Forbidden Passion
Chapter 342 He Is Her Creditor

Phoebe was shocked. She'd thought about this before, but the answer always seemed elusive. Now, it felt more doable.

Looking into his slightly angry eyes, she said, "Debtor."

With those words, it felt settled.

Yes, Phoebe owed Theodore.

In this life, he was here to repay her.

The light in Theodore's eyes dimmed. Before he could speak, a bright light from behind lit up their faces.

Phoebe saw the disappointment on his face. Just as she was about to speak, a car sped towards them and crashed into their vehicle. Their car was no match and got pushed over thirty feet by the jeep.

Sparks flew as the car scraped along.

Phoebe was thrown forward but yanked back by the seatbelt, slamming into the seat. The impact made her almost vomit. Theodore might have fared better.

He turned in panic and saw the jeep reversing to ram them again, its headlights blinding.

Without hesitation, Theodore unbuckled his seatbelt and shielded Phoebe.

After a loud crash, their car rolled off the road into the desert below.

The night was silent; the jeep roared away, and no one knew what had happened.

After some time, Phoebe felt a warm liquid in her hand. She struggled to open her eyes.

Hot liquid slid down her forehead, staining her vision red.

She blinked, looking at the crushed car roof. She thought, 'After disaster, good fortune, right?'

Slowly, her senses returned. Her body ached as if it had been taken apart and put back together. She realized she couldn't move. Theodore was on top of her.

Phoebe was startled. She remembered Theodore lunging to protect her before the car flipped, and she struggled to move her head.

With effort, she saw him lying on her, his head tilted, eyes closed, pale lips.

Phoebe's eyes welled up. "Theodore, wake up, Theodore..."

No response. Theodore's eyes stayed shut. Phoebe grew anxious. She looked around but saw only the desert.

"Theodore, if you die, I'll marry someone else. Wake up!" Phoebe cried.

No response.

Phoebe bit her lip to stop crying. She tried to move. Luckily, she wasn't gravely hurt.

However, Theodore was badly hurt. She felt his warm blood dripping on her hand.

She couldn't just lie there; she had to save him!

Phoebe forced herself to calm down. By the faint moonlight, she saw the car's interior wasn't too damaged. She tried to kick open the right-side door. It was deformed and stuck. It took a lot of effort, but she finally kicked it open. She was oddly grateful for their fragile car. If it had been sturdier, they might still be trapped inside.

The night wind, carrying yellow sand, blew through the open door. It was still hot in Starfall City. Phoebe coughed a few times before sliding off the seat.

Theodore's weight pressed on her. After half an hour, she finally crawled out of the car, panting and lying on her back in the desert.

Before she could catch her breath, she got up and crawled back into the car, trying to move Theodore.

However, he was too heavy. After several attempts, Phoebe was exhausted. She sat by the car door, wiping her tears and cursing her weakness.

Phoebe held onto the car door, stood up, and looked into the distance. She saw car lights occasionally flashing by on the distant road. She wanted to find help but didn't want to leave Theodore alone.

After resting for a bit, she crawled back into the car. This time, with some regained strength, she managed to push Theodore into the driver's seat.

She walked around to the other side, where the door was also deformed. It took a lot of effort, but she finally opened it and carefully dragged Theodore out.

Both of them fell into the desert. Theodore screamed in pain and woke up.

Phoebe noticed a large abrasion on his right arm, hidden earlier by his black shirt.

Now, his blood stained the yellow sand red. Phoebe's heart ached, and her eyes welled up.

She knelt beside him, seeing his eyes half-closed. She placed her hands on either side of him and looked down. "Theodore, are you okay?"

Theodore looked at her, but his pupils were unfocused. Her voice was faint and unclear to him.

Sensing her unease, he nodded with difficulty, trying to reassure her.

Large tears rolled down Phoebe's face, falling on Theodore's lips. He tasted the salty bitterness.

He wanted to tell her not to cry, but he had no strength left. Gradually, he shut his eyes, his head tilting to the side as he slipped into unconsciousness. Seeing this, Phoebe stopped crying in fear, forgetting even to let her tears flow.

She was stunned for a few seconds, then reached out with trembling hands to check his pulse. Feeling the faint beat, she laughed and cried at the same time. He was still alive!

Not daring to delay, she wiped her tears away, her hands stained with blood, smearing it across her face, indifferent to the mess. Crawling into the car to find a phone, she searched every corner but realized she had left hers behind.

Retracing her steps, she rifled through Theodore's pockets, finding no phone. Overwhelmed by despair, she felt hopeless. What should she do now?

Theodore shouldn't have unbuckled his seatbelt to protect her. If their roles were reversed, he would have easily carried her to the road.

"I'm so useless!" Phoebe cursed herself while propping Theodore against the car. She squatted in front of him, placing his arms over her shoulders. She took a deep breath and tried to lift him.

But they both fell into the desert, Phoebe getting a mouthful of sand. She couldn't help but feel deep sadness.

Struggling to get up, she cried. "I'm so useless. You shouldn't have protected me."