Chapter 916 Bad Woman
Everyone noticed Phoebe's odd expression and figured Patrick had stirred up trouble again.
They glanced at her phone and saw Theodore's name flashing on the screen.
They knew this was a call for accountability.
Phoebe cleared her throat. "I'll take this to my office. You guys can hang out a bit longer and check the feedback on Facebook. If everything looks good, you can head out early today. Thanks for all your hard work."
"No problem, Ms. Ziegler. Thanks for keeping us in the loop with all the gossip," one of the staff members joked.
Phoebe waved them off and headed to her office.
The call had ended, but a few seconds later, Theodore called again.
She quickly answered, but before she could say anything, Theodore's deep voice came through, "Where are you?"
Phoebe could sense his displeasure even through the phone.
Feeling guilty, she replied, "I'm at the office. I'm almost done here. I'll head back soon."
"I'll come pick you up," he said, not giving her a chance to refuse before hanging up.
Phoebe could tell he was really angry.
She rubbed her forehead in frustration and quickly swapped her dress for a turtleneck sweater, wincing as the fabric brushed against the bite mark on her neck.
Suddenly, there was a knock on her office door.
Nervously, she called out, "Come in."
To her surprise, it wasn't Theodore but Lori who walked in.
Lori hurried over, slightly out of breath. "Ms. Ziegler, I contacted Patrick's team as soon as I got your call, but I couldn't reach them. I then called Ms. Croix, and she said she'd handle it."
Phoebe stood up and poured Lori a glass of water. "Thanks for your hard work. This headline caught us all off guard tonight."
"Patrick's team is experienced. From what Ms. Croix said, they were prepared for a backlash from fans. They just didn't expect Patrick to be linked to you first, which caught them off guard."
Phoebe sighed. "I didn't expect the reporters to be so imaginative either."
Lori added, "Yeah, even though your dresses were different colors. But with this mix-up, announcing Patrick's relationship with Ms. Croix went over smoothly with the fans. Aside from a few dissenting voices, most fans accepted it well."
"Of course, they've already labeled me as the bad guy," Phoebe said helplessly.
Lori chuckled. "You can't blame the fans. Look at how many rumors you've been involved in since you returned. If it weren't for Mr. Rogers' help, our PR expenses for you would have exceeded the budget."
Phoebe glared at her. "It's not like I wanted this. Look at the Patrick situation. I'm innocent."
"Yes, you're innocent. But who bit you on the neck? Was it Mr. Reynolds? He bit you pretty hard. I didn't think he had it in him to be so..."
"So what?"
Hearing Theodore's voice, both women looked up to see him standing at the door, wearing a black coat and looking quite intimidating.
Lori quickly excused herself. "Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Ziegler and I have finished our discussion."
She hurried out, ignoring Phoebe's attempts to stop her.
The office fell silent.
Phoebe stood up, forcing a smile. "You got here so fast. Were you nearby?"
Theodore walked in slowly, closing the door behind him. He stared at her. "What, afraid I got here too quickly?"
Phoebe was taken aback but kept her forced smile. "Of course not. Did you see the headlines? Those reporters jumped to conclusions, saying I was involved with Patrick. Isn't that funny?"
"Not funny at all," Theodore replied coldly, his expression making him look even more intimidating.
Theodore's gaze shifted to the men's suit jacket on the sofa. He questioned, "Why is Patrick's suit here?"
Phoebe quickly explained, "He gave it to me because he thought I might be cold. Theodore, even if you don't trust me, you should trust Patrick."
"So you do have feelings for him?" Theodore's sharp question almost made Phoebe choke.
"Are you kidding? He's Cindy's boyfriend. How could I have feelings for him?" Phoebe quickly said.
Theodore's angle was relentless. "So you're only concerned about your relationship with Cindy?"
"You're getting more and more ridiculous. You know I have no interest in him," Phoebe said, exasperated.
What was wrong with Theodore tonight?
Was he upset by the news?
He hadn't reacted this strongly when she was in the headlines with Evan.
What was different today?
Theodore walked over to her, his fingers lightly touching the collar of her turtleneck.
He asked in a low voice, "So, where did this bite mark come from? I don't recall ever biting you."
Phoebe was helpless.
So this was what he had been waiting for.
Phoebe didn't know how to explain.
She turned slightly to avoid Theodore's hand, her expression awkward. "If I said a dog bit me, would you believe it?"
"What do you think?" Theodore leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming.
Phoebe closed her eyes and then opened them to meet Theodore's gaze. "I'll tell you the truth, but you have to promise not to get mad."
Theodore's eyes narrowed, a dangerous edge to his voice. "Alright."
Phoebe licked her lips, looking at him doubtfully.
Theodore hated Edward the most.
If she said Edward bit her, who knew how he'd react?
But she had no choice.
She braced herself and said, "I ran into Edward at the hotel. He was drunk and out of control. He probably mistook me for someone else and bit me. Patrick happened to come by and helped me out. When he was walking me out, the reporters took the photo."
She finished, not daring to breathe, and glanced at Theodore.
He showed no emotion, but his presence was terrifying.
Phoebe nervously called his name, "Theodore, you promised not to get mad."
Theodore looked at her for a long time before sighing.
The girl he liked was too attractive to others.
Could he blame her? No, he should blame those who dared to covet her.
To ensure she had no further contact with Edward, he would have to make sure Edward could never be where Phoebe was.
That was the only way to solve the problem once and for all.
Phoebe felt uneasy under his gaze, fearing he might resort to his old ways of either forcing her or giving her the cold shoulder.
She tugged at his sleeve, "I'll stay away from him in the future. Please don't be mad, okay?"
"I'm not mad," Theodore said, taking her hand off his sleeve. "Is everything settled? Let's go home."
"Okay, let's go home," Phoebe sighed in relief, letting him lead her out of the office.
Even though he had let her off so easily, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
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