Forbidden Passion
Chapter 12 The Diabolical in-laws

Theodore was dressed in a black suit, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His facial features were sharp and cold, exuding a powerful yet icy aura, akin to that of a nocturnal king. He stood before them, staring coldly at Madison, his gaze sharp and piercing.

Startled, Madison took a step back, her earlier arrogance vanishing without a trace. "Brother, I was just playing around with sister-in-law, right?"

Phoebe's mood was complex. She didn't want her siblings to argue because of her. Just as she was about to play the peacemaker, Theodore sternly interrupted, "Which younger sister-in-law dares to play around like this with her sister-in-law?" Madison's face turned pale. Among all the people in this household, her older brother was the one she feared the most. That's why she had always kept Phoebe's secrets away from him.

This hypocritical woman, what right does she have to marry her brother? And what right does she have to make her older brother, Edward, so infatuated with her?

"Brother..."

"Apologize to your sister-in-law immediately," Theodore interrupted her, his voice as cold as ice.

He didn't care about Phoebe. All he wanted was to keep her by his side, to toy with and torment her. He wouldn't allow anyone else to insult her.

Madison's eyes widened in disbelief. "You want me to apologize to her? Why should I? I already said we were just playing."

Theodore's eyes were sharp like a hawk's, and his tone remained just as intense. "Apologize!"

That simple yet forceful word made the atmosphere suddenly tense. Phoebe felt she should say something.

But before she could speak, Theodore coldly looked at her, as if telling her that he was the one teaching his sister a lesson, and she had no right to interfere.

Phoebe obediently closed her mouth.

Madison was furious, her eyes becoming red. She knew that her brother was a man of his word. If she didn't apologize today, he would never let it go.

Suppressing her humiliation, she apologized to Phoebe. "Sister-in-law, I have a habit of speaking without thinking. I shouldn't have spoken so recklessly about you."

The apology lacked sincerity, but Phoebe didn't want to argue with her. She just wanted to put an end to the matter quickly. She said, "It's alright." When has Madison ever been subjected to such humiliation? She stomped her foot in anger and turned back to her room.

Christopher awkwardly rubbed his nose and quickly followed her.

After they left, only Phoebe and Theodore remained in the corridor. Phoebe felt uneasy all over. "Actually... you don't have to stand up for me. Her words won't hurt me. It's not good for the relationship between you and your siblings if because of me..."

"Stand up for you?" Theodore laughed coldly. Before he could finish the second half of his sentence, Phoebe interjected, "Am I worth it? Okay, I understand now. I'm not worth it."

Phoebe's self-questioning and self-answering made Theodore pause for a second. Despite her despondent tone, he found her somewhat adorable. He didn't know what to do with all the resentment and hatred he had for her.

This woman seemed docile and easy to bully, like a well-behaved little cat. But even the most well-behaved cats would eventually show their claws and scratch.

She wouldn't get involved with Madison.

Madison stormed back to her room, causing a loud crash as she threw things around. When Christopher entered the room, he narrowly avoided getting hit by a vase.

"I knew you would be angry," he remarked.

Madison glared at him in frustration. "How could Big Brother make me apologize to that woman? Is she even worthy of it? I think all of you are fooled by her innocent appearance." Christopher leaned against the wall and said, "Do you think Big Brother asked you to apologize for Big Sister-in-Law's sake?"

"Isn't that the reason?" Madison retorted.

Christopher shook his head. "Big Sister-in-Law is Big Brother's wife. When you hurt her, you also hurt Big Brother. You know him well enough. He protects his own and can do whatever he wants to them, but he won't tolerate a single word against them from others."

"But I'm his own sister," Madison protested unwillingly.

"Lucky for you that you're his sister. He only ordered you to apologize and let it go. If it were someone else, it might not end so well," Christopher explained.

"You are usually so smart. Why are you acting foolish in this matter with Big Sister-in-Law? Also, be careful not to drag me down with your thoughtless comments. The way Big Brother looked at me just now made me feel like a dead person," Christopher warned.

Madison remained speechless.

After breakfast, Mrs. Reynolds had the maid bring two large bags of supplements to Theodore's car. Just before leaving, she heated up a bowl of medicine and watched as Phoebe drank it. Phoebe made a bitter face as she finished and got into the car with Theodore. He looked at her dejected expression and frowned. "Is it really that hard to drink?"

With a bitter taste in her mouth and an upset stomach, Phoebe couldn't help but retort, "It's much better to drink than birth control pills."

Theodore gritted his teeth and his gaze scanned her delicate neck. He had an urge to strangle her. "You don't need to provoke me. You married into the Reynolds family just to have my child, didn't you?"

"Then please be merciful, Mr. Reynolds, and stop forcing me to take both supplements and birth control pills. It's difficult for me to switch between wanting and not wanting a child," Phoebe replied.

"You make it sound like I'm forcing you to take birth control pills. As if you could actually give birth without them," Theodore's tone turned cold as he pinpointed Phoebe's weakness.

Her heart ached, and wisely she chose to stay silent. She knew that the two of them could argue about anything besides work.

Over the next few days, Phoebe was busy with her work. Aside from Vanessa, she had already met and assessed several other artists, getting to know their overall abilities.

Coincidentally, two popular variety shows were coming up, one was a talent show and the other was a travel variety show. She began making arrangements for the artists to participate. She first let them increase their exposure and get familiar in front of the audience.

Suddenly, the phone on the table rang, Phoebe picked it up and answered. A man's cold instructions came from the other end, "Go downstairs, come with me to the airport to pick someone up."

Phoebe didn't know who he was going to pick up, but she grabbed her bag and hurriedly left.

Outside the company gate, she saw a white limousine parked outside. She hesitated for a moment, and the car door opened with a "swish" from the inside.

Theodore impatiently looked at her, "Get in the car."

Phoebe got in the car and sat next to Theodore. The man was reading documents and didn't even lift his head, "Has Vanessa's agent been found?"

Phoebe pursed her lips, "Not yet. It's difficult to hire a more famous agent, and smaller agents are afraid of not fulfilling Miss Fitzroy's needs."

This was the first time they talked about Vanessa, and Phoebe felt a bit uneasy in her chest.

"Then you take care of her for now," Theodore's voice paused for a moment, "Your connections in the entertainment industry are quite good. I heard that you managed to get those few young artists into popular variety shows. I underestimated your abilities."

Although he was praising her, the way he said it was strange, not quite right.

Phoebe pursed her lips, thinking, he entrusted his precious gem to her, who did he want to provoke? Would Vanessa agree?