrong with him, because such behavior was, for the first time in all the years he had been her father, something unprecedented. It was the first time he had greeted her, his unworthy daughter, when she returned home, the first time he had shown a caring expression toward her, his unworthy daughter.
Edward saw she was alone, paused for a moment, then hurried down the stairs, his face filled with urgency as he peered behind her, "Did Mr. Kingswell send you home? Where is he? Why didn't he come in for a cup of water?"
Eloise understood at last, a wave of revulsion rising in her heart, and she could not help but mock. "He's back. It's a bit far for visiting here, don't you think? And you, as a shareholder of Ashdown Company, they didn't even inform you of Mr. Kingswell's movements. Doesn't that show how little they think of you?"
Normally, Edward would have pointed his finger at her nose and scolded her for such disrespectful words, but now he endured it, and a smile bloomed on his plump face: "Elly, when did you get so close to Mr. Kingswell? Why didn't you tell the family?"
Last night, Eloise had gone out late and did not return until morning. Though Edward knew, he did not pay much attention, for this wayward daughter of his often disappeared without a word, indulging in some unknown escapade. However, to his surprise, early this morning, he received a phone call from Isidore himself.
At that moment, he pinched his wife's arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Isidore, in his high position, spoke very politely, using elegant and courteous language, and referred to Eloise as "Elly."
He first apologized, explaining that Elly had stayed over at his place for some reason and he had failed to inform them in time, deeply regretting the oversight. Then, he asked if it would be convenient to send someone over later to pick up Eloise's clothes for a change.
Edward was too stunned to speak. In his many years of life, hearing such words immediately led his thoughts astray. Once he collected himself, he hastily replied that it was, of course, convenient. Isidore said in a deep voice, "Thank you," and added that he would send Eloise home soon, so they didn't need to worry.
Edward wasn't worried at all. He simply hadn't expected his daughter to have such good fortune. He had always despised Eloise for her lack of ability to focus on serious matters, and for her stubbornness in refusing to follow his advice to enter a marriage alliance. In his eyes, she was of no use whatsoever.
He hadn't expected that, quietly and without a word, she had managed to hook such a formidable man.
That was Isidore, a figure whom even the Ashdown family fawned over. If he became his son-in-law... After just receiving a phone call, Edward had already planned out which country and which school his future grandson should attend.
He had the housekeeper thoroughly clean the entire house, while he and his wife carefully arranged their attire. They took out their prized tea leaves and fine wine, eagerly awaiting Isidore's arrival, a pleased expression spreading across his plump face.
He waited and waited, from midday to the evening when the lights came on.
He was a man of leisure. In his youth, he had been a carefree rich second generation. At the age when he wanted to accomplish something, he disastrously ruined an important government-business collaboration project, permanently withdrawing from any meaningful work. Now, he lived off the dividends from the family's inherited shares, enjoying a life of luxury far superior to that of most people.
Others envied his family's status, wealth, and face. Who could understand the frustration he felt watching his childhood friends dominate the business world?
Unable to rely on himself, he had pinned his hopes on his daughter, hoping that she would marry a capable and resourceful son-in-law, which would help revive the Devereux family and restore his honor.
What he didn't expect was that his daughter was even more outrageous. He knew she had secretly had a crush on Quintus since she was little, but on one hand, he disliked the Ashdown family, and on the other, Quintus already had a fiancée! He had privately advised her to stop dreaming and quickly find a respectable family to marry into, but she refused to listen.
The father and daughter's relationship had been on the brink because of these issues.
Sometimes, Edward secretly worried that Eloise's constant mischief would eventually get him into trouble, making it impossible for him to enjoy the peace and wealth he had now. He had long planned to arrange a marriage for her in secret and force her to marry, even if she resisted.
But at this moment, she had unexpectedly gotten involved with Isidore, who was far superior to any typical second-generation rich person. Not only was he wealthy and influential, but he also held real power in the southern region—an unexpected stroke of luck, and a huge one at that!
Now, when Edward saw his daughter's cold, unapproachable face, he couldn't help but think it was strangely endearing.
Eloise rolled her eyes, clearly showing her disregard for authority, "What do you mean by 'getting close'? Staying one night at his place means we're close? I've stayed at plenty of guesthouses and inns, does that mean I'm close to the owners too?"
"You!" Edward held back his impulse to get angry and put on a concerned expression, "Then why would he have someone come pick up your clothes in the morning? Did your clothes get wet? Are you cold?"
Eloise was no child; she immediately understood what he was trying to inquire about, and she couldn't help but feel repulsed. As a father, to subtly pry into his daughter's personal matters—it was beyond inappropriate. She cut through his insinuations and said bluntly, "I know exactly what you're thinking, but stop dreaming. There's absolutely no possibility between me and Mr. Kingswell!"
Her mind quickly worked, and she brought up Quintus, "Yesterday, I was out drinking with Quin at the bar. We ran into someone from Mr. Kingswell's circle, and out of business courtesy, they took care of Quin and helped me out as well. If you don't believe me, call and ask!"
She was certain that someone like Quintus, who always prided himself on his self-interested nature, would never be the type to meddle in others' affairs.
Edward looked at his daughter's expression and indeed made a phone call to ask. Quintus said that he had indeed stayed at Isidore's place. Edward's heart sank, and he had to abandon the fantasy that his daughter might have had some romantic entanglement with Mr. Kingswell.
—Otherwise, what should he make of the fact that Quintus was involved in the middle?
When he returned, his expression had completely changed. Not only had all the joy vanished, but a dark, ominous aura seemed to envelop him. He pointed his fat finger at Eloise and immediately began to curse.
"You're already an adult, and you went out drinking at night until you couldn't even find your way home! In the end, you stayed at some stranger's house. How could I have such a shameless daughter like you! Do you have no shame? If you don't care about your own face, then don't go around saying you're a Devereux, or you'll ruin my reputation!"
Eloise forced herself to look indifferent, desperately telling herself in her mind: "This is not my father, this is not my father..." But being scolded so harshly, with such biting words directed at her, still made her nose ache and tears well up.
She knew that Edward was angry out of embarrassment, but she couldn't understand how a father could look at his own daughter with such a utilitarian perspective.
Sometimes, she could even understand the original Eloise—how, because of a father devoid of love, and having to face the ugly faces of her family every day, she had become so fixated on Quintus, who had once shown her a bit of warmth in her childhood, and had placed all her emotions there.
