Forbidden Passion
Chapter 717 Holding Her Hand Under the Clothes

The car drove into Todi Stadium and stopped at the entrance. Stanley got out first, followed closely by Phoebe, who noticed several other cars arriving behind them out of the corner of her eye. Today's screening event also invited media reporters to take photos at the entrance. As soon as Stanley and Phoebe got out of the car, they became the focus of the media's cameras. Stanley raised his arm, and Phoebe placed her hand on his arm and smiled at the cameras as the flashbulbs went off.

After the photos were taken, Stanley and Phoebe walked down the red carpet. The main hall of Todi Stadium could accommodate two thousand viewers, but today's screening was arranged in a smaller hall. As soon as they entered, a hostess came over to guide them.

When they arrived at the smaller hall, there weren't many invited guests yet. They were scattered around, chatting in small groups, indicating that Stanley and Phoebe had arrived relatively early. The venue was elegantly decorated, creating a relatively comfortable viewing area.

On stage, there was a podium and a large screen, which was currently playing soothing light music, making the atmosphere pleasant.

Stanley had been in the industry longer than Phoebe, and when acquaintances saw him, they immediately came over to greet him. Stanley took the opportunity to introduce Phoebe.

This acquaintance then took Stanley and Phoebe around the smaller hall, introducing them to almost all the important people present.

By the time they had made the rounds, it was seven o'clock, and Phoebe noticed that the smaller hall had filled up with guests at some point.

Looking around, she saw well-dressed guests everywhere and spotted Theodore in the crowd.

Theodore, dressed in a simple black suit and white shirt, stood out among the crowd. Noticing Phoebe's gaze, he raised his glass to her in a toast.

Theodore's abrupt gesture drew the attention of those around him, and everyone turned to look at her, making Phoebe want to strangle him on the spot.

The man next to Theodore said something to him, and Theodore casually beckoned Phoebe over with a finger, as if calling her to come over.

With so many people watching, Phoebe couldn't refuse Theodore's gesture. She told Stanley, and he followed her over.

The front row was occupied by the wealthiest business owners in the Kedora business circle. Stanley and Phoebe walked up to Theodore, and Phoebe introduced them, "Stanley, this is Mr. Reynolds from Reynolds Group. Mr. Reynolds, this is my college classmate, Stanley."

Stanley and Theodore shook hands, making their acquaintance.

Theodore tilted his head slightly, saying, "Have a seat."

People on the circular sofa moved aside to make room for them. Just then, the lights in the venue softened, and the host took the stage to speak. Phoebe was about to make an excuse that it wasn't appropriate when someone pulled her wrist, causing her to fall into the seat next to Theodore.

Theodore's aura immediately enveloped her, and Phoebe had no choice but to say to Stanley, "Stanley, have a seat."

The warm, dim lighting cast a soft glow. Phoebe, wearing a black spaghetti-strap dress, caught Theodore's eye several times. Unable to resist, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

Phoebe was intently listening to the host's speech when she suddenly felt warmth on her shoulders and the scent became stronger. She instinctively tried to remove the jacket, but a large hand stopped her. "I'm not cold," Phoebe said.

Theodore glanced at her indifferently, saying in a commanding tone, "I'm hot. You wear it for me."

Phoebe was speechless.

The air conditioning in the smaller hall was quite low, and Phoebe, wearing a spaghetti-strap dress with her shoulders and arms exposed, did feel a bit chilly. She then wore Theodore's jacket.

After the host finished speaking, the screening officially began.

Penguin Video's screening event was aimed at attracting investment. Companies interested in suitable shows could buy ad slots, which was a significant source of funding. They had prepared five TV shows for this event.

Midway through the screening, Phoebe and Stanley were quietly discussing the shows, their heads almost touching, looking very close.

Media people had a keen sense of smell, and Stanley, being at the center of public opinion, understood the audience's tastes well.

His insights were very useful to Phoebe and provided more reference points for selecting scripts for the company's artists in the future.

As Phoebe and Stanley were engrossed in their conversation, Theodore suddenly grabbed Phoebe's hand under the jacket. She paused mid-sentence, and Stanley glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

The jacket effectively hid Phoebe and Theodore's intertwined hands, and with the dim lighting in the viewing area, no one saw Theodore's long fingers entwined with Phoebe's hand.

Phoebe struggled, but Theodore held her hand firmly, even lightly scratching her palm with his fingers, sending a tingling sensation through her body, making her toes curl. Phoebe said in a low voice, "Nothing. Let's continue."

As she continued, her voice grew increasingly tense, almost through gritted teeth by the end.

Stanley noticed the change in Phoebe's tone and glanced at Theodore, who was also looking at him.

Their eyes met in the air, and Stanley saw obvious hostility in Theodore's eyes. He found it amusing, realizing that Theodore saw him as a rival.

To be honest, Stanley did have a crush on Phoebe in the past, but she had a wealthy boyfriend at the time, and Stanley, considering his ordinary family background, quietly killed that ambiguous affection. After graduation and entering the workforce, Stanley saw the world and, although he felt that youthful crush was a pity, he never thought of pursuing it further.

After all, adults had their own considerations and were not as impulsive as they were in their student days.

Stanley smiled amicably at Theodore and consciously distanced himself from Phoebe, focusing on the screening.

At that moment, Theodore tightened his grip on Phoebe's hand, pulling her slightly towards him. Phoebe quickly grabbed the small round table.

The movement was noticeable, causing the business owner next to Theodore to pause and look over.

Phoebe's cheeks flushed slightly, but fortunately, the dim lighting hid her embarrassment. Otherwise, she would have been mortified.

Now, Phoebe and Theodore were shoulder to shoulder. Theodore leaned in, his warm breath falling on her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"What were you two talking about that made you so happy?"

Phoebe tried to move away but couldn't, her fingers still firmly held by Theodore. She pressed her lips together, her voice coming out through gritted teeth. Phoebe was shocked and then said in anger, "Mr. Reynolds, please behave yourself!"

Theodore didn't get angry but instead smiled. He looked down at Phoebe's earlobe, wondering if she would jump if he bit it.

Theodore thought mischievously but didn't act on it. "Ms. Ziegler, are you behaving yourself in your life?"