Forbidden Passion
Chapter 573 Phoebe Contacted Bishop

Vanessa got shoved by Ruby, slamming her back against the window frame, and her cane clattered to the floor. Grabbing Ruby's wrist tight, Vanessa yelled, "Ruby, you've lost it!" "Yeah, I'm nuts. If I wasn't, how could I have trusted you? You swore you wouldn't hurt Donovan. You promised!" Ruby snarled, her voice dripping with regret and pain. Vanessa tried to peel Ruby's hands off, but she was too weak. "I told you, I didn't kill him."

Vanessa's plan was to use Donovan to mess with Phoebe, to drive a wedge between her and Theodore. Killing Donovan was never part of the plan.

Sure, Donovan's death and Phoebe and Theodore splitting up were outcomes Vanessa was cool with, but she didn't send anyone to off Donovan.

This is a law-abiding society; killing someone isn't that simple. Plus, she promised Ruby she wouldn't hurt Donovan.

"I don't believe you," Ruby cried out, her hands tightening around Vanessa's neck, eyes blazing with hatred. "Since Donovan's dead, you can go to hell and pay for it." "Ruby," Vanessa's face twisted, her cheeks turning red. She started to struggle for breath, clawing at Ruby's arms, her nails leaving bloody marks.

Ruby's grip only got tighter. Her face was wild and fierce. She wanted Vanessa dead, to join Donovan in the afterlife.

"Ah, someone's getting murdered!" A scream came from behind, and hurried footsteps approached. Soon, Ruby felt someone pulling her back. Refusing to let go of Vanessa's neck, Ruby wailed, her nails leaving bloody trails on Vanessa's skin.

"Let go, you're choking her!"

The nurses pulled Ruby away in a flurry, then helped Vanessa away from her.

They were about to scold Ruby when she suddenly went limp, sliding to the ground and crying like a kid who lost everything.

Vanessa, surrounded by nurses, looked at Ruby on the floor and slowly clenched her fist. She didn't want things to get to a life-and-death struggle with Ruby.

Seeing her look at Ruby, a nurse glanced at the marks on Vanessa's neck and the bloody scratches. "Miss Fitzroy, should we call the cops? This could be attempted murder." Vanessa shook her head. "Forget it. She's my friend. She just got too emotional."

"She was killing you, and you still call her a friend? Miss Fitzroy, you're a saint." The nurse couldn't help but admire Vanessa's big-heartedness.

Vanessa touched her neck. The broken skin stung, making her wince.

The nurse quickly said, "Miss Fitzroy, come with me to the nurse's station. Let's treat those wounds. Your friend was really rough. It'd be a shame if your beautiful neck got scarred." "It's fine; let's go." Vanessa took the cane handed to her by the nurse and limped away.

Ruby stared daggers at Vanessa's back. She punched the ground until her knuckles were raw and bleeding, finally stopping her self-destructive act.

She thought, 'Donovan, I'm so useless. I knew Vanessa had it out for you, yet I still helped her. Is this divine retribution for my sins?'

Phoebe pulled some strings to get Bishop's contact info and set up a meet at a coffee shop. Bishop agreed without a second thought.

That afternoon, Phoebe strolled into the coffee shop. Bishop was already there, waiting. She walked over and plopped down across from him.

Bishop had a cane by his side and looked up at her with a casual glance. "Didn't know what you liked, so I got you a hot cocoa."

"Thanks." Phoebe leaned back in her chair, leaving the hot cocoa untouched before her. She stared at Bishop. "Mr. Reynolds, I heard you and Donovan were competing for Mr. Douglas's project." Bishop raised an eyebrow. "You think I killed Donovan?"

Phoebe pursed her lips, wondering if her thoughts were that obvious. Why did everyone seem to see right through her?

Phoebe continued, "Since you put it that way, I won't beat around the bush. Yeah, you and Donovan were rivals, and Donovan seemed to have Mr. Douglas's favor. It's not crazy to think you'd want him out of the picture." Bishop sneered. "Ms. Ziegler, with an imagination like that, you should write a novel."

"You!" Phoebe glared at him, fuming.

Bishop ignored her anger and went on, "Ms. Ziegler, do you think killing someone in Kedora is that easy?"

Phoebe frowned. "Toledo Hotel has a laundry list of shady stuff. Isn't murder just another day at the office for you guys?"

"Sure, offing a nobody is easy. But killing Donovan? I don't have the guts, nor do I want to wreck my future," Bishop said calmly.

Phoebe didn't speak, staring deeply at Bishop, trying to gauge if he was for real.

Bishop spoke up again, "But I did hear something interesting. Wanna know, Ms. Ziegler?"

Phoebe looked cautious. She knew Bishop wasn't about to do her any favors, but her curiosity got the best of her. "Alright, spill."

Bishop leaned back in his chair, his eyes sharp. "Instead of suspecting me, you should look at Donovan's new girlfriend, Ruby. At the party that day..."

At the party, Bishop saw Donovan being called upstairs by Milton's secretary. He knew Donovan was being set up.

Bishop waited at the stairwell for Donovan to come down. He wanted to confirm something with Donovan, but then he overheard Donovan's girlfriend, Ruby, arguing with someone on the phone.

At that moment, Donovan came downstairs. Ruby, unaware, kept arguing on the phone, spilling a lot of info.

Bishop initially wanted to warn Ruby but was stopped by Donovan's look.

As an outsider, it wasn't his place to stick around and watch Ruby and Donovan argue, so he walked away with his drink.

"Who was Ruby arguing with on the phone?" Phoebe stared intently at Bishop. Ruby had said she argued with Donovan that day, but Phoebe didn't buy it.

Weirdly, she believed Bishop.

Bishop raised his hand to stroke his chin, pretending to recall. "I heard her call the other person Darlene."

"Darlene?" Phoebe was shocked. She knew the name; Darlene had caused Donovan a lot of trouble.

But how did Ruby know Darlene?

Bishop said, "Seems like you know him. Yeah, you're right. Darlene was Ruby's plant to get close to Donovan. Darlene made up a sob story and got Donovan to gamble for her, embezzling a ton from the Adams Group's subsidiary. All of this was Ruby's doing."