Forbidden Passion
Chapter 628 Nothing else Matters as long as You Want to Marry Me

Mary felt the tension and bailed out of the car halfway, dodging more awkward vibes.

Phoebe rolled back to Golden Apartment. The nanny van couldn't squeeze in, so it parked by the curb outside. Phoebe tossed off the blanket. Noah sat up, sounding all grumpy, "We're here already?"

Phoebe ruffled his hair, "Yep, I'm outta here. You should chill for a few days. Once the next film kicks off, you'll be swamped."

Just as Phoebe was about to hop out, Noah grabbed her wrist. She almost tumbled into his lap but caught herself just in time.

Noah's eyes flashed with a bit of disappointment. He said, "Phoebe, I don't wanna do that variety show. It's pointless."

Phoebe looked at him and said softly, "This show is a big deal, co-produced by your old company and Kedora's team. The guest lineup is top-notch. Other artists are dying to get on it. Extraordinary Entertainments invited you; it's a golden chance." Noah pouted a bit.

He knew he was being a brat and shouldn't whine about his career, but he couldn't help it. "Then sweet-talk me. If you do, I'll go."

Phoebe chuckled, "You are such a big baby."

"No way! I'm already past the legal marriage age," Noah shot back, annoyed.

Phoebe nodded with a smile, "Alright, I'm out. You should head back and get some rest. See you at the office tomorrow."

She pulled her hand free from Noah's grip. The nanny van's door slid open, and she stepped out.

Noah watched her disappear into the complex from the window. He closed it and told the driver to go.

Phoebe got home and spotted a pair of men's leather shoes at the entrance. While changing her shoes, she called out, "Edward, you here?"

Edward stood up from the couch. He'd just gotten back from a business trip, showered, changed, and rushed over to see her.

But she wasn't home when he arrived.

Edward couldn't bring himself to leave, so he helped Evelyn put the triplets to bed and watched TV in the living room. Evelyn, worn out from looking after the kids all day, had already crashed. "Yeah, have you eaten?" Edward walked over, took Phoebe's bag, and gave her a once-over, feeling a warm fuzz inside.

"I had some desserts at the party, but now I'm starving. I'll whip up something," Phoebe said, not catching Edward's unusual vibe. She walked past him towards the kitchen.

Edward quickly grabbed her wrist, "You go change, I'll cook."

"How can I let you do that?" Phoebe protested.

"Don't be so formal with me, go on," Edward insisted, though he liked how Phoebe was dressed, he worried he might lose control and mess up their delicate balance.

Edward nudged Phoebe towards the bedroom, leaving her no choice but to comply. Hubert, Boris, and Noomi were snoozing soundly on the big bed.

Phoebe walked over slowly, knelt on the bed, and pulled the pajama pants off Noomi's head to keep her from suffocating.

She'd been back for a week, leaving early and coming home late every day, and hadn't spent time with them for a while. She felt a bit guilty.

After sitting by the bed for a bit, Phoebe got up to remove her makeup and take a shower. She changed into loungewear and came back to the living room feeling refreshed. Edward whipped up some spaghetti, and the smell was mouthwatering. Phoebe touched her empty stomach and said, "That smells amazing."

Edward grinned and pulled out a chair, "Come on, dig in. You look like you've dropped some pounds lately."

Phoebe sat down, grabbed a fork, and took a bite. It was so good she couldn't stop nodding.

"Edward, your cooking is on point. Whoever marries you is gonna be one lucky person," she said, genuinely impressed.

Edward sat next to her, pushing some fruits and veggies her way, smiling as he watched her, "If you marry me, I'll cook for you every day."

"Don't mess with me. Just look at the three kids in the other room. Even if I wanted to marry, the Vanderbilt family wouldn't touch me with a ten-foot pole," Phoebe replied. Edward looked at her seriously, "Nothing else matters as long as you want to marry me."

Phoebe focused on her spaghetti. This kind of talk had come up a lot over the past two years. She'd gone from being on edge to totally chill about it, thanks to Hubert, Boris, and Noomi. In Phoebe's mind, with three kids, no rich family would ever accept her.

Plus, from the moment she decided to have the kids, she hadn't planned on marrying again. For the rest of her life, having her kids was enough.

"By the way, how'd your business trip go?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, it was smooth. The contract was already sorted. I just went to sign it for the company," Edward said, resting his head on his hand. Phoebe glanced at him, "Did you come straight here without going home? You look beat. Why don't you go home and crash first?" Edward replied, "It's cool. I'll leave after you finish eating."

Phoebe silently ate her spaghetti, feeling Edward's eyes on her the whole time. She sped up her eating.

Edward lightly tapped the back of the chair with his fingers, "Phoebe, have you seen Theodore since you got back?"

Phoebe paused, her expression unchanged, "Yeah, ran into him at the charity gala tonight. Still as quiet as ever."

"I heard he's getting engaged to Sandra soon. She's been after him for two years, and she's finally getting her way," Edward said, his eyes on Phoebe, trying to read her reaction. Phoebe chuckled, "Good for him. It's clear Ms. Ramirez really likes him."

Edward felt even more bummed. He pushed back his chair and stood up, "It's late. I'll head home."

"Okay." Phoebe got up to see him out.

At the door, Edward put on his leather shoes and looked at Phoebe standing under the light. He spoke softly, "Phoebe, if you let me..." "Come on, hurry up. If you drag this out any longer, it'll be morning. Drive safe and text me when you get home," Phoebe cut him off.

The light in Edward's eyes dimmed completely. He opened the door and walked out, his slumped figure looking especially pitiful.

Edward had hoped Phoebe would ask him to stay, but she closed the door decisively, almost ruthlessly.

Phoebe went back to the dining room, looking at the colorful spaghetti, but suddenly lost her appetite. Theodore getting engaged was actually a good thing.

They'd both been moving forward these past two years. As long as they didn't dwell on the past, life wasn't much worse without each other.

But the buried pain in her heart would sometimes resurface, sneaking up on her when she least expected it, causing unbearable hurt.