Forbidden Passion

Phoebe took the kids out and saw Harper standing outside. He was dressed lavishly, his silk shirt glimmering under the streetlight.noveldrama

But now he had two more mosquito bites on his face, red and swollen, making Harper look funny and approachable.

"Sir, why haven't you left yet?" Noomi blinked her eyes, looking at him curiously.

Harper looked at the four children, smiling. "I'm waiting for your Grandma to calm down."

Boris interrupted, "Sir, we're going out to play. Why don't you come with us? Maybe by the time we get back, Grandma will have calmed down."

Harper shook his head with a smile, "You guys go ahead and play. I'll wait here."

Phoebe nodded at Harper and didn't persuade him further. She and Pamela pushed the kids away, deliberately leaving the door slightly ajar.

There were too many people at home, and Evelyn couldn't bring herself to deal with Harper. By taking everyone away, she created an opportunity for just the two of them to be alone and have a conversation.

Actually, after thinking it through, she was quite happy. Her father was still alive. Although he was a stranger to her, the bond of blood and family was undeniable.

As Ruby said, being alive was always better than being dead.

Whether it was hate, resentment, love, or affection, having someone to share it with and comfort you was a wonderful thing.

Harper watched them leave and stood outside for a few more minutes. Seeing the door left ajar, he felt a moment of temptation.

He could quietly go in and say a few words of apology to Evelyn. Even if he got kicked out, at least he would have said what he wanted to say.

But Evelyn had waited for him for over twenty years. He was alive all this time but never thought to come back and find her and the kids.

Now, being shut out by Evelyn and unable to bear waiting for a few hours, he felt he was unworthy of her deep love and devotion.

Harper stared at the door gap for a long time, then reached out and closed the door.

Evelyn had been sitting in the living room for a long time, waiting for some noise from outside.

She knew Phoebe had taken the kids, the nanny, and the bodyguards away late at night to give them enough space to talk.

So she must have pretended to forget to close the door.

After all this time, what was Harper dawdling about? He hadn't come in yet. Did he leave? The more Evelyn thought about it, the angrier she got.

Evelyn stood up and walked to the door, pacing back and forth. Afraid of being seen from outside, she hid in the shadows and peeked at the front door.

Then she saw Harper reach out and close the door.

Evelyn angrily returned to the living room and sat on the sofa. Evelyn was furious. She was waiting for him to come and explain, and he just closed the door.

If Harper wanted to stay outside and get bitten by mosquitoes, she wouldn't feel sorry for him.

Thinking this, Evelyn turned and went upstairs to her room. This time, she didn't go to the window to look outside. She got into bed but tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The Building Three.

Donovan was in the study having a video conference. The meeting lasted nearly two hours, making his back and neck ache.

He picked up his cup to drink water, only to find it empty. He got up and went downstairs.

Downstairs, Ruby was wearing an apron, her sleeves rolled up, diligently wiping the stair railing.

Her hands were white and wrinkled from washing, and sweat beaded on her forehead. She was working hard, not missing a speck of dust.

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The stairs were cleaned every day, so how could they be that dirty?

But even though she cleaned them daily, she never slacked off, carefully wiping every nook and cranny downstairs. The house was spotless because of her.

Donovan stopped at the top of the stairs, watching her wipe her sweat. He thought about how she used to be the pampered young lady of the Adams family, never even having to lift a finger.

When they were dating, he spoiled her, not letting her do anything. Now, in his house, she was doing the hardest, dirtiest work.

He swallowed hard.

Ruby felt someone watching her. When she looked up, she met Donovan's gaze. She was startled. When had he been standing there? She hadn't even noticed.

Seeing the cup in his hand, she wiped her hands on her apron and quickly went up the stairs, looking up at him.

"Do you need water? I'll get it for you."

Donovan looked at her hand, which had just held the rag, and frowned in disgust. "So dirty."

A look of embarrassment crossed Ruby's face. She pulled her hand back. "Sorry, I forgot I was just cleaning the stairs. There's water in the kitchen kettle. You can get it yourself."

Seeing the embarrassment on Ruby's face, Donovan gritted his teeth. He couldn't figure out who she was trying to fool with this pitiful act.

He handed her the cup and said coldly, "Wash the cup clean, wash your hands clean, and bring it to the study."

Ruby was stunned for a moment. Donovan shoved the cup into her hands, not caring if she had a good grip, and turned to leave.

Ruby stared blankly at his back, feeling a bit of joy. He allowed her to go to the second floor. This was a good sign, indicating he wasn't as guarded against her as before.

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She walked downstairs with a spring in her step. Seeing Trevor come in from outside,

she smiled sweetly at him. "Trevor, Mr. Donovan is in the study."

It was the first time Trevor had seen her smile. He was taken aback, then watched as

she happily darted into the kitchen.

He quickly went upstairs to the study.

Seeing Donovan standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, stretching his neck, he walked in and said, "Sir, I just saw Ruby smile downstairs. It's the first time I've seen her smile since she started working here."

Donovan's movements stiffened. "She smiled?"

"Yes, she has a beautiful smile. Young people should smile more to stay energetic, not

be so serious." Trevor said, subtly hinting at Donovan.

Donovan frowned and said coldly, "She still has the nerve to smile."

Sensing Donovan's displeasure, Trevor quickly changed the subject. "There's progress on what you asked me to investigate."

"Go on."

"The Vanderbilt Group has a small subsidiary that recently had a tax evasion scandal, which the parent company quickly suppressed. I think we can use this subsidiary to stir things up. If done well, it could lead the tax authorities to investigate the parent company."

Donovan narrowed his eyes. "First, have our people find out the amount involved, then we can make a big deal out of it. This is the information age, after all. We should leverage online platforms to our advantage."

"I understand. I'll get on it right away."

"Good."

Trevor turned to leave. As he opened the door, he saw Ruby standing outside.

Instinctively, he glanced back at Donovan.

Donovan also noticed Ruby and signaled Trevor with his eyes. Trevor left.

Ruby walked in with the cup. The study was large, with bookshelves on both sides and

a dark solid wood desk in the middle.