Forbidden Passion

Phoebe had just gotten comfy when her phone got snatched. Theodore took one look at the pic and sneered. "Do they kiss better than me?" Phoebe was stunned, thinking, 'What kind of weird competition is this?'

Theodore tossed the phone aside, grabbed her chin with his long fingers, and stared at her slightly red lips before diving in for a kiss.

The angle was like the one in the pic, but way more intense. Theodore kissed her like he was trying to eat her alive.

Phoebe's legs turned to jelly, her mind went blank, and all she could hear was their heavy breathing.

After what felt like forever, Theodore finally let her go. Under the light, Phoebe's lips were all shiny, her eyes a bit red, looking like she'd been thoroughly messed with.

Theodore gently wiped the wetness from her lips with his thumb, then gave her a few more pecks.

Phoebe was so dizzy from his kisses that her brain was scrambled. It took her a minute to get her bearings. "What were you saying about the cat food earlier?"

Theodore then remembered why he came to find her. "Yves said the new cat food we got last time gave Ollie some diarrhea. I thought we should switch back to the old one. The snow just stopped outside, so we can take him to get his shots." Phoebe's mind slowly cleared. She heard Ollie meow lazily and couldn't help but laugh.

Theodore heard her laugh and turned to her, his eyes locked on the amusement in hers. He asked in a low, deep voice, "What's so funny?"

Phoebe teased, "I never thought our Mr. Reynolds would turn into a cat person. If the company staff saw you like this, they'd be shocked."

Phoebe had never imagined Theodore with a cat. She thought if he ever had a pet, it would be a big, tough police dog, making him look even more intimidating.

But when Theodore held tiny Ollie in his arms, it didn't seem out of place at all. In fact, it was kinda cute.

"This side of me is only for you to see," Theodore said.

Phoebe was speechless.

Theodore went to the bedroom to change clothes. Phoebe sat on the couch, cuddling and rubbing Ollie, who had jumped into her lap.

"You really are the luckiest kitty in the world," Phoebe said with a hint of jealousy. Theodore was the kind of person who, if he decided to be good to someone, would go all out. Even raising a cat, he could make it more pampered than others.

Ollie meowed sharply in her arms, finally escaping her clutches, almost losing a layer of fur in the process. It hid on the cat tree, baring its teeth at Phoebe like a high and mighty king. Phoebe couldn't stop laughing. She picked up her phone, which unlocked automatically with facial recognition, and saw the kissing photo again, feeling a sharp pang in her chest. Phoebe deleted the photo and sent the final payment to the private investigator, telling him not to follow anymore or send any more photos.

The private investigator, having received the money, even offered after-sales service. He sent a message: [Miss, that guy is your boyfriend, right? He's no good. Two-timers never end well.] Phoebe was amused and exasperated by the message. If Donovan were her boyfriend, she'd trick him into doubting his life choices and never wanting a girlfriend again. Phoebe replied: [He's my brother.]

The Private Investigator: [Got it. Nowadays, people call their boyfriends 'brother.' Hit me up if you need anything else. I got low prices and quick results.]

Phoebe heard Theodore's footsteps coming from the bedroom. She blocked the private investigator and stood up, phone in hand.

Theodore came out with a red down jacket, draped it over her shoulders, and carefully wrapped a scarf around her neck, almost putting a hat on her.

Phoebe looked at him with amusement. "If you keep pampering me like this, I'll become a good-for-nothing who can't do anything for myself."

Theodore picked up Ollie, who had run over, and put a matching down vest on him. He said expressionlessly, "Then you'll be mine."

Phoebe was speechless.

She watched Theodore dress Ollie. Theodore bought this vest with Ollie at the supermarket on the last day of Christmas holiday.

Theodore had bought over a dozen vests in different colors and styles. When Phoebe came back from Cindy's house that night, she saw Ollie wearing a green vest so bright it almost blinded her. Honestly, before she had a pet, she didn't know they needed clothes, especially such expensive ones. It was more costly than raising a child.

Phoebe watched as Theodore put the vest and a cat tag on Ollie. She said, "Ollie, let's go. Today, he's taking you shopping."

Ollie nestled in Theodore's arms, meowing, rubbing its nose against Theodore's fingers before curling back up.

They took Ollie outside. After several days of snow, the weather had finally cleared. Many sanitation workers were shoveling snow on the streets, wearing vests and clearing the snow from the roads. They were sweating profusely, only to see Theodore holding a little creature. As they got closer, they realized it was a cat, which was quite a sight.

Phoebe felt uneasy under their stares and quietly distanced herself from Theodore. She didn't want to be the center of attention on this street.

But Theodore seemed completely unaware. When he saw her lagging behind, he stopped to wait for her. "Are you cold? We'll get you a hot coffee after we cross the street. Hang in there." Phoebe was taken aback and decided to ignore the curious glances. "I'm not cold. Let's hustle."

Theodore, being the self-centered man he was, would never realize how out of place he was in this world.

Once inside the mall, they headed straight for the imported cat food store. The staff recognized them immediately. "You're here! We just got a new batch of hats. Do you want to pick a couple for Ollie?" Theodore looked eager, but Phoebe held back his restless hand. "Do you have any green hats?"

The smile on the staff's face froze. "No, we don't."

Phoebe teased, "If there's no green, forget it. Theodore really likes green. He had Ollie wear that green vest for days."

Phoebe was determined not to spend money recklessly today. Who bought hats for cats anyway?

Theodore, seeing Phoebe's serious expression, leaned in and whispered in her ear, "When did I ever say I liked green hats?"

Phoebe feigned surprise. "You don't? Then I must have remembered wrong. We're just here to switch Ollie's cat food. The imported one you recommended gave him diarrhea."

"I see. Then let's switch back to the old one. Our Ollie isn't a fancy cat; he can't handle imported food," the staff said with a regretful expression.

Phoebe gritted her teeth secretly, thinking, 'How come there's still discrimination?'