Forbidden Passion
Chapter 435 I Want Freedom

Theodore rubbed his eyes and sat up, noticing it was still dark outside. He groggily smiled at Phoebe and said, "Phoebe, it's not even dawn. Come back to bed." Phoebe's face was tense, her brows furrowed.

She stared at Theodore for a few seconds before turning and walking to the couch.

Theodore watched her cold back, his smile fading. For days now, Phoebe had been avoiding him.

When she was asleep, she would nestle in his arms, relying on him completely.

But once awake, she turned cold and wouldn't even look at him. She hated him that much.

Theodore got out of bed, picked up her slippers, and walked over. Placing them beside the couch, he knelt beside her.

The sky was on the verge of dawn, a time that often evoked feelings of vulnerability. Theodore looked at Phoebe and softly asked, "Phoebe, what do you really want?" Phoebe hugged her knees and buried her face in them, ignoring his rare show of humility.

Theodore had endured for several days. Usually domineering, this was his limit. He grabbed Phoebe's chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Phoebe, I'm giving you one last chance. What do you want?" he shouted.

Phoebe stared into his eyes, as dark as the pre-dawn sky outside.

"Freedom," she replied.

Theodore rejected it instantly, "That's impossible!"

Phoebe gave a bitter smile, "See? You ask what I want, knowing you can't give it to me. You make me sick!"

The next second, Theodore grabbed her chin, forcing her to lift her head, and kissed her.

Phoebe was stunned and tried to pull away, but Theodore's hand held the back of her head, his fingers digging into her hair, making her unable to move. "Theodore, if you kiss me, I'll bite your tongue off. Try me!" Phoebe shouted.

Theodore ignored her threat, kissing her forcefully. Phoebe resisted fiercely.

By the end of the kiss, both were battered and bruised. Theodore wiped the blood from his mouth, looking at Phoebe's swollen lips, and leaned in to suck the blood from her lips. Phoebe swung to slap him.

Before her hand could touch his face, Theodore caught it. He squinted and deepened the kiss until they were out of breath, then let her go.

Phoebe looked up at Theodore, her anger boiling. She bent her legs and kicked toward his heart.

Theodore dodged quickly, allowing her to break free. Watching Phoebe run away like a startled cat, he smirked.

"Seems you're fully recovered. Let's get you discharged today," he said.

Phoebe leaned against the cold wall, staring warily at Theodore. "I'm not leaving the hospital!" she refused.

Theodore looked at her with a look that brooked no argument. Phoebe gritted her teeth, knowing she couldn't stay without his agreement. "I'm not leaving!" she repeated, louder.

Theodore walked to the bedside, gently coaxing her like a child, "The hospital bed is too hard. You can't sleep well. Come on, let's go home."

Phoebe sneered inwardly. 'Home? The Imperial Apartment? It's a luxurious cage that has imprisoned me for years.'

"I don't want to leave the hospital. Can't you hear me?" Phoebe shouted.

Theodore sat on the edge of the bed, raising an eyebrow. "The President's Office has always reserved the Chief Secretary position for you. Come back. Plus, the artists you want to protect are still under your management." Phoebe was stunned. "You?"

"Don't you want to work? I'll let you come back. But if you keep making a fuss, you'll go home to be Mrs. Reynolds." Theodore knew how to make her compromise.

Phoebe gritted her teeth. "I won't go back to the Reynolds Group. I want to find a job on my own."

She was tired of feeling controlled. A job she found herself wouldn't be taken away just because Theodore was unhappy.

Theodore frowned, rejecting her outright. "No way!"

Phoebe wanted to argue, but Theodore gave her two choices. "Either go back to the Reynolds Group as Chief Secretary or go home to be Mrs. Reynolds. Your choice." Phoebe knew Theodore's stubborn nature and that further bargaining was useless.

Although going back to the President's Office felt humiliating, it was better than being locked up at home.

"Fine. I'll go back to the President's Office," she replied.

Her decision was final, securing a dignified outcome for her runaway attempt and car crash.

Phoebe returned to the President's Office as Theodore's Chief Secretary, with a much higher salary and more power, equivalent to a branch manager.

Her desk was moved from the secretary's area directly into the President's Office. Theodore set up a transparent screen to create a separate area for her. Everyone was stunned by Theodore's actions.

They had thought that when Theodore demoted Phoebe to Queen Entertainment, she had fallen out of favor.

But in just half a year, she was promoted back, with a substantial salary increase and more power, and her desk moved into the President's Office.

It was clear Theodore's favor for her hadn't waned.

As everyone watched the drama unfold and sympathized with Vanessa, thinking she could replace Phoebe, they were proven wrong.

It wouldn't be long before Phoebe completely turned the tables and became their boss's wife. What would Vanessa do then?

Employees gossiped privately, but only a few who knew about Theodore and Phoebe's marriage wanted to reveal that Vanessa was already out of the picture.

On Monday morning, Phoebe stood in the walk-in closet, choosing her outfit for work. Being a Chief Secretary was different from being a director at an entertainment company. One needed to follow trends, while the other required steadiness and competence.

Phoebe found her old professional attire, but the clothes hung loosely on her.

Theodore walked in and saw Phoebe looking at herself in the full-length mirror. Her slender waist was captivating.

He walked over and leaned against the wardrobe, resisting the urge to hug her. His eyes filled with infatuation. "You've lost a lot of weight since six months ago."

Black suits made her look thinner. Phoebe took it off and changed into a yellow one, finally looking a bit fuller. Satisfied, she turned around.

Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist. Theodore pulled her back, his warm body pressing against her.

"Are you still mad at me?" he whispered.