Chapter 12
Theodore strode over in a black suit.
Theodore stopped in front of them, staring coldly at Madison, his gaze as sharp as a knife.
Madison was particularly afraid of Theodore. She immediately took a step back, her previous arrogance vanishing in an instant.
She murmured, "Theodore, I was just playing a joke with Phoebe."
Phoebe felt conflicted. She didn't want them to argue because of her. Moreover, if they did argue, Madison would only hate her more. Before she could speak up for Madison, Theodore sternly said, "How dare you play a joke with Phoebe like that?"
Madison turned pale with fright. She had thought Theodore wasn't home, which was why she dared to cause Phoebe trouble. Who knew she would get caught red-handed?
Phoebe, that hypocritical woman, why did she get to marry Theodore? And why did Edward still have feelings for her?
"Theodore." Madison forced a smile, trying to get away with it by acting cute.
"Apologize to Phoebe immediately." Theodore wasn't going to be fooled by Madison. He interrupted her and commanded.
Theodore didn't care about Phoebe. It was just that Phoebe was nominally his wife. He could treat Phoebe like a plaything, but that didn't mean he allowed others to do the same.
Madison's eyes widened in disbelief. "You want me to apologize to her? Why? I already said I was just playing a joke."
Theodore's eyes narrowed. "Apologize right now."
Theodore's concise and forceful words made the atmosphere suddenly tense. Phoebe felt she should say something.
Before she could speak, Theodore, as if he could predict her thoughts, looked at her coldly, as if to say that disciplining Madison was none of her business.
Phoebe obediently closed her mouth.
Madison was so angry that her eyes turned red. She knew Theodore was stubborn. If she didn't apologize, he would force her to until she did.
Swallowing her humiliation, Madison apologized to Phoebe, "Phoebe, I'm sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn't have said that to you."
Madison's apology was insincere, but Phoebe didn't want to argue with her. She had been targeted by Madison for a long time and was used to it. Now, she just wanted to end this quickly.
"It's okay," Phoebe said with a smile, just wanting to smooth things over.
Madison had never been treated like this before. She stomped her foot and ran back to her room.
Christopher awkwardly touched his nose and quickly followed her.
After they left, only Phoebe and Theodore were left in the hallway. Phoebe felt a bit uneasy. "You don't need to stand up for me. I don't care about what Madison says. It's not good if it causes discord between you."
"Stand up for you?" Theodore sneered, not finishing his sentence.
Phoebe gave a bitter smile. She already guessed what Theodore's next words would be and answered proactively, "I understand. I'm not worthy."
Her words made Theodore pause for a second. Despite being humiliated, she could accept everything so calmly. Phoebe's submissive attitude left him unsure of how to vent his anger and resentment.
Theodore understood that Phoebe but even the gentlest kitten would unleash its claws to protect itself when it faced with danger.
Phoebe didn't argue with Madison simply because she didn't take Madison seriously. There was no need to get angry over it.
Because Phoebe never truly belonged to the Reynolds family, she didn't consider them her family. Even though they had been married for three years, Phoebe never saw herself as part of this family.
Of course, no one in the Reynolds family considered Phoebe as family either.
Madison stormed back to her room, angrily throwing everything on the table to the floor. Broken bottles and jars were scattered everywhere. When Christopher walked in, he was nearly hit by a vase.
Christopher helplessly stepped aside, calmly watching Madison's outburst. "I knew you'd be angry."
Madison glared at him furiously. "Theodore actually made me apologize to that bitch. Who does she think she is?"
Leaning against the wall, Christopher said, "Do you think Theodore made you apologize for Phoebe's sake?"
"Isn't that the case?"
Christopher shook his head. "Phoebe is Theodore's wife. To humiliate her is to humiliate Theodore. You know how protective he is of what's his. He can treat his own however he pleases, but that doesn't mean others can do the same."
"But I'm his sister," Madison shouted, unwilling to accept it.
"You're lucky you're his sister. He only made you apologize. If it were someone else, breaking an arm or a leg would be considered Theodore being in a good mood," Christopher said.
He added, "You're usually pretty smart. Why do you always target Phoebe? And next time you decide to mess with Phoebe, can you not drag me into it? The way Theodore glanced at me just now; I thought he might come after me too."
Madison was speechless.
After breakfast, Taylor asked Karen to put the two large bags of supplements in Theodore's car. Before they left, Taylor personally watched Phoebe take it before sending them off.
Theodore saw Phoebe looking uncomfortable and frowned. "Is it that bad?"
Phoebe's mouth was bitter, and her stomach felt uneasy. She couldn't help but complain, "It's definitely better than taking contraceptive pills."
Theodore was a bit surprised. He ground his teeth, his gaze sweeping over her slender neck. He coldly said, "Don't provoke me. Didn't you marry into the Reynolds family to have my children?"
"Then please, Mr. Reynolds, make up your mind. Don't make me take supplements on one hand and force me to take contraceptive pills on the other," Phoebe said.
"Do you think you can get pregnant just by not taking contraceptive pills?" Theodore sneered coldly, hitting Phoebe's sore spot precisely.
Phoebe felt a pang in her heart and wisely chose to remain silent.
She knew that if they talked about anything other than business, they would definitely end up arguing.
In the following days, Phoebe was busy with her work. Besides Vanessa, she had already met with a few other artists to get a preliminary understanding of their overall abilities.
Suddenly, the phone on her desk rang.
Phoebe picked up the phone, and Theodore's cold command came through. "Go to the airport to pick someone up."
Phoebe was silent for a moment. She was already the artist manager. Why did Theodore still treat her like a secretary? Didn't the company assign him a new secretary?
However, Theodore was the president of the Reynolds Group, and Phoebe had no right to refuse his orders. She grabbed her bag and hurried out.
When Phoebe walked out of the company building, a white car was already waiting in the square.
Theodore sat in the car, looking impatiently at her. "Get in."
Phoebe got in and sat next to Theodore. He was reading a document and didn't even look up. He asked casually, "Have you found a manager for Vanessa?"
Phoebe pressed her lips together. "Not yet. It's hard to get a top-tier talent agent, and the lesser-known ones might not cut it for Miss Fitzroy."
This was their first formal discussion about Vanessa, and Phoebe felt a bit stifled.
"Then you will temporarily act as her agent," Theodore said, pausing for a moment. "I didn't realize you had this skill. I heard you've already gotten some of the company's young artists on popular TV shows."
Phoebe pursed her lips, feeling a bit uneasy. Making her Vanessa's agent—Who was he trying to disgust? Would Vanessa even agree?
