Forbidden Passion
Chapter 563 Don't Test My Limits

Theodore leaned in and kissed her, his breath all heavy and stuff. Mid-kiss, he muttered, "Phoebe, have I been too soft on you? You've forgotten your place." Phoebe felt a sharp pain in her chest.

She tried to kick him, but Theodore was ready. The second she lifted her leg, he pinned her down, breaking away from her lips.

Phoebe was pissed and frustrated, struggling to break free. She shot daggers at Theodore, "If you wanna get laid, go to Vanessa. She'll be more than happy to oblige." Already fuming, Theodore's face darkened even more at her words. He grabbed her by the neck, spitting out each word, "Say that again!"

His eyes were cold, the fury in them downright scary.

Phoebe looked away. Her words had cut deep, not just for Theodore but for herself too, leaving her heart aching.

Theodore grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Phoebe, don't you dare push me towards another woman again."

He knew Phoebe didn't love him, but her pushing him to Vanessa still stung. He wanted to rip open her heart to see if it was made of stone. Why couldn't he warm it?

Phoebe bit her lower lip, hitting the spot he had bitten earlier, making her gasp in pain. Seeing her like this, Theodore felt a mix of hate and heartache. He let her go and turned away.

"Phoebe, stop testing my limits. You can be with anyone but Edward," his cold voice echoed in the stairwell.

Phoebe clenched her fists, turned, and stormed out of the emergency exit.

Theodore listened to her footsteps fade away. He leaned weakly against the stair railing and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it up.

His phone buzzed. It was an unknown number. He frowned and answered, hearing a strange voice.

"Mr. Reynolds, did you like the gift I sent you?"

Theodore gripped his phone tight. "Who the hell are you? If you've got guts, don't hide. Makes you look like a coward."

"I'm not stupid," the voice paused, then continued, "This time it was Donovan. Next time, it'll be someone you care about." The call ended, and Theodore angrily dialed back, but the automated message said the number was no longer in service. Theodore gritted his teeth in fury.

He was about to throw his phone when it buzzed again. Without checking the caller ID, he answered, "Who is this?" "Mr. Reynolds, it's me, Lawton."

Hearing Lawton's anxious voice, Theodore pinched the bridge of his nose. The cigarette in his fingers nearly burned his hair, and he quickly tossed it away.

He asked, "Did you find anything?"

Lawton, hearing Theodore's low voice, quickly said, "Mr. Ziegler had no obvious enemies in Kedora, except for a beef with Mr. Adams from the Adams Group. Recently, he'd been talking with Mr. Douglas from the Venture Capital Firm. Other than that, nothing unusual."

Theodore frowned deeply. "No anomalies? Then tell me who messed with his brakes and planted a timed bomb in his gas tank?"

Lawton was at a loss for words, "But I did find out that Bishop has also been talking with Mr. Douglas, probably trying to secure the project and mess with you at the shareholders' meeting." Theodore, getting more worked up, asked, "What did the cops say?"

"Pretty much the same as what I found. Even if it's ruled a murder, without solid proof, the case will just fizzle out," Lawton replied.

Theodore thought about what Phoebe had said yesterday, his face growing darker. If Donovan's death went unsolved, what would Phoebe think?

She'd probably think he pressured the cops to drop it, making her even more convinced he was the murderer.

Theodore instructed, "Lawton, dig into Bishop. Also, set up a meeting with Mr. Douglas for me. I need to talk to him."

That night, what did Milton say to Donovan? Theodore needed to find out to have peace of mind.

Phoebe went to the restroom. The mirror showed her pale face, making the wound on her lip look even worse.

She tried to wash away the blood, but it hurt too much, so she gave up.

Phoebe went back to the hospital room. Brian and Edward were there, and Evelyn seemed in better spirits. Brian and Edward were like her own sons, even though they weren't related by blood. Seeing Phoebe come in, Brian stood up and said, "Phoebe, take care of Evelyn. Call me if you need anything. I gotta go now."

Phoebe knew Brian was busy and didn't hold him up. She walked him to the elevator. Brian's eyes flicked to her lip, and he sighed, gently patting her shoulder. Brian comforted, "Phoebe, my condolences."

Phoebe's eyes stung. She looked down, "Brian, thanks for coming to see me and my mom. We'll be fine, don't worry."

Brian replied, "Okay, call me if you need anything."

As Brian left, Phoebe slowly went back to the room. Edward was peeling an apple. When he saw her, his eyes lingered on her face for a moment.

Edward didn't miss the new wound on Phoebe's lip. His eyes darkened briefly before he discreetly looked away and kept cutting the apple into small pieces.

Edward handed the fruit to Evelyn. "Evelyn, have some fruit."

Evelyn took it, looking at Edward with some regret. She knew about Edward and Phoebe's relationship, and so did the Vanderbilt family.

Maybe it was the bond from watching Edward and Phoebe grow up together, plus the fact that Edward wasn't the eldest son, that made the Vanderbilt family not oppose their relationship.

If Edward and Phoebe hadn't broken up, they would've gotten married, and Phoebe might've been happier. But they didn't end up together.

When Phoebe got pregnant, Edward had come to Evelyn, asking her to let him marry Phoebe. He promised to treat the child as his own and keep the secret.

Evelyn was touched by Edward's love for Phoebe; however, having watched Edward grow up, she couldn't bear to see him suffer. Plus, the Vanderbilt family had helped her in her hardest times, and she couldn't repay them with ingratitude.

So, Evelyn went to Theodore, asking him to take responsibility for Phoebe. She thought that even if Theodore didn't love Phoebe, they could divorce after the child was born.

What Evelyn hadn't anticipated was that Phoebe's child wouldn't survive birth, yet Theodore and Phoebe's marriage lasted four years.