Forbidden Passion
Chapter 128 Vanessa's provocation

Theodore looked up at her,"Aren't you blaming me for not letting you make friends? I won't interfere anymore."

Phoebe stared at him in shock. She felt she must have Stockholm syndrome, as his sudden declaration of non-interference in her friendships didn't make her happy but rather scared and lost. "You..."

Theodore downed the coffee in his cup and stood up, "Thanks for the coffee, I'm heading up."

Phoebe watched his retreating figure disappear through the door, feeling bewildered and helpless. Why was he suddenly saying these things to her? Was it because Vanessa had come back, and he had found his lost love, so he didn't care about her anymore?

She had been looking forward to this day every moment for the past three years. Yet now that it had arrived, she didn't feel the relief she had imagined. Especially since he had thanked her, his tone so polite and distant, as if he had already decided to cut ties with her.

Phoebe was restless all day. At seven in the evening, when Facebook flow peaked, a hot search suddenly appeared with the hashtag #VanessaInjured Hand# topping the trending list. Initially, the discussion was low, with only marketing accounts continuously sharing it.

The general public hardly knew who Vanessa was until her fans stormed the forums and educated them about the piano queen. John saw the trending topic and immediately rushed into Phoebe's office to report it.

Phoebe immediately took out her phone to check Facebook. The top trending news was about Vanessa, and she clicked in to find the discussion was already fermenting. The hot search was based on a Facebook post by Vanessa, accompanied by a photo of her injured hand. The bloodstains on the bandage were fresh, clearly taken right after she pinched her injured palm in the early hours. The Facebook post was made at dawn, seemingly to garner public sympathy but actually to let Theodore know she was bleeding again. He would surely ask her about it, and she would pretend to let it slip unintentionally, causing trouble for Theodore.

It was a clever move on her part.

The square was full of onlookers who loved a spectacle, and everyone knew Vanessa was the piano queen, her hands considered priceless. While people sympathized with her, they cursed her management company.

Then, following closely, the hashtag #QUEENEntertainmentInhuman# also hit the trending list, rocketing to second place at lightning speed. The comments section was filled with paid posters criticizing the company and the agent, and some even shared news about Vanessa's disappearance during the recording of a survival reality show, putting QUEEN Entertainment in the middle of a public relations storm. Phoebe's brow furrowed, "John, call everyone from the PR department to the meeting room immediately."

At this time, the PR department staff had already left work. Gathering everyone would take at least thirty minutes, and by that time the situation could become much worse.

Phoebe immediately called the person in charge at Facebook to lower the heat on QUEEN Entertainment. After hanging up, she instructed John to find a professional team to control the narrative and shift public attention away from QUEEN Entertainment. As long as the company wasn't at the center of the controversy, the rest would be manageable.

Phoebe was busy all night, finally stabilizing the situation, but QUEEN Entertainment still suffered some negative impact from the incident.

Phoebe rubbed her throbbing temples and told the PR team members to go home.

Back in her office, she called Vanessa, who answered quickly, her triumphant laughter coming through the line.

"Miss Ziegler, surprised or not, expected or unexpected?"

Phoebe nearly scoffed, "Vanessa, did you forget that you just signed a five-year contract with QUEEN Entertainment? Do you want to end up dead by my hand?"