Forbidden Passion

Theodore was taking pictures of the dishes from every possible angle. Phoebe rolled her eyes and turned to walk into the living room.

Just as she reached the dining room entrance, Theodore's voice sounded from behind, "Phoebe."

Phoebe turned her head and heard the sound of a camera shutter. She froze for a second before realizing that Theodore had taken a candid photo of her.

"Theodore!"noveldrama

"Ethan's awake, go check on him," Theodore said with a smile, not giving Phoebe a chance to get angry.

Hearing that Ethan was awake, Phoebe quickly left the dining room and went to the living room sofa, worried that Ethan might be scared waking up in an unfamiliar place.

Sure enough, Ethan was awake, about to cry with his mouth open. When he saw Phoebe, his sobs caught in his throat. "Aunt Phoebe, where are we?"

Phoebe picked Ethan up and said softly, "We're at a family villa. The weather is bad today, so we can't go home. Do you miss your mommy?"

Ethan rubbed his eyes and looked out the window, which was completely dark. Everything around him was unfamiliar, and he felt a bit scared. "Aunt Phoebe, I want to go home."

"Be good, Ethan. Let's go eat first, okay?" Phoebe coaxed gently.

Ethan hesitated for a moment but was eventually distracted by the thought of food. He shyly nodded, and Phoebe carried him into the dining room.

Since there was no high chair in the villa, she had to place Ethan on a regular chair and push the food in front of him. "Be careful, it's hot. Eat slowly."

"Okay." Ethan obediently started eating.

Theodore sat across from them, watching Phoebe patiently take care of Ethan. He seemed lost in thought.

After dinner, Phoebe's phone vibrated. It was a video call from Ruby.

Phoebe carried Ethan to the living room and answered the call. Ruby's face filled the entire screen. "Phoebe, I heard there was a sandstorm at the eco-park. Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine. I called you this afternoon, why didn't you answer?"

"I was asleep," Ruby's voice sounded off. "Are you coming back tonight?"

"No, the sandstorm is too severe. We'll return tomorrow when it stops. Take care of yourself and remember to take your medicine," Phoebe said.

"I know. Where's Ethan? I want to see him."

Phoebe moved the camera to show Ethan. "Ethan, say hi to your mommy."

"Mom, are you feeling better? I was so worried about you." Ethan's eyes welled up with tears when he saw Ruby on the screen.

Ruby quickly reassured him, "Mommy is much better. When you come back tomorrow, we can sleep together. So, listen to Aunt Phoebe, okay?"

"I know, I'll be good."

After a few more words, something seemed to happen on Ruby's end, and she abruptly ended the call.

In the brief moment before the call ended, Phoebe noticed unfamiliar curtains in the background. The ones at home weren't iron-gray. Was Ruby somewhere else?

Ruby heard footsteps behind her and quickly ended the call, turning nervously to see Donovan coming down the stairs.

She felt a wave of panic, almost unable to breathe.

"Mr. Ziegler."

Donovan frowned upon seeing Ruby still in the house, a look of disgust flashing in his eyes. "Why are you still here?"

Ruby had just woken up and saw several missed calls from Phoebe. She thought something had happened to Ethan and hurriedly called back.

Seeing Donovan's undisguised disdain, Ruby's expression turned sorrowful. "I'm sorry for the trouble today. You must be hungry. I'll make dinner right away and leave as soon as it's done. I won't stay any longer than necessary."

With that, Ruby headed to the kitchen, her legs weak with fear as she passed Donovan.

Donovan watched her coldly. "Look at you, all sick and weak. I'm afraid eating your food will make me sick too. Get out and come back when you're better. I don't need anyone here to cause me trouble."

Ruby's heart clenched painfully. She stopped in her tracks, trying hard not to cry. "Got it."

She turned and walked to the door, putting on her shoes. She couldn't help but glance

at the living room. Donovan stood under the light, his usually gentle face now dark and intimidating.

Ruby lowered her eyes and turned to open the door.

Outside, the wind howled, carrying sand that reduced visibility. Without hesitation, Ruby stepped into the swirling sandstorm.

Trevor appeared from somewhere and saw Donovan staring at the door. He said, "The sandstorm is fierce today, even affecting the city. Sending Miss Adams back so late, I hope nothing happens to her."

Donovan replied coldly, "Trevor, are you pleading for her?"

Trevor, knowing Donovan's current mood, wasn't afraid. "I'm just worried that after recovering from a fever, this ordeal might worsen her condition."

Donovan pressed his lips tightly. "What does her worsening condition have to do with me?"

With that, Donovan turned and went upstairs.

Trevor watched Donovan's cold and stubborn back, shaking his head slowly. Just this afternoon, Donovan had asked him several times if Ruby's fever had subsided, and now he was pretending to be indifferent.

Donovan walked to the end of the hallway and looked out the window. From there, he could see the road outside. At that moment, the sandstorm was raging, and Ruby's slender figure was stumbling along the roadside.

Suddenly, she tripped over something and fell to the ground.

Donovan instinctively reached out, but his hand was blocked by the glass window. He stared intently at Ruby, who had fallen.

After a long while, she got up and limped forward. The wind and sand grew stronger, and Donovan could barely see her figure.

"How foolish," Donovan sneered.

What did Ruby's life or death have to do with him? The more miserable she was, the happier he felt. It was the only way to quell his anger!

The sand was everywhere, getting into Ruby's nose, mouth, and eyes. Her knee was scraped from the fall, and every step was painful.

It took her nearly half an hour to walk the short distance home.

Once inside the villa, she collapsed from exhaustion. Her phone suddenly rang again. Seeing the caller ID, she immediately sat up and answered.

"Trevor?"

Trevor's kind voice came through the phone. "Miss Adams, did you get home safely? The sandstorm is quite severe today. I hope you didn't encounter any trouble on the way."

"I'm fine, Trevor. I made it home."

"Good, then rest well and get better soon. I'll hang up now." Trevor ended the call and turned to Donovan, who was standing nearby. "Miss Adams is home safely, sir. You don't need to worry."

Donovan sneered, "Worry about her? Me?"

'Look at you, saying one thing and meaning another!' Trevor didn't respond.