Chapter 109
After sitting down, they ended up at a table directly across from Phoebe and Brenda. Phoebe and Brenda, tucked into a dim corner and purposefully turned to the side, went unnoticed by the others. At the table across, Sienna and Edith avoided sitting with the other girls. Sienna took her place next to Leon, and Edith beside Frank. The four of them sat together on a large couch; two men in the middle with a woman on either side.
Once they ordered drinks, Leon and Frank started chatting, with Sienna and Edith pouring drinks for them, looking very much like two couples. Phoebe’s sharp hearing allowed her to catch the general gist of their conversation. Leon was talking to Frank about investing in a web series, and it seemed like Frank was planning to fund Cain’s new show.
Phoebe turned to Brenda and asked, “Were Leon and Frank always this close?” Phoebe didn’t know Frank well. He’d gone abroad shortly after she arrived in Solara City.
Brenda replied quietly, “Leon, Frank, and Reece all went to high school together. In school, they were practically inseparable, like the Three Musketeers.” She added, “Leon’s actually two years older than us. He took a two-year break before re-enrolling, which is why he ended up in our year.”
Brenda explained that she knew Leon well, as her brother had gone to high school in Solara City from freshman year, but she stayed behind because of her grandfather. When he passed away in her second year of high school, Brenda initially wanted to stay to support Phoebe. However, with the inheritance she received, her mother encouraged her grandmother and father to transfer her to Solara City to complete high school. Brenda ended up in the same class as Reece and the others.
To defy her mother and partly out of a rebellious streak, Brenda had played the part of a “slacker.” Secretly, her basics were solid from studying with Phoebe. Yet, when it came to exams, she deliberately wrote the wrong answers, holding onto her record as the lowest-ranked student because it hurt her pride. Her mother was furious every time she saw those grades, not out of genuine concern for Brenda’s future but because it hurt her pride. After all, Soren and Reece were top students, consistently ranking in the top three of their respective years. Even the other cousins maintained good grades. It made Brenda’s performance an ongoing topic at family gatherings, much to her mother’s embarrassment. Brenda, however, found it all quite amusing.
In her year, Frank was known as the “genius” of the school, always ranking first. When Brenda transferred, the teacher seated her beside him. Frank was reserved and had a cool demeanor. Brenda had initially tried chatting with him, but his response was so cold that she didn’t bother again. One day, an older boy who’d dropped out of school tried to pursue Brenda. She turned him down firmly, telling him to stay away. But his ex-girlfriend caught wind of it and ambushed Brenda with a group of ten or so.
Brenda could handle herself in a fight, but they outnumbered her. In a moment of distraction, the girl picked up a brick, ready to swing it at her head. As Frank happened to pass by the alley, he swung his backpack and knocked the girl aside, saving Brenda from a blow to the head. He stepped in further and managed to bring down several of the boys surrounding her. Although Frank usually had a cool, composed demeanor, his good looks and status as a top student were well-known. But that day, fighting in his school uniform, he struck Brenda as handsome and unexpectedly charming.
From that moment, Brenda stopped pretending to be a “slacker” and focused on catching up with Frank. She often sought him out to ask for help with her studies. Though Frank would appear annoyed, he always took the time to explain things patiently. Other girls also tried approaching him with questions, but he brushed them off coldly.
Chapter 100
Brenda continued to rope him into outings, sometimes subtly. He always acted reluctant but would still show up at their meetings. For college entrance exams, she studied hard to get into the same university as him and, on his advice, majored in business. By their third year, Frank had already completed his undergraduate courses, earned all his credits, and graduated early after passing all his exams. He got into a prestigious graduate program abroad.
Before he left, he mentioned he planned to start a company overseas, hinting that Brenda could join him after she graduates. Once Frank moved abroad, he and Brenda kept in touch, albeit with occasional delays in his responses. Whenever she encountered academic challenges, he would even video call to patiently guide her. So, after finishing her degree, she went abroad, joining his company.
That was when Brenda found out there was a new addition, Edith, Frank’s secretary, who seemed entirely focused on him. Brenda confronted him about Edith, but he dismissed it, saying there was nothing between them and told her not to overthink it. Whenever she tried to establish a clear relationship with him, he would steer the conversation away. Edith’s presence led to several arguments between them.
Just before returning home, they had planned a dinner together. But Edith suddenly fell ill, and Frank skipped their date to go to the hospital to see her. That led to a fight and subsequent silence between them. Watching Phoebe’s decisive breakup with Reece, Brenda felt an overwhelming exhaustion from her situation. She finally let it go, leaving Frank and coming home to support Phoebe.
Brenda and her brothers had only moved to Solara City for high school. At that time, Phoebe was still living in another city, so she hadn’t been familiar with all these details. Though the three of them kept in touch, they rarely discussed others since they didn’t know the people in each other’s circles. Only after her college graduation and entry into the entertainment industry was Phoebe acknowledged as part of the Jenkins family. Only then did she learn that Reece and Leon had been classmates and childhood friends. Still, she didn’t ask much about their high school days.
Phoebe said, “That explains why they seem so close. Frank is even investing in Cain’s new show?” Brenda remarked, “If I knew he was your brother back in school, I would’ve given him a piece of my mind.” Brenda and Reece had just moved to Solara City and became classmates with Leon in high school. At that time, the Jenkins family had stopped publicly searching for their lost daughter, and no one from the Hill or Jenkins families had brought it up. Leon would occasionally mention his sister, always in an affectionate tone, so Brenda and the others had no reason to suspect she wasn’t Leon’s biological sibling. They rarely pried into family matters. Moreover, Phoebe and Leon didn’t resemble each other enough to raise any suspicions that Phoebe might be the Jenkins family’s lost daughter. When they eventually learned that Phoebe was Leon’s sister, it came as a complete surprise.
Phoebe laughed. “No worries. If I ever get the chance, I’ll give him a piece of my mind myself.” As the two continued their conversation, Sienna across the way took a sip of her drink, only to start crying violently, her eyes reddening. Leon immediately moved to pat her back, and she leaned into his embrace, taking the opportunity to act coy. Niema took the opportunity to lean into him, acting coy and seeking his comfort. She mumbled into his chest and wrapped one arm around his. Leon enveloped her in a comforting hug, lowering his head to soothe her and pulling out a napkin to wipe the alcohol from her face.
Brenda, in disbelief, snapped a picture and muttered, “Are they serious! They’re still siblings!” Their interaction didn’t resemble sibling affection and Reece had never been this close when they were young. After moving to Solara City, their sibling relationship had grown increasingly distant. They no longer even had small gestures like head pats or linked arms, as usual events.
Chapter 109
Phoebe was often stunned to see Sienna and the five brothers from the Jenkins family being this close. She said, “You’re not wrong. Sienna is quite…” Phoebe also realized that the five brothers acted this way because Sienna had deliberately guided them, making it a habit. Her gaze drifted over to where Edith sat nearby, and she was surprised to see the look on her face.