Forbidden Passion

Phoebe got back to the office and almost ran into Ruby as she stepped out of the elevator. She quickly sidestepped, and Ruby barely stopped herself. "Move it," Ruby snapped, glaring at Phoebe.

Phoebe found it funny and laughed. "You charge around without looking and then blame others? Whoever yells louder is right?"

Ruby had always hated Phoebe. Phoebe was just a servant's daughter, yet Edward treated her like an equal.

Every time Ruby saw Phoebe in her social circle, she felt Phoebe dragged everyone down.

If that was all, Ruby could deal with it by avoiding events Phoebe attended. But Phoebe had to be outstanding in both character and academics.

Phoebe was like the perfect kid everyone talked about, making people envious and jealous. Even though they weren't in the same grade, Phoebe still outshined her.

Ruby's parents, Nancy Wilson and Charles Adams, would always say, "Ruby, your grades aren't even as good as Phoebe's. Aren't you ashamed?"

Ruby hated Phoebe. Phoebe should be a nobody, so why did she have to seek attention and cause trouble?

However, what really made Ruby despise Phoebe was that Phoebe had stolen Vanessa's boyfriend, Theodore.

She thought Edward was the best Phoebe could do, but Phoebe aimed higher. She wanted to marry the most prestigious man in town, Theodore.

Ruby said, "Don't think that just because you're running Queen Entertainment now, you can boss me around. Queen Entertainment will eventually go to Vanessa. You're just working for her. What's there to be proud of?" Phoebe sneered. "Ruby, I'm really curious. You've been Vanessa's lackey for years. Why weren't you by her side when she had her accident?"

"Who are you calling a lackey?" Ruby glared at her.

Phoebe replied, "Whoever responds to it."

"You!" Ruby seethed with anger. She raised her hand to strike Phoebe, but Phoebe swiftly caught her wrist and twisted it, causing Ruby to cry out in agony.

Phoebe's expression was stern. "Ruby, if you try to hit me again, I'll break your hand. Believe it or not."

"It hurts, Phoebe. Let go," Ruby begged, sweating from the pain.

Phoebe released her hand. "Don't whine to me. If Vanessa can take Queen Entertainment from me, let her try. Do you think I'm scared?"

Ruby stepped back, hiding her hand. She glared at Phoebe. "Do you think I won't dare?"

Phoebe couldn't be bothered to argue. She sneered and walked away.

Ruby glared at Phoebe's back, fuming. She had to find a way to deal with her.

Ruby angrily walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the basement.

When she got there, she stormed out and bumped into someone, almost falling.

A hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her back.

"Careful," Donovan's voice came from above. Ruby looked up and saw a handsome face that resembled Phoebe's.

She recognized Donovan and slapped his arm away. "Watch where you're going!"

Donovan couldn't help but stop when he saw a beautiful woman. He said gently, "If I remember right, you bumped into me first." "You're just causing trouble. Boring!" Ruby snapped, turning to walk towards her car.

Donovan watched her walk away before entering the elevator.

Ruby reached her sports car, got in, and touched her still-pounding heart. 'Am I seriously attracted to Donovan?' she thought.

She bit her lip, looked towards the elevator, and squinted.

A brilliant idea struck her. 'Phoebe is so smug in front of me. If I become Donovan's wife, wouldn't Phoebe have to be humble in front of me?' Imagining Phoebe being forced to respect her despite hating her made Ruby inexplicably happy.

'Alright, that's the plan!' she thought.

All afternoon, Phoebe's eyelids kept twitching. After finishing her paperwork and organizing the employees' work plans, it was already time to leave.

She called Evelyn.

Knowing that Phoebe and Theodore were coming over in the evening, Evelyn complained that Phoebe hadn't informed her earlier so she could prepare some dishes. Phoebe said, "No need to prepare anything special. Just keep it casual." "Even if it's casual, I still need to prepare. I won't talk you anymore. I'm going to buy groceries now." Evelyn ended the call, grabbed her bag, and hurried out to buy groceries.

Phoebe massaged her temples, grabbed her bag, and left.

Upstairs, Theodore listened to Donovan's report and nodded approvingly. "You've done a good job, but always remember, leading a company demands humility and not just a focus on profits." Donovan excitedly slapped his thigh. "Theodore, don't worry. I won't embarrass you."

Seeing Donovan's smug expression, Theodore hid his deep emotions and stood up. "Let's go. Phoebe is off duty. We agreed to have dinner at Evelyn's place. Let's go together."

Donovan had never seen Theodore so kind to him before. He was thrilled, feeling like he had finally impressed Theodore.

He smiled and said, "Evelyn keeps missing you. After you helped me with that issue in Starfall City, she wanted to thank you. By the way, are your injuries all healed?" Theodore replied, "Yes, nothing serious."

They chatted as they left the office and took the elevator downstairs. When they reached the 17th floor, Donovan sensibly said, "I'll let you go find Phoebe. You two take your time. I'll head to help prepare dinner." Theodore walked out of the elevator, satisfied, and headed towards the director's office.

Phoebe came out with her bag and almost bumped into Theodore. She quickly stepped aside to avoid him.

Theodore quickly steadied her and asked, "Done for the day?"

Phoebe replied, "Yes."

Theodore took her bag and weighed it in his hand. "It's quite heavy. What do you have in here?"

"A tablet and some books," Phoebe replied.

They walked side by side towards the elevator. Passing through the open office area, the employees, who hadn't left yet, eavesdropped on their conversation.

Theodore said, "No wonder it's so heavy. Let's stop by the mall later."

Phoebe glanced at him. "What for?"

Theodore's clothes and shoes were all custom-made, with brands coming to him for measurements. He rarely wasted time shopping.

"We need to buy something. It would be rude if we showed up empty-handed." Theodore glanced toward the open office area, deliberately raising his voice so everyone could hear.