Forbidden Passion
Chapter 612 Phoebe Got Drunk and Was Plotted Against

Phoebe figured it was 'cause she hadn't job hunted since graduation. She'd never seen a company hire someone and then drag 'em to a fancy shindig right off the bat. But hey, it was urgent, so Phoebe rolled with it.

She spent half the afternoon going through the banquet stuff the HR manager gave her until Raphael Upton, fresh from a meeting, called her into his office.

Raphael, in his thirties, rocked a gray suit and had that slick, successful vibe. His eyes, sharp behind his glasses, screamed "businessman."

Phoebe stood in front of his desk, meeting his gaze.

Raphael checked her out for a sec before motioning for her to sit. "Ms. Ziegler, I looked over your resume. You were the chief secretary at the Reynolds Group and did a stint as operations director at an entertainment company for three months."

Phoebe nodded, "Yep."

"You had a solid gig at the Reynolds Group. Why'd you wanna switch?" Raphael asked.

Phoebe bit her lip and decided to keep it real. "Mr. Upton, honestly, my boss and I didn't vibe. To keep us both from going nuts, I bailed."

Raphael chuckled. "You're a riot."

"Thanks," Phoebe said.

Raphael seemed done with the resume talk. He closed the folder and said, "We've got a financial circle banquet tonight. You checked out the materials. Any questions?"

Phoebe looked down, saying, "Nope. I've been to over a hundred banquets with Mr. Reynolds. I got this."

"Cool. Get ready. We're outta here in ten." Raphael ordered.

Phoebe left the office, freshened up her makeup in the restroom, and then joined Raphael in the car heading to the banquet.

The banquet was at a swanky five-star hotel on the east side. As their car rolled up, a bunch of business folks with their secretaries and assistants were heading in.

Phoebe and Raphael got out. Raphael spotted some buddies and led Phoebe over to say hi. They chatted as they walked into the banquet hall.

A black Maybach rolled up behind them. As it stopped, a valet rushed to open the door. A pair of long, sharp-dressed legs stepped out, shiny leather shoes hitting the pavement.

The guy got out, buttoning his suit jacket all smooth-like, and headed into the hotel, taking the VIP elevator upstairs.

Inside the banquet hall, Phoebe held a glass of fruit wine and stuck close to Raphael. She wasn't nervous. No matter who Raphael was chatting with or what they were talking about, she could jump in whenever needed. Raphael was digging it.

"I believe you now, Ms. Ziegler. You handle this like a pro," Raphael said, clearly impressed.

Phoebe was about to reply when a buzz at the entrance caught her eye. She looked up and saw Edward.

Raphael followed her gaze and saw Edward, surrounded by fans. He raised an eyebrow. "That's Edward Vanderbilt, a real-deal heir."

Phoebe bit her lip, not wanting to deal with Edward. "Mr. Upton, I gotta hit the restroom."

She put her wine glass back on the waiter's tray and made a beeline for the exit.

Edward had already spotted her. His eyes tracked Phoebe until she vanished from sight, something Raphael didn't miss.

Raphael was always sharp; that's how he climbed the ladder. Everyone in his company knew his secretary could be clueless, but she had to be a knockout.

Over the years, Raphael had kept his spot by sending his secretaries to cozy up to various business partners.

His last secretary was currently cozying up to a boss, looking pretty pleased with herself.

So, in Raphael's mind, women were naturally promiscuous. As long as the guy had cash, they'd get intimate.

Raphael adjusted his tie and strolled over to Edward with a glass of champagne. If Phoebe could snag Edward, Raphael's company would be set for the next year. Phoebe stood by the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. She hadn't seen Edward since her accident.

She'd heard Madison snarkily mention that Theodore had people guarding the hospital room, keeping Edward away.

Phoebe took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't dodge Edward forever. She washed her hands, dried them, and headed back out.

When she re-entered the banquet hall, Edward and Raphael were chatting it up.

Raphael saw Phoebe and waved her over. "Phoebe, come meet someone. This is Mr. Vanderbilt from the Vanderbilt Group."

Edward stared at Phoebe, not blinking. "You've lost weight."

Phoebe pressed her lips together, noticing Raphael's surprised look. She calmly said, "Mr. Upton, Mr. Vanderbilt and I go way back. We're classmates."

"No wonder, you're all Harvard alums. We gotta have a drink to that, right?" Raphael signaled a waiter to bring over two glasses of wine.

Edward's eyes never left Phoebe's face. Raphael, being the sharp guy he was, immediately picked up on the special vibe between Edward and Phoebe.

At least, Edward's feelings for Phoebe were anything but ordinary.

Raphael squinted, trying to get Edward and Phoebe to drink. He couldn't pull the same stunts he did with other business partners on Edward. Edward was not someone he could mess with.

But if something happened after a few drinks, it wouldn't be on him.

Phoebe ended up drinking several glasses of fruit wine. Even though it wasn't strong, she didn't realize it had a kick. After a few glasses, her stomach felt like it was on fire. She didn't catch what Raphael and Edward were talking about and then saw Edward leave to mingle with others.

Raphael took Phoebe around the banquet hall a few more times, and she downed two more glasses of fruit wine. Phoebe felt dizzy and a bit tipsy.

Raphael called, "Phoebe?"

Phoebe looked at Raphael with bleary eyes. "Mr. Upton, I don't feel so hot. This fruit wine is hitting me hard. I'm feeling dizzy."

Raphael handed her a room key. "If you're feeling dizzy, go upstairs and crash for a bit. I'll have a waiter call you when it's time to go." Phoebe hesitated, "But..."

"Go on. If you're really out of it, just sleep it off. Lock the door and don't open it for anyone," Raphael advised.

Phoebe swallowed her refusal. Raphael seemed pretty straight-up. As long as she locked the door, no one should be able to get in. Thinking this, Phoebe thanked Raphael and left the banquet hall, not noticing the sly look that flashed in Raphael's eyes.