Forbidden Passion
Chapter 596 Keeping Him Out of Her Heart

Evelyn stared at her empty palm, totally confused for a sec, then glanced at Phoebe's pale but stubborn face. She sighed, "Girl, why you gotta be so hard on yourself?" Phoebe turned away, burying her face in the pillow, her defiance even more obvious.

Evelyn took a deep breath, tearing her eyes away from Phoebe. Deciding not to lecture her anymore, she opened the thermos, "You haven't eaten in days. Doc said you can only have some liquid food now. I made you some soup. Get up and have a little."

Phoebe lay still, pretending to be asleep.

Evelyn frowned, opened the thermos, and poured a bowl of soup. She turned to look at Phoebe, who was still lying motionless on the bed. "Phoebe, don't just lie there. Sit up, and I'll feed you."

Phoebe yanked the blanket over her head, totally refusing.

"You!" Evelyn fumed, her temples throbbing with anger. She always thought Phoebe was super stubborn. When she was in a good mood, she was easy to talk to, but when she was upset, she wouldn't listen to anyone.

Theodore came in from outside, hearing Evelyn scolding Phoebe and seeing Phoebe hiding under the blanket. He quickly walked over.

Theodore spoke, "Mom, let me handle this."

He took the bowl from Evelyn's hand and gently placed it back on the bedside table. He said, "You go home first today. I'll stay here with her." Evelyn looked at Phoebe. Maybe she was getting old and losing patience. Seeing Phoebe throw a tantrum made her angry.

Evelyn said, "Theodore, please take care of Phoebe. I haven't been feeling well lately. With Donovan just gone, and now Phoebe in trouble..." Theodore's hand tightened at his side. Whether it was Donovan's accident or Phoebe's kidnapping, he felt an inescapable responsibility.

Theodore comforted, "Mom, don't worry. I'll take good care of Phoebe and make sure she doesn't go hungry."

"Alright, I'll head home then." Evelyn picked up her bag and looked at Phoebe, who was still hiding under the blanket. "Phoebe, no matter how much others try to persuade you, if you don't want to think things through yourself, it's useless. Think about what I said."

Phoebe didn't respond.

Evelyn, feeling exhausted, left the room.

The room quickly quieted down. Theodore stood by the bed, looking at Phoebe curled up under the blanket, a deep sense of unease enveloping him.

Ever since he rescued Phoebe from the apartment that day, this unease had followed him like a shadow. Even though Phoebe was right in front of him, within reach, he felt he had already lost her.

This realization made Theodore's heart sink bit by bit.

"Phoebe, come out. Mom's gone. No one will nag you anymore." Theodore's voice was gentle, coaxing Phoebe.

The blanket remained still and silent.

Theodore bent down slightly, his head almost touching the blanket. He said in a suppressed tone, "Isn't it stuffy under there? If you don't want to see me, I'll leave. Just get up and eat something, okay?" This sentence almost left a gaping hole in Theodore's heart.

Only at this moment did Theodore have to accept the reality that Phoebe didn't want to see him, or perhaps anyone.

The blanket remained motionless. Theodore, afraid Phoebe would suffocate, didn't dare to pull the blanket off. He continued, "The soup is getting cold. Come out and drink it. I'll leave." Phoebe still didn't respond.

Theodore pressed his lips together. Even though he didn't want to leave Phoebe, he forced himself to walk out of the room.

Phoebe, curled up under the blanket, smelled the bitter scent of medicine. She heard the footsteps gradually fade away, and finally, the door closed.

Phoebe slowly lifted the blanket, revealing her eyes. She observed for a long time, making sure she was alone in the room, before slowly sitting up.

The wound on her back hurt terribly. Even the simple act of sitting up made her break out in a cold sweat.

Phoebe stiffened for a long time, enduring the intense pain. She slowly turned her head to look at the bowl on the bedside table.

Phoebe gauged the distance, contemplating whether, given her current injuries, she would reach the soup bowl first or succumb to the pain and collapse off the bed.

Just as Phoebe was hesitating, there was a rhythmic knock on the door. Phoebe tensed up, seeing the door open a crack from the outside.

Theodore's tall figure stood at the door, his expression cautious. "I suddenly remembered the bowl is too far for you to reach. I'll bring it to you and then leave, okay?" Phoebe's gaze fell to the floor. She neither agreed nor disagreed.

Theodore took her silence as consent. He pushed the door open and walked in. He picked up the bowl of soup, his eyes falling on the wide sleeve of her hospital gown. The deep purple marks on Phoebe's wrists stood out starkly against her skin, making a striking and unsettling impression.

Theodore's breath caught. He remembered the sight of Phoebe hanging silently from the iron frame that day, his throat tightening.

Theodore spoke, "You're seriously injured. Let me feed you, okay?"

Phoebe didn't respond.

Theodore sat by the bed, scooped a spoonful of soup, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to Phoebe's lips. The next second, Phoebe slapped the spoon away. The soup splashed on the bed, and the spoon fell to the floor, shattering. Phoebe turned her head away, the words hissing through her teeth. "Get out!"

Theodore froze. He looked up at Phoebe. She was trembling, her face pale, and her forehead covered in cold sweat.

He couldn't tell if it was from anger or pain.

Theodore's heart ached. He leaned in to check if she had reopened her wound, but as he got closer, Phoebe's emotions became more agitated.

She yelled, "Get away! Don't touch me!"

Theodore's hand froze in mid-air. He looked down at Phoebe. She was staring at him with eyes full of hatred and disgust. "Phoebe."

Theodore's heart felt like it had been hit by a heavy blow. He closed his eyes.

Theodore comforted, "Fine, you don't want to see me. I'll get a nurse. Don't move."

With that, Theodore put down the bowl of soup and stumbled out of the room.

Soon, a nurse came in. Seeing the blood seeping through the bandage on Phoebe's back, she changed the dressing while saying, "Your back wound has just started to heal. Don't move around." Phoebe sat rigidly, as if she couldn't feel the pain. The nurse sighed, finished changing the dressing, and picked up the now-cold soup.

The nurse spoke, "Drink it and get some sleep."

Phoebe drank the soup in small sips and, with the nurse's help, lay back down, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

Outside the room, Theodore punched the wall hard. He closed his eyes, hiding the deep pain in them.

When he finally comprehended Phoebe's love for him, he had already been shut out of her heart.