Joe meets Phoebe at a party at Adam's elite social club, Sundry House, where he becomes heavily intoxicated on absinthe and says something to Phoebe that leaves her profoundly moved. Phoebe becomes intensely attracted to Joe as a result of this conversation and attempts to seduce him at her family estate, but Joe rejects her advances. Phoebe then confides that she is afraid Adam may not love her. After part of Phoebe's family estate burns down in a fire unwittingly set by Joe, she attends one of Kate's art fundraisers, where she is kidnapped by a deranged fan, Dawn Brown, only for Joe to rescue her. Adam proposes to Phoebe shortly thereafter, but she rejects him after learning the truth about his financial problems and infidelity from Dawn. However, Phoebe enters a spiral of PTSD following her kidnapping; Kate arranges her stay at a rehab facility, Adam convinces Phoebe to marry him instead. Adam pushes for a hasty marriage, using Phoebe's money to solve his bankruptcy problems. Kate, Joe, and her family all try to save her from marrying Adam, but he isolates Phoebe telling her they don't care about her happiness and that he loves her. Phoebe realizes too late what Adam is doing, and suffers a mental breakdown at her wedding and is hospitalized.
