Forbidden Passion

Phoebe glanced at Theodore, noticing his eyes were redder than usual. She leaned in and whispered, "After dinner, you gotta crash. I'll keep an eye on things here." Theodore's voice was smooth and deep. "Nah, I'm good."

Right next to the ICU, there was a chill spot where folks could grab a bite and relax. Sarah and the crew had already headed there. Phoebe nudged Theodore, "You should grab some grub first." "Alright, let's roll together," Theodore said.

They strolled side by side to the rest area. Phoebe filled Theodore in on the company's drama. Brandon's hospital stay was on the down-low, but the buzz about his split with Taylor had the stock market going nuts. The stock tanked five points at the open and hit rock bottom by the early close. Shareholders were losing it, but Curtis was already on damage control.

Theodore just listened, not saying a word.

Phoebe was anxious. "We're keeping it quiet for now, but if Dad stays in the ICU, is the stock market gonna freak out, or..."

Her voice trailed off as she spotted Marlowe and Bishop coming down the hall.

Theodore saw them too, his eyes full of sarcasm. Before he could say anything, Madison stormed over like a pissed-off leopard, blocking Marlowe and Bishop.

She yelled, "How dare you show up here! If it weren't for you, my dad wouldn't be in the ICU, out cold!"

Marlowe looked at the fiery Madison, a sneer playing on her lips. "You're really good at dodging blame."

"Ugly witch, what did you say?" Madison snapped, glaring at Marlowe. Marlowe's face had some nasty nail marks that even makeup couldn't hide.

A slap echoed through the hallway.

The place went dead silent. Madison clutched her stinging cheek, staring in shock at Marlowe, who had just pulled back her hand. "You dare to hit me?" Christopher and Theodore started walking over.

Both of them looked deadly serious, eyes locked on Marlowe. Theodore said coldly, "Ms. Black, apologize to Madison."

"Why should an elder say sorry for putting a brat in her place?" Marlowe's slap had been so hard her hand was still tingling. The next second, another slap rang out.

This time, Marlowe was the one who got hit, her head snapping to the side. Bishop immediately stepped in front of her, glaring at Taylor with fury. "You hit my mom, and I'll end you." "What did you say?" Theodore's voice was icy, and the hallway felt like it dropped a few degrees. He and Christopher stepped forward, shielding Taylor and Madison. A brawl seemed inevitable.

But then Taylor said coolly, "As a wife, I have every right to discipline a mistress. She should take her punishment."

Bishop was fuming, looking like he was about to go feral. Phoebe quietly stepped up, shielding Taylor.

The tension was thick.

Seeing this, Sarah slammed her fork on the table and shouted, "What the hell are you doing? Isn't one person in the ICU enough? You all wanna end up there too?" Everyone went quiet.

Sarah said, "Theodore, get your mom over here to eat. Christopher, Madison,ignore those clowns."

Marlowe and Bishop looked livid.

"Seeing you so fired up, Sarah, I feel better," Marlowe said, eyeing Sarah's kind face, knowing how ruthless she could be.

Back in the day, when the Reynolds family was making a comeback, Sarah was a big deal, ready to give up anything.

Phoebe frowned. "Ms. Black, watch your mouth."

Marlowe glanced at Phoebe. She liked Phoebe, who was kind and straight-up, but sadly, she was caught up with the Reynolds.

Sarah picked up her fork and got back to eating. Evelyn nudged Phoebe. "Phoebe, let's eat."

Phoebe exchanged a look with Evelyn, who shook her head, signaling Phoebe to stay out of it.

Phoebe was in a tough spot.

But she didn't want to tick off Theodore, especially since Marlowe and Taylor had just thrown down last night. If she backed off now, it would only bum Taylor out. They sat down, ignoring Marlowe and Bishop, and started munching away.

Evelyn could really cook. She'd been a maid for the Vanderbilt family for almost twenty years and had picked up some serious skills. She loved trying out new recipes and could whip up all kinds of dishes. While they were chowing down, Bishop and Marlowe headed to the ICU entrance. Bishop saw the clear handprint on Marlowe's face, and his anger flared up.

He spat, "That bitch!"

Marlowe pulled Bishop back. "Enough. Your dad's still in the ICU. Let's not make things worse and stress him out."

"They're pushing us too far," Bishop fumed.

"Alright," Marlowe said, trying to calm him down.

Marlowe never wanted to fight for anything. Even when Brandon kicked her and Bishop out of Kedora, breaking her heart, she never held a grudge.

But when Bishop got hit by a car and almost ended up paralyzed, watching him go through painful rehab, she couldn't hold back anymore.

If fighting was the only way to protect Bishop, she'd do whatever it took.

Bishop turned Marlowe's face to look at her, his anger boiling over. He gritted his teeth and said, "One day, I'll mess up Taylor's face." "Bishop," Marlowe frowned, "Promise me you won't do anything illegal."

Bishop, not wanting to worry Marlowe, reluctantly nodded. "I know. I'm just talking. At most, I'll get someone to rough Taylor up."

Marlowe felt a bit relieved. "We have no power or influence now. You're just relying on your dad's protection. Don't go head-to-head with the Reynolds family. I'll handle the rest." Years ago, she had Bishop against all odds but couldn't give him a complete family. She felt she owed him and would make it up to him.

Bishop was a Reynolds. He deserved to be part of the Reynolds family openly.

This was the only thing she could do for Bishop.

The rest area was super quiet. As they ate, everyone kept glancing at each other but stayed silent.

This was the most awkward meal Phoebe had ever had.

After eating, Sarah was about to leave. Before she left, she had a word with Marlowe and Bishop outside the ICU. Surprisingly, Marlowe and Bishop followed her.

Theodore quickly signaled Christopher and Madison to follow. He was worried Marlowe and Bishop might mess with Sarah.

After they left, Taylor needed to hit the bathroom. Phoebe went with her. The bathroom on the ICU floor was under repair, so they took the stairs to the one on the floor above. Taylor hadn't said a word, looking lost in thought. Phoebe didn't know what to say either. As they reached the bathroom door, they almost bumped into a young girl.

After steadying themselves, Phoebe recognized the girl. "Grace, what are you doing at the hospital?"