Forbidden Passion
Chapter 538 The Swap

Grace was supposed to take Phoebe in to see Alva, but she was worried Phoebe might get freaked out, so she said, "My mom's been really sick lately and she's super cranky. She might snap at you." Phoebe just shook her head. "No worries. I didn't bring any gifts, so it's probably not the best time. Maybe next time."

Grace let out a sigh of relief. "Phoebe, you're a lifesaver for our Sullivan family. I'll never forget what you've done for us." "Don't mention it. You go handle your stuff. I'm outta here." Phoebe gave her shoulder a pat and headed for the elevator. Grace watched Phoebe get in the elevator. She looked down at the payment slip in her hand, tears starting to well up.

Grace thought, 'Phoebe's such a good person. I gotta work hard and pay her back as soon as I can.'

Grace stood there for a bit, waiting for her emotions to settle before she went to find the doctor to talk about Alva's surgery.

Honestly, she didn't get most of the medical jargon, but whatever. She just needed to know the surgery could stop the cancer from spreading.

After leaving the doctor's office, Grace walked to the ward's door. Inside, she heard Mason's hushed voice. "Honey, Madison grew up with the Reynolds. She's not close to us. Let's just forget about her, okay?" Alva wiped her tears. "We're her real parents. How can she just ignore us? We sent her to the Reynolds to give her a better life. She can't just forget us because she's used to living well."

Even though they were whispering, every word hit Grace like a ton of bricks, leaving her dizzy.

Grace pushed the door open and looked at the shocked Mason and Alva. She asked, her voice shaking, "Is what you said true?"

Mason jumped up and rushed to the door, looking at Grace helplessly. "Grace, we were just talking nonsense."

Grace's face fell apart. She looked at Mason's panicked, aging face and took a step back. "Weren't you talking about Madison?"

Alva knelt on the bed, rubbing her hands nervously. "Grace, you heard wrong. Mason and I were talking about going to the Reynolds Mansion to thank Ms. Ziegler."

"I didn't hear wrong." Grace's eyes filled with tears. "Even now, you're still lying to me. No wonder Madison's always hated me and bullied me at work. She must've known about the switch all along." Things that never made sense to Grace before now clicked.

There was no such thing as pure evil or pure good in this world.

"Madison bullied you, why didn't you tell me?" Mason was frantic and tried to check if Grace was hurt.

"Don't touch me!" Grace pulled away, looking at Mason with a pleading expression. She felt both heartbroken and let down.

But Mason and Alva had raised her for twenty years. She couldn't bring herself to hate them or say anything harsh.

She turned and ran off.

Mason took a few steps after her and called, "Grace!"

He stopped, turned to look at the sobbing Alva, walked back, patted her shoulder, and said sadly, "Grace is a good kid. Once she sorts things out, she'll come back."

Alva looked at him with worry and sadness. "Honey, now that Grace knows, will she go find her real parents? And will Madison get kicked out of the Reynolds family?" "You're still worried about that ungrateful brat?" Mason stomped his foot in frustration.

Alva cried hysterically, "She's our real daughter. If I don't worry about her, who will? People are naturally biased. We swapped her identity with Grace's to give her a better life."

Mason felt utterly lost.

Years ago, they were in the same maternity hospital as Taylor. When Madison and Grace were born, they both ended up in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Back then, they knew the Grace next to Madison was from a wealthy family, so they had a twisted idea. They sneaked in when the nurse wasn't looking and swapped the name tags. Soon, they saw the Reynolds family take Madison away, while the Grace in their arms was actually the Reynolds' biological daughter.

For years, they never showed up in front of Madison. They planned to keep this secret forever.

Until Madison suddenly showed up at their door. Mason recognized her instantly. The Reynolds had raised Madison to be beautiful, arrogant, and domineering-a true child of wealth. Madison looked down on them, not even acknowledging their existence.

Even though they had resolved never to reunite, they couldn't overcome the human instinct of greed, especially after Alva fell ill. She had always wanted to see Madison.

Mason had gone to the Reynolds Group several times to find Madison, but she refused to see Alva.

Now, Grace had overheard their conversation. She would definitely find Taylor. Once the truth came out, Madison might be kicked out of the Reynolds family.

Alva spoke, "Honey, you have to stop Grace. We can't let her reveal the truth, or we'll end up in jail, too."

Mason slapped his thigh and hurriedly chased after her.

Grace ran out of the ward crying. She didn't know where to go. The thought that Taylor, whom she had bumped into outside the restroom, was her biological mother made her even sadder.

Grace ran to the elevator, but it was occupied. She took the stairs and ran down. She didn't know how long she had been running when she bumped into someone.

A fresh mint scent filled her nose. Grace looked up in a daze and saw a familiar handsome face through her blurry vision.

Theodore's demeanor was distant; he reached out and pushed her away, a sudden coldness appearing in his eyes.

A familiar gentle voice came from beside her. "Grace, why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Grace wiped her tears and turned to see Phoebe standing next to Theodore. Seeing Phoebe made her feel even more aggrieved, and she threw herself into Phoebe's arms. "Phoebe." Phoebe staggered from the impact, but a strong arm encircled her waist, keeping her upright.

Theodore frowned and commanded, "Let go of her."

Theodore's voice was as cold as ice, clearly in a bad mood. Grace had tried to deceive him earlier, and when he didn't respond, she immediately turned her attention to Phoebe. What a schemer!

Especially since Grace was still holding onto Phoebe, it infuriated him. Phoebe was his, and no one else could hug her! Theodore's tall figure and stern expression exuded a strong sense of oppression.

Grace was so scared that she hiccupped and let go of Phoebe, standing there timidly, not even daring to shed a tear. Phoebe sighed helplessly. "Theodore, don't be so harsh on her."