Forbidden Passion
Chapter 17 What a Hypocrite!

"Miss Fitzroy, I apologize, but I ordered this bag half a year ago. If you like it, you can pre-order and have the sales assistant put you on the waiting list," Phoebe insisted, not giving an inch. Vanessa's face expressed shock and heartbreak she pleaded with a pitiful tone, "But I really love this bag, Miss Ziegler. How about I offer double the price for you to give it to me?" "Sorry, Miss Fitzroy, this bag is priceless," Phoebe responded firmly.

Seeing her unwavering attitude, Vanessa turned to Theodore with a helpless look, gently shaking his hand. "Theodore, I really love this bag. Can you ask Miss Ziegler to transfer it to me? I won't let her suffer any losses. I can offer two or three times the price."

Theodore furrowed his brows and looked at Phoebe. "Since Vanessa likes it, just let her have it. You don't usually use this kind of bag anyway., Iit would be a waste."

Phoebe's gaze involuntarily fell on their intertwined hands, feeling a pang of discomfort in her heart. If Vanessa said she liked Theodore, would she have to give him up for her too?

"This bag is a birthday gift I prepared for my mom."

Theodore paused and glanced at the platinum bag. In the eyes of a typical man, there was not much difference between this bag and the ones his mom usually carried. They just had a few more diamonds. He said, "She already has many bags. This one won't make a difference."

Phoebe thought, could he be any more biased? Just to make Vanessa happy, he was even willing to snatch away the birthday gift she prepared for his mom.

Earlier in the morning, he had taunted her at the dining table for not caring about his mom's birthday. She thought he was so filial, but it turned out to be a double standard when facing someone he liked.

"Fine, since you don't care about your mom's feelings, I have nothing more to say. Ah Sa, ILet Miss Fitzroy have this bag," Phoebe declared calmly.

A sense of triumph flashed through Vanessa's eyes. What she wanted to snatch was not just a bag, but Theodore's concern for her. She wanted Phoebe to know that even if she

She is now Theodore's wife, and she will never surpass her position in Theodore's heart. Her goal hads been achieved, so she didoesn't need to be so obsessed with grabbing the bag, especially since Phoebe said that it is a birthday gift for Mrs. Reynolds. If she really snatches it away, Theodore may not say anything on the surface, but deep down he will blame her for being thoughtless. And when it reaches Mrs. Reynolds' ears, she will also harbor dissatisfaction towards her.

"I didn't know this was meant to be a gift for Aunt, Miss Ziegler. Your taste is really good, just like mine. We both set our eyes on the same bag," Vanessa hinted.

Phoebe caught the underlying meaning in her words and smirked ironically, "Miss Fitzroy has good taste indeed, but she just doesn't know how to appreciate it."

Vanessa pursed her lips and turned to Theodore, "Theodore, why don't you give this bag to Miss Ziegler? Come with me to see something else."

"Sure," Theodore glanced at Phoebe and took Vanessa to browse the exhibition area.

Phoebe sneered in her heart.

What a hypocrite.

She was the one who initially tried to snatch it away, and now it turned into her generously giving it to her. This is really unheard of.

From afar, she heard Vanessa's gentle voice, "... Hermès products are hard to come by, especially limited edition ones. I heard that Miss Ziegler comes from an ordinary family, and it is quite unexpected for her to buy such an expensive bag as a gift for Aunt."

Vanessa implied that Theodore Phoebe came from a poor background, and she bought this expensive gift for Mrs. Reynolds to boost her own image using Theodore's money. Vanity.

Theodore casually responded, "Is that so?"

"Well, the bag itself, along with the matching accessories, would cost at least several million. Miss Ziegler is really generous," Vanessa said acidly.

It's not that she has a small mindset, she just wonders why Phoebe has the audacity to occupy her place and sleep with the man she deeply loves, spending the fortune that should belong to her.

Just the thought of how Phoebe entered the scene right after she left, Vanessa was itching with hatred.

Since then, she knew that Phoebe was not someone to be taken lightly.

Theodore accompanied Vanessa for a stroll in Hermès, but she didn't find anything she liked. Mrs. Reynolds' fiftieth birthday was approaching, so she naturally had to prepare a gift for her. However, with Phoebe owning that platinum bag encrusted with pearls, anything she bought would be lacking in comparison.

While Theodore went out to take a phone call, Vanessa approached Phoebe, who was about to pay the bill. With a strange tone, Vanessa said, "Miss Ziegler is really generous. This platinum bag with all the accessories would cost at least three million hundred..."

Phoebe and Vanessa stood facing each other, discussing Phoebe's extravagant purchase of an expensive bag. Phoebe brushed off Vanessa's critique, stating that she could always earn more money. Vanessa, however, was skeptical and accused Phoebe of using the excuse of buying a gift for her aunt as an opportunity to splurge show off on herself. Vanessa then proceeded to scrutinize Phoebe's appearance, expecting her to be dressed in designer clothing, only to be disappointed when she realized Phoebe was wearing ordinary brands.

Not interested in engaging in further conversation, Phoebe pointed to Theodore, who had just finished a phone call and entered the room, proclaiming that he was the one wearing an Hermès suit and carrying expensive items. To support her argument, Phoebe waved her bank card in front of Vanessa, proudly stating that she had not spent any of Theodore's money.

Vanessa's face turned unattractively sour, and she expressed doubt, questioning how Phoebe could afford such an expensive bag after only working for a short time. Phoebe curtly replied that Vanessa was ignorant of the different methods of increasing one's wealth aside from a fixed salary, such as investments. Phoebe then put her bank card back inside her bag.

Theodore, who owned a venture capital company, always listened attentively when his employees reported their work progress. Phoebe would carefully observe and follow their stock market activities, making small profits from her transactions. She had never mentioned this money to anyone, choosing to save it for future needs.

As Theodore stood in front of them, Vanessa glared at him with eyes brimming with tears. Earlier that morning, Vanessa had admired his suit, unaware that it was a gift from Phoebe. It felt like a slap in the face. "What's wrong?" Theodore asked.

Vanessa took a step forward, clutching his arm, and gently requested, "Theodore, I'd like to buy a few clothes. Will you accompany me?"

"Sure," Theodore replied, turning to Phoebe. "If you're finished shopping, you don't have to come with us. I'll accompany Vanessa." "Okay," Phoebe responded.

As she watched them leave together, Phoebe suddenly felt a pang of sadness. Theodore's whole heart and attention seemed to be fixated on his first love. While Phoebe had initially encouraged this, why did watching them together now cause her heart to ache?

Could it be that... she liked him?

The thought scared Phoebe, draining all color from her face. No, how could she possibly develop feelings for a man who was already committed to someone else?