Chapter 19
Taylor's birthday came around quickly, and as always, her birthday party was held at the Reynolds Mansion.
They hired the top chef team in the country to prepare the food and even had a band perform live, making it a grand event.
After that call, Phoebe had been feeling down for the past few days, unable to muster any enthusiasm for anything.
During breakfast, Taylor noticed the dark circles under Phoebe's eyes and couldn't help but frown, asking, "Phoebe, didn't you sleep well last night?"
On such an important day, all the relatives of the Reynolds family were present. Upon hearing Taylor's question, everyone at the table looked at her. Phoebe felt very embarrassed and made up an excuse. "I'm fine; maybe I just have a stiff neck."
"You can ask Theodore for help." Christopher chuckled, pointing at Theodore, "He has studied massage; let him massage you."
"You studied massage?" Phoebe looked at Theodore in surprise.
"A little bit," Theodore didn't deny it, looking at her with a complicated expression. "Come to my room later, and I'll take a look."
Phoebe didn't expect Theodore to have actually studied massage. Why would a CEO learn something like that?
After breakfast, Phoebe and Theodore went back to their room.
In the third-floor bedroom, Phoebe sat nervously on the sofa. Theodore, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over sofa, rolled up his sleeves, revealing a strong forearm.
Phoebe nervously licked her lips, her heartbeat involuntarily speeding up.
To ease her tension, Phoebe started making small talk. "When did you learn massage?"
"When you were pregnant," Theodore said very seriously.
Phoebe was stunned. "What?" So Theodore had learned it to take care of her?
Theodore put one hand on her shoulder, and the other supported her forehead.
He whispered, "Relax."
Phoebe didn't have time to dwell on it. Her back pressed against Theodore's body, his warmth seeping through her clothes, wrapping around her, tempting her to melt into it.
For a fleeting moment, she feared Theodore might twist her neck.
Thankfully, the sensation passed quickly. Theodore's fingers traced gentle circles around her neck, easing her tense muscles.
The panic dissolved rapidly. Phoebe turned her head gently, feeling relief in her neck and shoulders.
She said, "It actually works."
Theodore glanced at her and said, "You've been working too hard lately. Your shoulders and neck are very stiff. You need to stretch more often."
"Then help me massage them," Phoebe said without thinking.
Both Theodore and Phoebe were stunned by her words.
In the past, aside from sex, they had almost no physical contact, and she avoided it whenever possible. But today, for some reason, she had actually asked Theodore to massage her.
"If it's inconvenient for you..."
Seeing Theodore not respond, Phoebe thought he was angry again and quickly tried to make an excuse. But then her shoulders were grasped by a pair of warm, broad hands, and she immediately straightened her back, her whole body tensing up.
Theodore's eyes narrowed slightly, his thumbs pressing into the muscles of her shoulders. "Relax a bit; your shoulders are too tense."
Whether it was because he was pressing too hard or touching some sensitive parts, Phoebe shivered all over, her cheeks quickly turning red.
Theodore looked down, his breathing gradually becoming heavier, and he even started to get aroused.
Phoebe was flustered, her mind blank. She tried several times to say something to ease the romantic and intimate atmosphere but didn't know what to say.
Phoebe vaguely remembered how difficult it was during her pregnancy. After five months, her legs started to swell, and she would get leg cramps at night, making it hard to sleep.
One night, she was woken up by the pain again, and her legs were suddenly embraced by a warm hug. Theodore sat cross-legged on the bed, clumsily massaging her calves.
From then on, every night when she was woken up by the pain, Theodore would massage her until she fell asleep again.
Looking back on those days, Phoebe finally understood how much Theodore had looked forward to the arrival of that child and how much he now hated her.
Phoebe suddenly felt this urge to spill her feelings to Theodore, Even if it was too late, she wanted to try.
"Theodore, I—"
A knock on the door interrupted Phoebe. The door was pushed open, and Madison walked in wearing a pink dress.
"Theodore, James Fitzroy and Sophia Fitzroy are here. Mom asked me to come tell you."
Theodore withdrew his hands, his expression returning to its usual cold demeanor.
"Alright, I'll be right down." Theodore said, quickly tidying up his clothes.
Phoebe watched as he rebuttoned his shirt cuffs, feeling a bit anxious. When he reached for his suit jacket, Phoebe hurriedly grabbed it first, holding it in her arms.
Theodore looked at her in surprise. "Phoebe, what are you doing?"
Phoebe bit her lip, feeling a bit aggrieved for some reason. Ignoring Madison's presence, she said, "Theodore, I have something to tell you."
"Phoebe, can't you wait till later? The guests are waiting for Theodore downstairs," Madison said impatiently.
Theodore gave Madison a warning look. After Madison stop talking, he turned to Phoebe, his tone somewhat gentle. "Phoebe, go ahead. I'm listening."
Phoebe's eyes reddened. She had so much she wanted to say. She wanted to ask Theodore if he had ever liked her, even just a little, in the past three years.
If she liked him, would Theodore be willing to come back to her, to start over?
But just as Phoebe was about to speak, she saw Vanessa appear at their bedroom door, wearing a fiery red dress.
Phoebe suddenly remembered that day at the plaza when she saw Theodore looking at Vanessa on stage with a passionate and focused gaze, which extinguished her impulse.
Phoebe took a step back. "I have nothing to say. Go entertain the guests."
Theodore's brow furrowed. Just a moment ago, he had inexplicably looked forward to hearing what Phoebe wanted to say to him.
Now, that anticipation was gone, replaced by disappointment and fatigue. He didn't even take his suit jacket, turning and walking out the door.
"Theodore, wait for me," Vanessa called, running after him. Their footsteps gradually faded away.
Madison looked at Phoebe arrogantly and said, "Phoebe, Vanessa is back. Theodore will likely leave you for her.. If I were you, I'd ask for a divorce myself."
