He was looking for a fight.

Phoebe replied, “I tried a new recipe. If you didn’t like it, I’ll stick to the usual one next time.”

“It was fine,” Theodore mumbled, his hand absentmindedly rubbing his nose as he looked at her with confusion. “What’s gotten into you today? Why so compliant? You’re not plotting something big, are you?”

“I hadn’t realized Mr. Reynolds was into that sort of thing,” Phoebe responded coolly, too tired to be adversarial.

She glanced at her watch. “If I’m not mistaken, you have a morning meeting in three minutes. You better hurry, or you’ll be late.”

Grinding his teeth, Theodore retorted, “I’ll deal with you after the meeting.”

He strode towards the door, but just as he was about to leave, he paused and turned back. Phoebe was sitting behind her broad desk, her hair pulled into a high ponytail that revealed her small, delicate cheeks and her gracefully slender neck. Sometimes he liked to grip her neck, beautiful and fragile, as if in doing so, he mastered her entire being.

The nine o’clock sunlight shone on her, making her seem as if she herself were illuminated.

Phoebe, away from his side, had changed, yet in some ways, stayed the same.

Phoebe caught Theodore’s gaze and looked up at him with puzzled eyes. Theodore just turned his head away with a snort, strutting off with a high and mighty air. Phoebe: “…”

What’s his problem?

*

That afternoon, Phoebe made a trip to the Exceptional Entertainment’s talent show camp, where a group of vibrant young boys was practicing a dance routine in the studio.

A staff member called out Noah Myersarter, pointing in Phoebe’s direction. Noah jogged over, the youthfulness radiating from him.

“Miss Ziegler, what brings you here?” Noah inquired.

Phoebe smiled, “Call me Phoebe, ‘Miss Ziegler’ makes me feel old.”

Noah Myershuckled, and a blush tinted his cheeks as he admired her; Phoebe’s smile was simply captivating. “Phoebe, did you come here just for me?”

“Yes,” Phoebe nodded, “You’ve been doing well recently, and the audience loves you. Let the production team know if you need anything. I’ve already given them a heads-up.” Noah knew what this meant; Phoebe was taking him under her wing. “It’s all good, no issues. So, you’ll be guiding me from now on, Phoebe?”

There was a hopeful look in his eyes, which Phoebe recognized. “For now, you’ll work with me. After the show, I’ll assign you a personal agent.”

After a brief conversation and some advice from Phoebe, she sent him back to training.

Rejoining the group, the boys crowded around him, “Wow, is that your agent? She’s so gorgeous; she could be a star herself.”

“Don’t be silly, she’s the boss of our company.”

“That young?”

“Yeah…”

As Phoebe turned to descend the stairs, Theodore’s call came in. He sounded irritable, “Where have you been, not at the office?” Phoebe pursed her lips, “I’m at Exceptional Entertainment, is there an issue?”

“Why are you there? Nevermind, just wait, I’ll come to pick you up. Grandma’s back from the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and she wants us to stop by,” said Theodore on the other end of the line. Phoebe was about to say she had driven there herself when Theodore hung up. With a sigh of resignation, she made her way to curbside to wait for him.

Soon, a black Maybach pulled up, the window rolling down to reveal Vanessa in the passenger seat, greeting her warmly.

“Miss Ziegler, get in quickly; we can’t stay here too long.”