Forbidden Passion
Chapter 654 Whether to Forgive or Not Isn't That Important

In the room, Theodore started hacking up a storm. The wound on his waist split open, and warm blood started oozing out, soaking the gauze and turning his striped hospital gown a nasty red.

Lawton barged in and saw Theodore slumped against the bed, looking pale as a ghost. He freaked out, "Mr. Reynolds, I'm getting the doc!"

"It's nothing, Lawton. Just handle my discharge papers."

Lawton's eyes went wide, "But you're still bleeding! You can't leave now."

"Just go." Theodore's voice was sharp and no-nonsense, leaving no room for argument. Even though he looked like death warmed over, he was still scary as hell.

Lawton clenched his jaw, went to sort out the discharge stuff, and called a doc to change Theodore's dressing. By the time he got back with the papers, Theodore had already thrown on his shirt and trousers and was sitting by the bed, waiting. Lawton rushed over, wanting to help, but Theodore shoved him away, "I don't need your help. I'm not some weakling."

What a tough guy!

Lawton trailed behind Theodore, watching him walk out of the hospital room with his back straight despite the obvious pain. He couldn't help but feel a bit of respect. It seemed like Theodore had been seriously affected by Edward.

When Theodore got back to the Imperial Apartment, Ollie, now bigger, was patrolling his cat tree kingdom. Hearing the door, Ollie stared at the entrance, all suspicious.

It wasn't until Theodore's familiar tall figure came into view that Ollie chilled out. He jumped down from the cat tree and, with a few hops, reached Theodore's leg.

Ollie rubbed his furry head against Theodore's leg but then jumped back, twitching his whiskers at the strong smell of disinfectant.

After all the fuss, Theodore broke out in a cold sweat. He plopped down on the sofa, looking at Ollie on the floor with a deep gaze.

"You're just as heartless as she is."

Ollie, not getting it, chased his tail a few times out of boredom before curling up in his cat bed.

Theodore leaned weakly against the sofa, taking a few breaths. Looking at the empty living room, he felt a dull ache in his chest with every breath.

Lawton had dropped Theodore off at the apartment building. He had wanted to escort Theodore to his door to make sure he didn't pass out in the elevator. But Theodore wouldn't have it.

As Theodore disappeared from view, Lawton felt a weird sense of worry. Theodore didn't look good, yet he insisted on leaving the hospital.

The Imperial Apartment only had Theodore and Ollie. If Theodore really passed out at home, no one would know.

In a flash, a bunch of horrifying news headlines ran through Lawton's mind. The more he thought about it, the more freaked out he got. He gritted his teeth and dialed Phoebe's number.

In the middle of the night, Phoebe was jolted awake by her vibrating phone. She picked it up and glanced at the caller ID. Having worked with Lawton for three years, she knew his number by heart. Seeing the time, she quietly got out of bed, walked out of the bedroom, and leaned against the wall to answer the call.

"Mr. Brown, what's so urgent you had to call me this late?"

Lawton, having dialed Phoebe's number on impulse, was now at a loss for words as the call connected.

"Uh, Mrs. Reynolds..."

Phoebe cut him off, her voice icy, "Mr. Brown, Theodore and I are divorced. Just call me Phoebe."

Lawton was caught off guard, feeling a weird pang of sadness. Even he still called her "Mrs. Reynolds" out of habit. How could Theodore, who'd been with her for four years, just move on like that? "Sorry, I shouldn't have called, but Phoebe, Mr. Reynolds got hurt saving you. His wound's still bad, and now he's alone at the Imperial Apartment. If something happens to him..."

Lawton hesitated, "Forget it. You probably don't care. Just ignore me. I'll hang up now."

Phoebe heard the dial tone and rubbed her face, feeling a mix of frustration and concern.

Lawton had been with Theodore for years, yet he was losing his cool.

She stood in the hallway for a bit. Maybe it was the late hour, making her feel more vulnerable. For a moment, she wanted to rush to the Imperial Apartment.

And then what? Like Evelyn said, get tangled up in that mess again?

Phoebe shook her head, pushing away the impulsive thought. After a while, she dialed another number.

On the other end, Grace was probably deep asleep. The phone rang forever before anyone picked up. Just as Phoebe was about to hang up, a sleepy voice answered, "Hello, who is it?" "It's Phoebe."

Grace, still half-asleep, jolted awake at Phoebe's voice. She sat up quickly, "Phoebe, why are you calling so late? Is something wrong?"

Phoebe sighed, "Can you go to the Imperial Apartment now? Theodore's been discharged and he's alone. I can't go. If it's too much, you can call his girlfriend."

"No, Phoebe, it's fine. I'll head over now. But," Grace hesitated, "are you really not going to check on him?"

"We're divorced. There's no point in getting involved again. Thanks, Grace. I'll hang up now."

Phoebe ended the call and leaned against the wall, letting out a long breath. Waking Grace up in the middle of the night made her feel uneasy.

She thought for a moment, then changed her clothes, grabbed her car keys, and left.

Golden Apartment was a 30-minute drive from the Imperial Apartment. Phoebe parked on the street outside the complex and saw Grace's car pulling up.

Phoebe got out and stood by the roadside, waiting for Grace.

"Phoebe, what are you doing here?" Grace asked, poking her head out of the window, surprised. "Do you want to come in with me?"

Phoebe shook her head, "I was worried about you driving alone at night. You go ahead. I'll wait out here."

Grace's eyes dimmed, "Phoebe, you still haven't forgiven Theodore, have you?"

Phoebe pressed her lips together and met Grace's sad gaze. She said calmly, "Grace, I've moved on. Forgiveness isn't the issue."

Grace wanted to call Phoebe out. If she'd really moved on, she wouldn't have called in the middle of the night to check on Theodore. But looking into Phoebe's eyes, she couldn't say it. After all, she wasn't the one who'd been left for dead in that apartment. She couldn't demand Phoebe's forgiveness.

"It's pretty cold tonight. Wait in your car. I'll be out soon," Grace said, resigned.