Forbidden Passion

Evelyn slapped the sofa with excitement, making the kids wobble. They turned to look at her, confused. "Hey, you guys just keep watching your cartoon, don't mind me," Evelyn said, trying to calm down. The kids shrugged and went back to the TV.

Evelyn grabbed Phoebe and whispered fiercely, "Phoebe, when did Theodore give you this? Didn't he leave you with nothing after the divorce?"

This had been bugging Evelyn for almost three years. Phoebe had spent four years with Theodore, working her butt off as his secretary and nanny, managing his life down to the smallest detail.

Phoebe had given her best years to Theodore, even had an abortion for him, and when they split, he left her with zilch. It broke Evelyn's heart.

"He did give me something," Phoebe said flatly, "I just didn't take it."

Evelyn smacked Phoebe on the shoulder, and the kids turned around again, this time shouting in unison, "Grandma, don't hit Mom, it hurts her."

Evelyn awkwardly coughed and gently rubbed Phoebe's shoulder. Meeting three pairs of innocent eyes, she said, "I wasn't hitting her, I was just feeling sorry for her."

The kids stared at Evelyn, clearly not buying it.

Noomi slid off the sofa, ran to Phoebe, climbed into her lap, and said, "Mom, I'll protect you."

Evelyn, clutching the Warranty Deed, glared at Phoebe. "Theodore gave this to you, why didn't you take it?"

Phoebe sighed, "Just think of it as me trying to be noble."

"Phoebe," Evelyn took a deep breath, "if you had taken this back then, you wouldn't have struggled so much starting a business abroad. I just feel bad knowing there was an easier way. If you had taken that villa, would you have needed to buy another one?"

Phoebe rubbed her temples and looked down at Noomi, who was engrossed in the cartoon. She lowered her voice, "That was Theodore's property. Do you think I could live there with Hubert, Boris, and Noomi?" Phoebe wasn't trying to be noble.

When she locked the document bag in the safe, it was partly out of spite. Later, when she was pregnant with Hubert, Boris, and Noomi, there was no way she was using Theodore's money to raise the kids. And once she could earn her own money, there was even less reason to touch his stuff.

If Theodore hadn't said he wanted to start fresh and leave the past behind, she wouldn't have taken his things to ease his mind.

Evelyn thought about it and saw Phoebe's point.

Evelyn stuffed the Warranty Deed back into the document bag and handed it to Phoebe. "You keep it safe. We don't need his money now."

Phoebe got pregnant just two months after the divorce, and the kids weren't Theodore's; Evelyn shuddered at the thought of what would happen if the Reynolds family found out.

"Look at the mess you've made." The more Evelyn thought about it, the more annoyed she got. She raised her hand to slap Phoebe again, but Noomi hugged her arm. "Grandma, don't hit Mom, you'll hurt her." Evelyn was left speechless.

She pulled her hand back, feeling a bit unsatisfied, and pinched Noomi's chubby cheek. "I won't hit her. You're always protecting your mom. Do you only love her? What about me?" Noomi threw herself into Evelyn's arms, hugging her waist. "I love you too, Grandma."

Evelyn felt comforted, hugging Noomi tighter.

Phoebe took the document bag upstairs to the master bedroom and locked it in the safe. These things were off-limits.

Theodore said they owed each other nothing, but once he found out about the kids, he might not feel the same. When the truth came out, how would he react? Phoebe rubbed her face in frustration.

The next day, when Phoebe walked into the office, her attention was immediately drawn to a bouquet of lilies on her desk. She walked over slowly, the room filled with their scent. The pink lilies still had fresh dew on them, looking vibrant and inviting. She picked up the card next to them.

The card was scented with a faint fragrance that was unmistakably Theodore's. She opened it, but there wasn't a single word on it.

Phoebe squinted her eyes.

She put the card back into the bouquet and glanced around, noticing that the snacks on the coffee table had also been replaced. She sighed and pressed the intercom to call Lori in.

Soon, Lori came in with a cup of coffee. She glanced at the lilies and smiled slightly. "These lilies are truly beautiful. Perhaps Mr. Reynolds is using them to express his pure love and to admire your elegance." Phoebe gave her a cold look. "Since you're so eloquent, how about I transfer you to the PR department for some training?"

Lori's face fell instantly. "Ms. Ziegler, I know I was wrong. I won't speak out of turn again."

Seeing Lori's pitiful look, Phoebe pointed her chin at the lilies. "Take them out."

"Oh." Lori quickly picked up the bouquet, glancing at the fresh dew on the flowers. She couldn't help but say, "Ms. Ziegler, I think the lilies suit you. They look nice in the office." Phoebe gave Lori a cold stare, her eyes saying that if she said one more word, she'd be sent to the PR department. Lori quickly shut her mouth and fled with the flowers. The office soon quieted down.

Phoebe smiled wryly, the faint fragrance lingering in the office. Theodore's handsome, cold face flashed before her eyes.

She closed her eyes, and the office door opened again.

Lori came in with a happy smile. "Ms. Ziegler, the legal department called. The "Ice and Fire" crew sent over the contract. Please review it."

Lori placed the freshly printed document in front of her and said with disbelief, "Ms. Ziegler, did Wesley really get the role of Nicholas?" "Yes."

Lori excitedly pumped her fist. "I was so worried when someone else got the fourth male lead, but now he's one of the dual male leads." Phoebe looked down at the contract terms. "Has the legal department reviewed the contract?"

"Yes, they said it's fine."

All artist contracts needed Phoebe's final review to avoid any mistakes. Her eyes stopped at the $5 million salary, which was $1 million more than they had discussed last night. The salary couldn't have been changed by their legal department; they wouldn't dare alter the amount. So, did the crew make a mistake?