Forbidden Passion
Chapter 556 Phoebe Heartbroken

Phoebe's heart did a somersault. Donovan never called this late unless something was seriously up. The last time he did, he was knee-deep in trouble in Starfall City. She hit redial. After a few nerve-wracking rings, she got the dreaded automated message.

"The number you have dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later."

Phoebe hung up and tried again. It was still off. Panic set in, and she quickly dialed Evelyn, "Mom, did Donovan come back last night?"

Evelyn was deep in a card game with her friends, "No clue, honey. I didn't go home last night."

Phoebe's anxiety spiked, "Mom, I called Donovan, but his phone's off. Can you check if he's home? If he is, tell him to call me back."

"Is it urgent? If not, just wait." Evelyn said, barely paying attention as she grabbed another card.

Evelyn had been on a winning streak for the past two days and was too engrossed to care about anything else.

Phoebe could hear the commotion on Evelyn's end and felt a wave of frustration. Evelyn always tuned out the world when she played cards.

Phoebe hung up, threw on some clothes, and headed for the door. Just as she reached it, it swung open, and there stood Theodore, looking like he just walked out of a snowstorm. Phoebe blinked at him. He was in a black coat, making his already intense vibe even more intimidating. His hair was damp, and he looked like he was carved out of ice. "Theodore." Phoebe stood there, stunned.

Theodore looked at her, his lips a tight line. He seemed to struggle with what to say but knew he couldn't avoid it. He called out, "Phoebe."

"Come in first. Your clothes are wet." Phoebe cut him off, sensing he was about to drop a bombshell.

She tossed her bag on the shoe cabinet, "Have you had breakfast? I'll whip something up for you. Just a sec."

As she turned to leave, Theodore stepped in, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close.

He said, "Phoebe, there's something I need to tell you."

Phoebe's heart raced. She had never been so scared of Theodore speaking. His voice felt like a monster ready to swallow her whole.

She replied, "I don't want to hear it. I'll make you breakfast."

She tried to pull away, but Theodore held her tight. Her shoulders hit his solid chest, sending a jolt through her.

Theodore closed his eyes, "Donovan had a car accident by the coast last night and fell into the sea. The coast guard searched all night and only found the wreckage. Donovan is missing." Missing was easier to swallow than dead. At least there was still hope.

But in that dangerous sea, with last night's waves, Theodore said "missing" to soften the blow.

Phoebe's knees buckled. If Theodore hadn't been holding her, she would've hit the floor.

His words hit her like a thunderclap. Her vision blurred, and it took a few moments to regain her senses.

Theodore scooped her up and carried her to the living room, gently placing her on the sofa. He knelt in front of her.

Ollie, their cat, crept over, its paws gripping the sofa as it peeked out, watching the tense scene unfold.

Theodore spoke up, "Phoebe, say something. Don't just sit there. I'm really worried about you."

Phoebe stared off into space, her mind still reeling from the bombshell. Slowly, she started to come back to reality.

She said, almost pleading, "You're lying, right?"

Theodore's eyes softened, but he held her hand and said firmly, "I'm not lying, Phoebe."

"No way!" Phoebe suddenly fought against the truth. She unlocked her phone and shoved it in his face, "Look, he called me last night. It's impossible. You must be lying." Her tears fell onto Theodore's hand, burning like acid, leaving a hole in his heart.

Theodore hugged her tightly, "Phoebe, don't do this."

Phoebe pushed against him, but he wouldn't let go. She was desperate, crying out, "I don't believe it, Theodore. Tell me, is he hiding because he's scared of getting into trouble?" "No," Theodore said softly.

Phoebe yelled, "He is! He must've gotten into trouble and is hiding because he's scared I'll scold him. He's always been irresponsible. He wouldn't fall into the sea, no way!" Phoebe would rather believe Donovan was hiding out like he did in Starfall City than accept he fell into the sea on a snowy night.

Because deep down, she knew Theodore's mention of "missing" was just a softer way of saying Donovan was likely gone for good.

Seeing Phoebe getting more and more worked up, Theodore was scared she might hurt herself. He hugged her tighter, "Phoebe, cry if you need to. After you cry, face it bravely, okay?"

Phoebe cried her heart out, her body going limp. Eventually, she fainted from exhaustion.

Theodore panicked and quickly called the family doctor. After checking her over, the doctor said, "Mrs. Reynolds fainted from grief. She'll be fine after some rest."

After the doctor left, Theodore went back to the bedroom and sat by the bed.

Phoebe slept fitfully, still sobbing in her dreams. It showed just how deeply the news had hit her. Theodore held her hand to his lips, his heart aching.

He sat there for a while until his phone rang. He gently put her hand back under the blanket, tucked her in, and stepped out to take the call.

In the hallway, Theodore spoke in a low voice, "Lawton, have the cops figured out what caused the accident?"

"Yeah," Lawton sounded beat. "The police checked the surveillance footage and saw Mr. Ziegler's car speeding up about 0.6 miles from the crash site. They think the brakes failed. The forensic team found evidence the brakes were tampered with."

"You mean it was deliberate?" Theodore's brows knitted together.

Lawton replied, "The police think so. They've classified it as a murder. Craig's opening an investigation."

Theodore gripped his phone tightly and finally said, "Got it. You've been at it all night. Get some rest. Once you're fresh, I've got something for you to do."

With the police on the case, it wasn't right for Lawton to dig any deeper. Theodore hung up and leaned against the cold wall, his head pounding.

Someone had messed with Donovan's brakes, clearly trying to kill him. But Donovan didn't have any enemies in Kedora.

Who the hell would want Donovan dead?

Theodore couldn't figure it out. He rubbed his temples and opened the bedroom door.