Forbidden Passion
Chapter 569 Phoebe Investigated the Truth

Phoebe ditched work. She had too many questions buzzing in her head, and until she got some answers, there was no way she'd get any sleep.

She left the Golden Apartment and grabbed a cab to Venture Capital Firm. This place was smack dab in the middle of Kedora's famous financial street, with a skyscraper that screamed modern and high-tech. As soon as she walked in, the receptionist stopped her.

"Hey there, who are you here to see?"

Phoebe handed over a business card. "I'm Mr. Reynolds' chief secretary from the Reynolds Group. I need to see Mr. Douglas. Can you let him know?"

The receptionist glanced at the card, then at Phoebe, and picked up the phone to call the president's secretary. After a quick chat, she waved Phoebe through.

Phoebe took the elevator to the top floor. Milton's secretary was already waiting for her when she stepped out.

"Ms. Ziegler, Mr. Douglas is in a meeting. He asked me to bring you to his office to wait. He'll be with you as soon as he's done."

Phoebe nodded, "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Ms. Ziegler. This way, please!" The secretary led her to Milton's office, which was decked out in pure luxury. Phoebe sank into a custom-made Philadelphia leather sofa, and an assistant brought in coffee, setting it down in front of her.

She noticed the cup was a new Hermès product. Even though she was used to the finer things, Milton's level of opulence was next-level. The coffee probably wasn't worth as much as the cup.

Phoebe nodded at the assistant, picked up the cup, and took a sip. "Top-notch coffee, global limited edition. Mr. Douglas sure knows how to live it up."

"In terms of living it up, how could I compare to the top family in Kedora, right, Mrs. Reynolds?" A smooth voice came from the doorway.

The secretary and assistant straightened up, quickly bowed to Milton, and then left, looking pretty scared of him.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow, taking in Milton's striking features. Unlike Theodore's straight-laced look, Milton had a bit of a rogue vibe. She put down the cup and stood up slowly, "Mr. Douglas."

Milton raised his hand slightly, "Mrs. Reynolds, please, sit. Make yourself at home, no need for formalities."

Phoebe sat back down and said, "Mr. Douglas, I know you're busy. I wouldn't have come to bother you, but I've got a few questions I need answers to."

Milton smiled, his naturally charming eyes becoming even more captivating, "I heard Mr. Ziegler left the banquet that night, had a car accident, and fell into the sea, unfortunately passing away. I'm deeply sorry. Although I only met Mr. Ziegler a few times, I admired his bold spirit."

Phoebe stared at Milton. He was a typical businessman. Despite his constant smile, it never reached his eyes.

Guys like Milton were actually tougher to deal with than Theodore.

Because Milton always seemed harmless, making you drop your guard. Once you trusted him, he'd bite without hesitation, dragging you into hell.

Donovan was a straightforward guy, not one for mind games, making him no match for Milton.

Phoebe spoke, "Since you mentioned Donovan, I won't beat around the bush. I heard that at the banquet that day, you had a private chat with him. I want to know what you talked about."

Milton leaned back on the sofa, his hand on his chin, looking all thoughtful, "I really admired Mr. Ziegler's character and talent. I actually wanted to bring him on board at my company, but he turned me down." Phoebe frowned, sensing Milton was dodging her question.

"So, that night, you were talking about this?" Phoebe pushed.

"Not exactly." Milton raised a finger and waved it, "You probably don't know yet. The project between the Reynolds Group and my company got canned because Mr. Reynolds asked me to put on a show." A show?

"What do you mean?" Phoebe's hands on her lap slowly clenched into fists.

Milton leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees, looking all intense.

He replied, "Mr. Reynolds wanted to stage something to lure someone into a trap, and he needed my help. As for why he wanted to do this, Mrs. Reynolds, you might need to ask Mr. Reynolds himself." Milton winked at Phoebe. Phoebe pressed her lips together, "I don't get it. Who was he trying to lure?"

"Someone who wants the Reynolds Group, obviously." Milton sat up straight, looking at Phoebe's confused eyes, "Seems like you and Mr. Reynolds haven't really opened up to each other. Even though you're married, he's never fully trusted you."

Phoebe's heart tightened, and her face changed slightly, "Whether we've opened up to each other is none of your business."

Milton curled his lips, his arm resting on the sofa armrest, his fingers lightly tapping the sofa, "True, I just think it's a waste. How about you come work for my company, Mrs. Reynolds? I know how to appreciate and nurture talent."

Phoebe took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions in check. She couldn't let Milton steer the conversation, or her visit would be pointless.

Phoebe said, "Mr. Douglas, I know Donovan. If you appreciated him, he would've been happy and wouldn't have left the banquet in a bad mood. So, what did you really say to him?"

"It seems Mrs. Reynolds still doesn't believe me. How heartbreaking." Milton put on a mock heartbroken expression.

Phoebe placed her hands on the coffee table, a very assertive move, staring at Milton without blinking, "I hope Mr. Douglas doesn't change the subject."

Milton spread his legs, leaning forward slightly, almost crossing half the coffee table, his face very close to Phoebe's.

Milton stared into Phoebe's eyes, his gaze deep and complex, "It seems Mrs. Reynolds isn't as sharp as I thought. I've already made it clear."

Phoebe felt uneasy with Milton's proximity, her fingers rigid against the coffee table. She couldn't back away; retreating would mean losing the upper hand.

Phoebe stared into Milton's eyes, quickly going over their conversation in her mind, sorting out the useful info.

She spoke, "You said Mr. Reynolds set a trap, and the person he wanted to lure wasn't Donovan, but Bishop. So, Bishop has also had dealings with your company?"

Milton's eyes gradually showed a hint of admiration, "Go on."

Phoebe continued, "Mr. Reynolds used the project with your company as bait to lure Bishop, while also having Donovan compete for the project. I think that night you invited Donovan upstairs to make it a show for another person at the banquet. Bishop was also at the banquet that night, right?"

"Yeah!" Milton finally gave Phoebe a straight answer.

Phoebe stared into his eyes, "You met with Donovan alone, making Bishop think you had decided to cooperate with Donovan, prompting him to target Donovan. The person who wanted to kill Donovan was Bishop!"