In the living room, Vanessa sat on the sofa, her fingers entwined, her head bowed in silence as she counted the seconds in her mind.

She had seen Theodore shove Phoebe into the guest bathroom not long before, and although she and Mrs. Reynolds were both there, Theodore was unpredictable. He might decide to do something to Phoebe on a whim. In that case, wasn’t her presence here just a joke?

Less than two minutes had passed when she heard a thunderous slam. Vanessa’s head shot up, just in time to see Theodore storming out of the powder room like an enraged lion.

Her heart leapt with a twisted sense of delight, and she hurried to her feet to meet him.

“Theodore, did you have a fight with Miss. Ziegler?” Vanessa asked cautiously, gauging Theodore’s expression.

The man was radiating a fierce aura, his handsome features still twisted with remnants of anger, and it was the kind of intensity that could instill fear in anyone. But not Vanessa. She secretly reveled in seeing Theodore this way-it made her seem all the more gentle and understanding by contrast.

Her eyes settled on the bloodied back of his hand, and she quickly grasped his wrist, cradling his injured right hand in hers. “Theodore, what happened to your hand? Does it hurt?”

He tried to withdraw his hand but failed. Lowering his gaze, he caught sight of the concern in Vanessa’s tear-filled eyes and thought wistfully how perfect it would be if it were Phoebe standing before him instead. If she looked at him with such caring eyes, he’d willingly march to his death!

However, that was just a fanciful wish.

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? You’re bleeding!” Vanessa’s worry was apparent as she glared reproachfully at him. “Don’t just shrug it off. Go sit down, and I’ll grab the first aid kit to clean you up.”

She guided him to the couch and went off to get the kit. Watching her bustling about, Theodore let out a weary sigh. It wasn’t that no one loved him. It was that the love he wanted wasn’t from the one he desired.

His mood heavy, he closed his eyes-only to be interrupted by Vanessa’s voice. “Found it! Brace yourself, Theodore. If it hurts, just tell me, and I’ll be gentle.”

Opening his eyes, he saw Vanessa approaching with the first aid kit, kneeling beside his thigh, iodine and cotton swabs in hand.

“Theodore, you can’t take out your anger on yourself. Look, the injury is on your hand, but it pains my heart. Promise you won’t do this again,” she said soothingly as she began to disinfect his wound.

Caught in a moment of reflection, Theodore saw Phoebe’s indifferent face flash before his eyes. He felt like he was losing his mind. Snatching the cotton swab from Vanessa’s hand, he pulled her up to sit beside him, saying firmly, “Don’t sit on the floor. You’ll catch a cold.”

Almost on cue, Vanessa sneezed. She rubbed her nose and gave Theodore an embarrassed smile. “Looks like I’ve actually caught a cold.”

Theodore’s hand wasn’t badly hurt. He had just punched the wall in frustration, scraping the skin. After applying some ointment, there was no need for a bandage.

However, as Vanessa sneezed again, tears welling up in her eyes, Theodore stood and went to the kitchen to get her a cup of hot water.

He handed her a glass of water and rummaged through the medicine cabinet, finding only two cold relief tablets left in the box. He popped them out of the foil and passed them to her. “Thanks,” Vanessa said with a weak smile as she took them.

They exchanged a knowing grin.

Vanessa shyly lowered her head, their current vibe reminiscent of an ordinary, devoted couple.

Want to Full list click here, Forbidden Passion  on ITSCLEM