Forbidden Passion
Chapter 486 Forced Love

Theodore raised an eyebrow and gave Phoebe a sly look. "You cool with this?"

Phoebe bit her lip. She wasn't really bothered, but she knew Carol and the gang would totally lose it if they found out she and Theodore were hitched. "They're gonna flip out," Phoebe said.

Theodore's grin turned wicked. "Can't wait to see their faces."

To everyone else, Phoebe was merely seen as his secret lover. Revealing the truth that she was, in fact, his wife would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the office. Theodore suggested eagerly, "Let's do it tonight."

Phoebe was at loss, asking, "Seriously?"

Even if they were gonna have Carol and the others over, it didn't need to be so last-minute. However, the determined look on Theodore's face made it clear that he wasn't playing around.

"We just clocked out. Isn't this kinda rushed? We gotta get stuff ready for the guests," Phoebe said.

Theodore snapped his fingers. "You invite 'em, I'll handle the rest. Trust me, I won't make you look bad."

Phoebe was speechless. Seeing Theodore so pumped, she had no choice but to turn and leave.

When Carol heard Phoebe was inviting the secretarial crew over for the holiday, she couldn't believe her ears. "Wait, didn't you just mention you wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet?" Carol asked, perplexed. Phoebe forced a smile. "Changed my mind. I'm into the whole lively vibe now. Let's all head over after work."

Carol had mentioned it offhand before, not expecting Phoebe to actually go for it. Nervously, Carol asked, "Ms. Ziegler, Mr. Reynolds won't be there, right?"

Phoebe replied, "Nah, he's meeting Patrick for a small get-together. He shouldn't be back. Chill."

"That's a relief," Carol sighed. "We'll come over after work. Let's not leave until we're wasted tonight."

Phoebe was speechless.

After work, Theodore had to hit up the tailor to grab their custom outfits, while Phoebe walked back to Imperial Apartment with Carol and the crew.

Entering the complex, a colleague exaggeratedly said, "I heard only the rich and famous live here, even some celebs. Ms. Ziegler, do you bump into celebs often?"

Phoebe smiled and replied, "Not really."

"I heard this place was designed by Mr. Reynolds and won some big award. Prices went through the roof, and now you can't even buy a unit. How'd you score a place here, Ms. Ziegler?" another colleague asked, curious. Phoebe rubbed her nose and said, "I didn't buy it. Just crashing here for now."

Hearing this, the group exchanged knowing looks and followed Phoebe into a building. They took the elevator up.

The elevator needed fingerprint access, one unit per floor.

Phoebe led them out of the elevator. The hallway was decked out with Philadelphia handmade sofas, and the floor was carpeted.

Just the entrance had everyone in awe.

Phoebe used her fingerprint to open the door and changed into slippers at the entrance. "We don't have extra slippers, but there are shoe covers."

Everyone knew Phoebe was Theodore's mistress. Even if they weren't thrilled about it, they wouldn't walk in with their shoes on. They took the shoe covers and stepped into the apartment, immediately wowed by the interior decor. "Wow, Ms. Ziegler, your place is stunning. I've seen this sofa in magazines; it costs a fortune," a colleague said, touching the leather sofa with eyes full of envy.

"And this painting, is it the real deal?" another colleague asked, pointing to a painting on the wall that Theodore had snagged at an auction.

Carol wandered over to the cat tree and spotted Ollie chilling on it. "Ms. Ziegler, you got a cat?"

Carol suddenly remembered something. A few days ago, Theodore showed up at the office with cat hair on his coat. Now, seeing the cat, she realized the hair matched. "Yeah, just got him. His name's Ollie, but he's kinda shy. Watch out, he might scratch," Phoebe warned as she headed into the kitchen and saw Yves busy at work. The counter was loaded with ingredients, and Phoebe noticed a bunch of packaging from fancy restaurants in the trash.

Theodore had said he'd handle it, and it looked like he was flexing his wealth.

Carol was playing with Ollie using a cat teaser. Phoebe moved the food to the screening room, planning to watch a movie while munching.

The colleagues were milling around the living room, too shy to venture further. Two of them saw Phoebe carrying food and quickly jumped in to help. Phoebe said, "Carol, keep an eye on Ollie. Don't let him into the screening room."

Carol replied, "Got it."

Everyone else pitched in to move the food. Seeing the sashimi, they said, "Ms. Ziegler, this is way too fancy. Sashimi's pretty pricey." Phoebe smiled. "No worries. As long as you guys have fun, that's what the holiday's about."

They moved all the food to the screening room.

Someone looked around and said, "If we cook here, the smell's gonna be strong and hard to get rid of. Will Mr. Reynolds mind?"

Before they could finish, someone else nudged them. Realizing their slip-up, they quickly shut up and looked nervously at Phoebe. Phoebe stayed cool. "It's fine. He won't mind."

The group exchanged glances, thinking Phoebe seemed more like the lady of the house than a mistress. They helped move all the food into the screening room, and Phoebe used the remote to turn on the TV. The screen was massive, and a movie was playing. It happened to be a scene in the bathroom, with the boss forcing himself on the heroine.

Phoebe never expected to run into such a situation. She quickly exited the movie, her cheeks burning under the complex and astonished gazes of the others.

She explained awkwardly, "Uh, Mr. Reynolds must've been watching it when he was bored."

Carol gave a knowing look. "We get it."

Phoebe was momentarily speechless. "Let's cook and pick a movie. Any preferences on what to watch?" she asked.

A female colleague said, "Ms. Ziegler, let's watch the one that was just on. We couldn't find it anywhere, and your screen is so big. It should be pretty awesome."

As Phoebe cleared her throat to speak, she suddenly heard Yves and Theodore's voices outside. Swiftly grabbing the remote, she made her way to the door. Peeking outside, she spotted Theodore approaching with the outfits in hand.

Theodore asked, "Weren't you supposed to be at a gathering? Why are you alone?"

Phoebe shot back, "Didn't you say you were meeting Patrick tonight? Why are you back so early?"

"He bailed." Theodore paused. "I smell food. I'll change into something casual and join you."

Phoebe watched him head into the master bedroom. She turned back to see her colleagues frozen on the sofa. "Got some not-so-great news. Mr. Reynolds is back."