Forbidden Passion

After Madison left, Phoebe sat behind her desk, lost in thought. Madison had indeed grown over the past few years; at least she no longer got upset after a few words like she used to.noveldrama

As for Queen Entertainment....

Phoebe pressed the intercom button, "Lori, come in for a moment."

Shortly after hanging up, Lori knocked and entered. She quickly walked to the desk and placed today's documents in front of Phoebe. "Ms. Ziegler." Phoebe looked up at her. "Lori, have the finance department quietly do an asset evaluation of Queen Entertainment. Don't spread the word."

Lori's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Phoebe. "Ms. Ziegler, are you finally ready to take action against Queen Entertainment?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "What's with that look?"

Lori grinned. "It's a look of admiration. We've been waiting for you to bring Queen Entertainment under Superstar Entertainment for a long time now."

Ever since the news broke a few days ago that Queen Entertainment had fallen out with the Reynolds Group, everyone speculated that Queen Entertainment's future was bleak.

Without the support of the Reynolds Group, it was almost impossible for Queen Entertainment to secure resources based solely on the talent of its artists.

It was said that Finnegan got the fourth male lead in Ice and Fire through internal connections. Otherwise, with Finnegan's awkward acting skills, there was no way Hank would have chosen him.

Phoebe waved her hand. "Tell them to stop spreading rumors."

"Yes, ma'am." Lori playfully curtsied and left the office. Phoebe rubbed her temples, thinking it might be time to get a more reliable secretary.

By the afternoon, the finance department had already handed Phoebe the completed asset evaluation. The speed impressed her.

She flipped through the document. The evaluation was very detailed, clearly not something that could be done in just a few hours. She looked up at the finance director, Kyle Ward.

"This asset evaluation is very well done, with clear pros and cons. It must have taken a lot of time?"

Kyle rubbed his balding head and said, "It didn't take that long. After Queen Entertainment fell out with the Reynolds Group, I heard that you were the one who built Queen Entertainment from the ground up. I figured you wouldn't want to see it fall, so I did this evaluation to help you if you decided to acquire it."

Phoebe smiled. "It seems you all really want me to bring Queen Entertainment under Superstar Entertainment."

"That depends on your decision."

Phoebe closed the document and said calmly, "Based on the asset evaluation, you should know that Queen Entertainment has no value for us to acquire."

Kyle looked at Phoebe in confusion.

Phoebe continued, "In the past three years, Queen Entertainment hasn't produced a single influential artist. In the industry, their brand is considered a joke with no commercial value. Additionally, their management is chaotic, and their artists lack talent. If I were to take over, it would require a lot of effort to reorganize, making it more trouble than it's worth."

Kyle had been in the industry for many years and had quickly risen to the position of director at Superstar Entertainment. He had initially thought Phoebe was too young to lead a company.

Now, hearing Phoebe's clear-headed analysis, not swayed by past grievances, he admired her.

No wonder Venture Capital Firm chose Phoebe; she truly was capable and had a broad perspective.

"I understand," Kyle said.

Phoebe smiled. "Thank you for your hard work on this asset evaluation."

Kyle quickly said, "No need to thank me, Ms. Ziegler. It's my job. I'll leave you to your work."

After Kyle left, Phoebe reopened the asset evaluation. Seeing Queen Entertainment's financial performance over the past three years, she frowned deeply.

Vanessa couldn't act, nor could she run a company. What did Theodore see in her back then? Her looks?

The more Phoebe thought about it, the more agitated she became. She slammed the document shut and threw it into a drawer, out of sight, out of mind. Many people probably thought that after Queen Entertainment's downfall, she would take it over.

But Phoebe had never thought that way.

Even when Madison offered her shares in Queen Entertainment, Phoebe wasn't tempted. She had no obsession with owning Queen Entertainment.

What wasn't hers back then, even if she went to great lengths to get it now, would only feel uncomfortable, not satisfying.

Lakeview Estates.

The weather today was nice. Evelyn decided to take Hubert, Boris, Noomi, and Ethan for a walk by the lake. She packed some essentials into a bag and grabbed a mat for them to play on the grass.

After gathering everything, Evelyn took the camera Phoebe had recently bought, hung it around her neck, and pushed Hubert, Boris, and Noomi out the door. Ruby pushed Ethan, and Pamela followed behind.

The brisk autumn wind gently brushed their cheeks, bringing a slight chill. Ginkgo trees lined the path outside the villa area, standing in two neat rows, hiding the entire estate. There were winding paths, and at the turns, more lush ginkgo trees.

They walked along the path, encountering few people, mostly the estate's cleaning staff.

Outside the community was a man-made lake. Because of the good weather, nearby residents were out walking with their children and dogs.

Occasionally, a vendor selling toys would approach. Seeing them with children, a vendor quickly said, "How about a bubble machine for the kids? They all love it."

As he spoke, he pressed a button, and colorful bubbles floated in the air, looking beautiful and dreamy in the bright sunlight.

Hubert, Boris, and Noomi loved the bubbles, reaching out to touch them. The bubbles burst upon contact, and they chased after the next ones.

Countless bubbles were quickly popped by the children who had gathered. They surrounded the vendor, waiting for more bubbles.

Noomi excitedly kicked her legs in the stroller. "Grandma, I want bubbles. Can you buy one?"

Evelyn frowned, thinking the bubble machine was unsanitary and worried they might get sick if they touched it and then put their hands in their mouths. She started to push them away. "This thing isn't safe. It would hurt if it got in your eyes."

"Grandma, Grandma, please buy one," Hubert, Boris, and Noomi looked at Evelyn with pleading eyes. Boris pointed at Ethan and said, "Look, Ethan wants to play too."

Evelyn turned to see Ethan also looking at her with pleading eyes. She couldn't resist the four children's pleading eyes.

"Alright, I'll buy it for you." Evelyn took out her phone and asked the vendor, "How much for a bubble machine?" "Eight dollars for one, fifteen dollars for two. A bargain."

Evelyn picked a pink and a blue bubble machine and was about to scan the QR code when Ruby stepped in. "I'll do it."

Evelyn glanced at Ruby and didn't argue. She handed the bubble machines to Hubert, Boris, Noomi, and Ethan, who eagerly started to figure them out.

The lawn was crowded, so they found an empty spot, laid down the mat, and sat the children on it. Ruby stayed nearby to teach them how to use the bubble machines.