Chapter 22
A gust of wind swept past her side as Phoebe saw Theodore stride by, completely ignoring her presence and knocking her aside.
Already weak, Phoebe stumbled back a couple of steps, her back hitting the rough tree trunk, sending a sharp pain through her.
Her face grew even paler as she quickly grabbed the tree behind her to steady herself. When she looked up, she saw Theodore crouching in front of Vanessa.
Phoebe couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh at the scene before her, feeling like a ridiculous clown standing there.
Vanessa's tactics were despicable, but undeniably effective. Seeing how worried Theodore was about her, Phoebe knew she had lost completely.
"Theodore, it hurts so much," Vanessa said, nestled in Theodore's arms.
And Theodore just fell for it.
Vanessa's palm had been scraped by a sharp stone, and blood was oozing out. She only needed to furrow her brow slightly to make any man feel sorry for her. Theodore looked at her bleeding palm, his furrowed brow full of concern.
"Hang in there; I'll take you to see a doctor." Theodore said as he helped Vanessa up from the ground. He looked over at Phoebe, who was watching coldly from the side, and said in a deep voice, "You go back to the ward first; I'll come see you later."
Phoebe turned her head away, ignoring his words. Since Theodore had already made his choice, why was he still pretending in front of her?
It wasn't until Theodore left with Vanessa that Phoebe let out a cold laugh. She turned and walked aimlessly along the lakeside.
After a few steps, a pair of spotless black leather shoes appeared in her line of sight.
Phoebe was taken aback.
When she looked up, she saw that it was Edward.
The light in her eyes quickly dimmed. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard you almost drowned in the pool, so I came to see how you're doing. Phoebe, you look really pale. Let me take you back to the ward,," Edward said with concern, his voice gentle.
Edward was dressed in an expensive black suit today, his tall and slender figure exuding elegance. He looked at Phoebe with deep affection. He was young, handsome, and outstanding, his noble demeanor unmistakable even as he stood there.
"I want to take a walk," Phoebe said.
Faced with Edward's concern, Phoebe couldn't bring herself to refuse outright, so she just gave a excuse.
"Alright, I'll walk with you." Edward didn't hesitate for a moment, immediately taking off his coat and draping it over Phoebe's thin shoulders.
Phoebe felt the warmth of the coat but was at a loss.
Just as she was about to take the coat off and return it to him, Edward pressed her shoulders. "Keep it on, the wind is strong tonight."
Such gentle words were something Phoebe hadn't heard in years. Her heart softened, and her eyes unexpectedly welled up slightly.
Edward kept a respectful distance, walking with her along the lakeside.
With one hand in his pocket, Edward felt a rare sense of peace and contentment. It had been three years, and this was the first time he had walked side by side with Phoebe at dusk. The long-lost feeling of happiness filled his heart.
"Phoebe, do you remember Larry Hall from our high school? He finally got married to his girlfriend last month," Edward said.
Upon hearing Edward mention a classmate, Phoebe felt a trance.
"They sent me an invitation, hoping I could attend their wedding. But I was too busy to go. Did you go?" Phoebe asked softly.
Larry was a friend of Edward's from high school. If he got married, Edward would definitely attend. Phoebe had also received an invitation but didn't go.
"Yes, I did. They asked about you and said it was a pity you couldn't make it," Edward paused, then added, "Back in high school, we used to talk about having our weddings together."
Phoebe lowered her head. "Are they happy?"
"Yeah, Larry was grinning like a fool throughout the wedding, but when it came time for the vows, he was bawling his eyes out while holding onto his wife, saying he was really afraid they might drift apart too."
Phoebe's eyes turned red, Edward's last words piercing her heart.
She thought that she really owed Edward an apology.
Now she had quietly fallen for Theodore, so humbly fallen for a man who had once assaulted her.
"Edward, I want to go back," Phoebe said softly, not knowing how to face Edward.
Edward's fingers curled slightly in his pocket as he looked at Phoebe's pale profile.
Despite the thousand reasons to stay, Edward nodded gently. "Alright, I'll take you back."
But as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Theodore supporting Vanessa coming over the hallway.
They looked really good together. However, when the four of them met, there was an immediate explosion of tension.
Phoebe glanced down and saw Vanessa's hand wrapped in bandages.
Vanessa was a pianist, and her hands were incredibly important to her. But to frame Phoebe, Vanessa didn't hesitate to injure her own hand. Vanessa was truly ruthless.
Vanessa smiled when she saw Edward standing next to Phoebe.
"Mr. Vanderbilt, what brings you to the hospital? Are you here specifically to see Ms. Ziegler?" Vanessa greeted Edward with a sly smile, like a cunning fox.
Sure enough, Theodore's face darkened at her words. He looked at the men's coat draped over Phoebe's shoulders.
"Phoebe, come here!"
Phoebe pressed her lips together and didn't move. She took the coat off her shoulders and handed it back to Edward. "Edward, thank you for bringing me back."
Edward reached out to take it, his fingers unintentionally brushing against hers, causing a flutter in his heart.
He grasped the coat, his gaze and tone equally gentle. "No need to thank me. Go get some rest."
As Theodore witnessed this, a wave of anger surged within him, consuming his rationality.
Theodore stepped forward and roughly grabbed Phoebe's wrist, dragging her toward the ward.
"Theodore," Vanessa was startled, not expecting such a strong reaction from him.
Edward couldn't just stand by and watch Theodore treat Phoebe like this. He grabbed Phoebe's other wrist and shouted at Theodore, "Theodore, don't go too far!"
Theodore was forced to stop. He turned around, his gaze sweeping over Edward's hand on Phoebe's wrist. A wave of uncontrollable irritation surged within him.
He glared coldly at Edward. "Take your filthy hand off her."
Edward was known for his good temper, and everyone who knew him said he was a gentleman. But even with his good temper, Theodore's vile attitude ignited his anger.
He snorted, "Who's the filthy one here?"
Theodore was seething with rage; he had long disliked Edward.
"I said, let go!" Theodore no longer intended to suppress his anger, issuing a final warning.
Phoebe never imagined such a dramatic scene would unfold around her. Being pulled by both Theodore and Edward, her already weak body was further strained, her face turning even paler.
"Let go of me," she said weakly.
Vanessa stood by, watching Theodore and Edward fight over Phoebe, feeling so frustrated she could almost spit blood.
What was it about Phoebe that made Theodore and Edward turn against each other for her? Was Phoebe some kind of enchantress, making they compete for her affection?
