Chapter 101

Phoebe posted a response on Twitter. It wasn’t intended to explain herself to haters or internet trolls, but to acknowledge her supporters. Of course, it was also to provoke Leon. Given his personality and thought process, there was a strong chance he’d believe she’d use horoscopes and fortune-telling to help clear Gwen’s name. She’d laid a trap that he would interpret as her predictable strategy, and he’d likely keep spending money to drive up the media hype.

Phoebe’s post said:

4: [Truth always rises. We reap what we sow. Justice may be late but never absent.]

Gwen immediately retweeted Phoebe’s post, with Milton and Quintus following suit. After seeing the post, Leon, who had been wearing a stoic expression, finally broke into a smile. He turned to Ollic and said, “See! She’s definitely going to use horoscope and metaphysics bullshit to try and clear Gwen’s name. This time, she’ll regret going against me.”

Ollic looked surprised. “You really predicted her move.”

Based on Phoebe’s post, the whole thing did seem to hint at some mystical strategy. Leon smirked. “Of course, she’s way too green to play games with me.”

Ollie thought for a moment. “Could it be a trap? This doesn’t feel as simple as it looks.”

Indeed, given Phoebe’s recent track record, just tweeting something like this to clear Gwen’s name seemed suspiciously straightforward. Ollie, groomed to be a Jenkins heir, had always been more perceptive than his other brothers. However, Leon brushed him off. “Ollie, you’re just overthinking it.”

Ollie shrugged, deciding not to press further. “Alright. I’ll keep watching then.” He would see if Leon’s prediction about Phoebe’s strategy was right this time and if their counterattack was effective. If Leon failed and made no significant moves, it could invite opposition from Jenkins Group’s major stakeholders about him taking over the company’s entertainment branch. Ollie didn’t want to see this happen. Jenkins Entertainment should still stay in the hands of the Jenkins family. However, if Leon did end up outmaneuvered by Phoebe and lost, it wouldn’t be the worst outcome. Leon had smooth sailing until now. A setback by his sister might give him a valuable lesson, making him more vigilant in future decisions.

In the meantime, Leon let his team heat up public interest, triggering the narrative they had planned. Not just Ollie and the entertainment industry were watching; Jenkins Group’s shareholders and even Elliot were paying close attention. Elliot was surprised to discover his daughter had such a talent for strategy. It remained to be seen if the brother would prove stronger or if the sister would prove herself the sharper player.

Maddox saw Phoebe’s post and immediately tweeted his support. He tagged Phoebe. [The truth stands clear. I believe in Pherbs’s judgment and have your back!] Maddox’s fans enthusiastically replied:

[Maddie, you have guts. Well done!] [That’s a real friend. Good for you to stand up for her.] [Way to go, Maddie. We got your back!]

Seeing Maddox’s fans react like this left many people speechless. They couldn’t help but marvel at how Maddox was as bold as ever. He was unfazed by any potential backlash.

People couldn’t decide if it was reckless or impressive for him to openly support Phoebe. Unexpectedly, Sebastian, Spencer, and Quintus retweeted Maddox’s post, which was unusual since it was their first time openly backing a celebrity on Twiller. Then Lexie also retweeted Maddox’s post. She hadn’t known Phoebe for long, but she trusted that there was a reason behind Phoebe’s decision to sign Gwen. Whatever was going on with Gwen’s scandal probably had layers yet unseen. Lexie was also grateful to Phoebe for helping her spot her ex-boyfriend’s true colors. Fortunately, she realized it in time, or she’d have been in serious trouble. With her background, Lexie wasn’t worried about the brothers of Jenkins Group or public backlash and stood by her friend openly.

James hesitated, but despite his agent’s objections, he insisted on adding his support on Twitter. They were on the same team, and he could tell Phoebe was a genuinely good person, so he was willing to take a chance. Everyone was surprised by their posts. People thought they must either be crazy or clueless for backing Phoebe so boldly alongside Maddox. Even Phoebe was surprised. Maddox coming to her support was within Phoebe’s expectations. However, she hadn’t anticipated Sebastian, Spencer, Lexie, or James would also post in her favor, especially since the latter three didn’t even know the full story.

Seeing fans from her, Maddox’s, and the other supporters’ camps, along with some bystanders, openly backing her warmed Phoebe’s heart. She tried to foretell her future. She noticed the sign of a prosperous future had lengthened since she traveled back in time. It indicated that more people were beginning to like her. She would also make sure to return the favor to everyone.

Meanwhile, Reece noticed the online chatter spiraling out of control, with some posts even dragging him and Sienna back into the mess. Frustrated, he wondered why there couldn’t just be a break from it all. Seeing Maddox’s immediate tweet of support for Phoebe made Reece feel irritated at Maddox’s shameless opportunism. He also began to reflect on himself. His father’s words came to mind, and he realized he’d been stubbornly fixated on the wrong things. Loving someone meant more than just wanting to have them all to oneself.

When Reece saw people flocking to his own Twitter to bash Phoebe and sway his fans against her, he decided to step in with a post. His post said: [Our breakup was a misunderstanding, not a matter of Phoebe’s character. It was my fault for not keeping boundaries with my female friends. To those stirring things up, I don’t stand by that.] From now on, he’d stand on Phoebe’s side, unconditionally supporting her.

Reece’s unexpected Twitter post left everyone surprised. Leon was so furious he didn’t know where to start. He kicked the coffee table, sending it sliding across the room. “All of them are morons!” It was bad enough dealing with Jarnar, and now Reece too.

Ollic was equally shocked by Reece’s move. “Well, now you can’t use him to whitewash Sienna. And it seems like he does care about Phoebe. I doubt he’ll be much help to you anymore.”

Leon was furious. “Has he lost his mind? Where was all this devotion when it mattered?” Unable to hold back, Leon called Reece directly. As soon as Reece answered, Leon asked, “Reece, are you a fucking idiot!”

Reece frowned. “Leon, watch your tone, or I’ll hang up.” Reece wasn’t an employee under Leon. Although he was signed with Jenkins Entertainment, he had considerable freedom. If Leon pushed him too far, he could leave anytime without worrying about penalty fees.

Hearing this, Leon dialed down his anger slightly. “Why did you post something like that?”

“Obviously, to help Phoebe,” Reece replied.

Leon scoffed, lacing his words with sarcasm. “Now you’re helping Phoebe? Where was this dedication before?”

Reece sounded uncomfortable. “Which is why I’m making up for it now,” he added. “Maybe you should try doing something useful instead of obsessing over ways to drag your sister down.”

Leon nearly exploded. “She’s the one targeting me, trying to humiliate me!”

Reece simply said, “You know exactly what’s really going on here. From now on, I’m not helping you anymore. Take care of yourself.” Then, he hung up. Leon was left speechless, resisting the urge to shout. All of them were blaming him as if they hadn’t mistreated Phoebe before.