Forbidden Passion
Chapter 11 The Burning Flame

Theodore took out his cigarette case, intending to light another one, but Mrs. Reynolds rudely took it away. "Smoke, smoke, do you want towhen will you become as addicted to smoking likeas your father?" Theodore's thin lips formed a straight line, his eyes dark and deeply merging with the night, making him somewhat intimidating.

Startled by his expression, Mrs. Reynolds slapped him on the shoulder since he was her own son. "Why are you giving me that look? I'm your mother."

Theodore remained silent.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Mrs. Reynolds kept rambling, "I actually quite liked Vanessa at the beginning. She's just a bit temperamental, a little scheming. If you two had married, I wouldn't have to worry."

The Fitzroy family was a literary and scholarly family, with many notable figures. Although they were not as wealthy as the Reynolds family, their fame was undeniable.

Now, Vanessa was still a renowned pianist, and it would have been a great honor to have her as a daughter-in-law.

Theodore remained tight-lipped.

Mrs. Reynolds, seeing his stoic expression, couldn't help but sigh. "Saying these things now only brings unnecessary distress. Since you married Phoebe, you should treat her better. In a marriage, a husband should always treat his wife well, at least for three days..."

"They argue so much and lose all their emotions," Theodore thought, his brows furrowing slightly. Did they actually have any emotions between them?

"Even you, who used to be so gentlemanly and polite to Vanessa, now treat Phoebe so poorly. You direct all your bad temper towards her, and she's just a young girl who married into our family. Be kinder to her and don't let others think that we look down on her or mistreat her behind closed doors," Mrs. Reynolds scolded.

Theodore grew increasingly irritated as he listened, "What have I done wrong to her?"

He recalled how when she was pregnant and craved sugar-fried chestnuts in the middle of the night, he resisted his exhaustion and drove forty kilometers to wake up his chef to fry some for her. Worried that they might cool down and not taste as good, he wrapped the freshly fried chestnuts in his jacket pocket and raced back to the villa, peeling them himself and feeding her.

Seeing her eat with such satisfaction, even if his chest was burned and swollen, he didn't utter a word of complaint. Aside from not loving her, was he not good to her? And yet she would do such things, things that hurt his heart and stabbed his soullungs!

Mrs. Reynolds paused for a moment, carefully considering. Theodore did treat Phoebe well. The two of them respected each other and could be regarded as a model couple in front of others.

"Between the two of you... I have to say, it looks like you are loving, but I also feel a certain distance. Theodore, you are my son, and I can tell whether you are happy or not. But this marriage was your decision. No one could have stopped you then, and now that things have turned out this way, was this your original intention when you married her?"

Seeing him silently standing there, she wasn't sure if he had heard her words. Mrs. Reynolds said, "Alright, you understand the reason behind my words. It's up to you whether you want to do something about it. Rest now, I'll go downstairs." Mrs. Reynolds left, and Theodore stood on the terrace, tall and alone, his figure lonely and desolate. He reached into his pocket and realized he didn't have any cigarettes. He suddenly remembered that Mrs. Reynolds had confiscated them. Nothing seemed to be going well.

Phoebe returned to her room, her body already chilled. She stood at the door for a while before walking quietly to the edge of the bed.

On the other side of the bed, the quilt was raised in a bundle. She gently lifted the quilt and lay down against the edge of the bed.

The bed was large enough for three or four people, as long as they didn't intentionally move closer to each other. However, as soon as she laid down, Theodore got up and left the room.

Phoebe lay still, listening to his footsteps as he went to the study. It seemed that he really detested her, preferring to sit alone in the study all night rather than sleep on the same bed as her.

In the darkness, Phoebe lay with her eyes open for a long time. Suddenly, she heard the sound of rain outside the window. She was exhausted today, and before long, she drifted off to sleep, listening to the peaceful sound of rain.

The next morning, Phoebe woke up early. She subconsciously glanced to the side and didn't see Theodore's figure. She let out a sigh of relief, got up, and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

After finishing in the bathroom, she passed through the small living room outside and saw Theodore lying on the sofa, sound asleep. He had a handsome face, his hand resting on his forehead, and his chest rhythmically rising and falling. As Theodore breathed in and out, his chest rose and fell. Phoebe noticed that he had changed his clothes, wearing a shirt on top and black suit trousers below.

Her gaze lingered on him as she tiptoed, preparing to leave. Suddenly, Theodore moved slightly and then opened his eyes.

What a perceptive person!.

Theodore's eyes seemed to clear up the moment he saw her. He immediately sat up, probably sensing something strange about his body. He looked up at Phoebe, with sharp eyes full of mockery. "What's wrong?"

Phoebe blushed with embarrassment and knew she couldn't argue with him about this. She could only escape through the door.

She ran so fast that she almost bumped into someone's arms.

The person reached out to help her, and their almond-shaped eyes resembled Theodore's to some extent. "Little sister-in-law, why are you running so fast? Is there a tiger chasing you from behind?" Phoebe quickly took a step back, distancing herself from the person. "I'm sorry, did I hurtbump into you?"

"I'm sturdy, you can't break me. But you should be careful not to hurt yourself, little sister-in-law." The person speaking was Theodore's second brother, Christopher.

He was a playboy, flirting with anyone from the age of eight to eighty. Phoebe had long been accustomed to it.

She was about to speak when she heard a cold snort behind her. "Heh, only a hen that doesn't lay eggs will fall foris worth you, second brother, groveling like this. Let the eldest brother know, and he'll definitely teach you a lesson." Phoebe looked up and saw Madison walking towards them with arrogance. The spoiled little princess had looked down on her since their first meeting.

Christopher glared at her displeased. "I'm your second brother, can't you speak nicely?"

"I thought you didn't know your own identity, second brother. And as for you, sister-in-law, you're seducing my second brother while hanging onto my eldest brother. Are you trying to create conflict between them?" Madison's eyes were full of disdain and contempt.

This accusation made even the usually gentle Christopher angry. "Madison, what nonsense are you spewing?"

"I'm not spewing nonsense!, Sshe knows it best in her heart." Madison stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Phoebe. "Do you remember how you climbed into my eldest brother's bed back then? You better be honest with me, or else I'll make sure you get kicked out of the Reynolds family."

"Madison!" Christopher scolded in a low voice. "This is not how we, the Reynolds family, speak. Show some respect."

"Respect? Does she deserve any respect? Is she worthy?" Madison arrogantly pointed at Phoebe, expressing her deep hatred towards her.

"She is your sister-in-law! H, how can she not be worthy?" In the distance, a cold voice rang out.

The three of them turned around and saw Theodore approaching them with a menacing look in his eyes.