Chapter 148

Sienna saw the photos in the group and the money Phoebe had earned, and jealousy almost drove her crazy. That bitch can even fence, and she won first place? I wonder if it was all arranged in advance, or if there’s some shady stuff going on. We’ve been busting our butts, and we’ve barely earned six hundred bucks. Why does Phoebe get to make thirty thousand dollars? she thought.

But no matter how upset or jealous she felt, she couldn’t show it. Otherwise, she would definitely be attacked by Phoebe’s fans and viewers. She turned to Jamar and Joshua and asked, “Phoebe can fence?”

The two brothers shook their heads simultaneously. “I don’t know about that.” Only now did they realize how little they actually knew about Phoebe.

Joshua saw the photos Maddox had posted and the hotel he had booked, and his jealousy was unbearable. He was really pissed Phoebe was hanging out with two outsiders and not even bringing her own family along.

If we had that 30 thousand, why would we still be here struggling to perform for pennies? they wondered. The worst part was that they had been singing and dancing for so long, and they had only made less than 600 bucks. That amount of money wasn’t even enough to live on.

Joshua couldn’t hold back and sarcastically said, “She’s bold enough now and doesn’t even care about her brothers.” Jamar quickly gave him a look. “She is pretty impressive.”

This was a live broadcast, and Joshua’s words could easily lead to Phoebe’s fans attacking him. Also, in the entertainment industry, they were known as brothers, but it had never been exposed before. Now Joshua was basically revealing himself as Phoebe’s brother. Now the brother who got insulted in the live broadcast wouldn’t just be Jamar.

As expected, when Joshua spoke, everyone was shocked.

[Huh, Joshua is Phoebe’s brother?] [If you look at their last names, it’s obvious. We just never connected the dots before.] [The Jenkins brothers are pretty impressive, top agents, megastars, and talented singers.] [They’re impressive, but they have no self-awareness.] [Phoebe has completely cut ties with the Jenkins family, and now Joshua is trying to claim her as family? Isn’t it too late!] [And the way he spoke, sarcastically, like Phoebe owed them something.] [I never liked Joshua. He seemed too arrogant, and now I really can’t stand him.] [Earlier, he helped Sienna lift her dress and wipe her sweat, looking so indulgent. I thought he was trying to get with Sienna. I didn’t expect…] [Another one of Sienna’s adopted brothers.] [They pamper Sienna, and I don’t mind that. But why do they have to trash Phoebe?] [No wonder Phoebe had to cut ties with these brothers. Every one of them is siding with Sienna and going after Phoebe. It’s so obvious.] [I’m not even a Phoebe fan, but I have to say, Joshua is getting on my nerves.]

Phoebe’s fans came out to mock Joshua, and Joshua’s fans were just as surprised to find out he was Phoebe’s real brother. But upon seeing Joshua being mocked like this, they were naturally unhappy and jumped in to defend him.

The fact that the brothers didn’t like Phoebe was enough to prove they hadn’t been doing well. They were good to Sienna obviously because Sienna was more considerate.

No one said that brothers had to be good to their blood sister. Joshua just liked Sienna. The audience couldn’t help but roll their eyes. Fans follow their idols. These fans weren’t exactly kind either. Joshua’s sarcastic tone clearly showed his jealousy that Phoebe was having fun with Maddox and Quintus while leaving them out. They should reflect on their own attitude toward Phoebe first.

Soon, the topic with hashtag (Shocked! Top singer Joshua is actually Phoebe’s real brother!] trended on social media. More people rushed into the livestream to watch the drama unfold.

On the other side, Phoebe and the others had arrived at the hotel and checked in. Maddox, when traveling, always stayed at hotels of this caliber at the very least. Usually, he stayed at even more luxurious places, but he never took photos, let alone shared them with anyone. But now, he took a few pictures of the room and posted them in the group.

Maddox: The room is okay, pretty comfortable. Let’s just settle for tonight.

Lexie, James, and Jimmy were all speechless. Maddox just couldn’t stop showing off once he started.

Jamar: Shut up. Joshua couldn’t hold back either. [Shut up-] There was no way they would ever stay in a hotel like this.

Sienna was seething with jealousy. No matter how much they worked today, there…

They didn’t want to post anything in the group, so it wouldn’t seem like they were just hyping up Phoebe. Reece, seeing all this, felt even worse. He didn’t send any messages either. He just thought that Maddox was so lucky.

Phoebe saw Maddox’s message and a smile flickered in her eyes. She tagged Maddox in the group chat.

Phoebe: [You sure know how to show off] (It attached with a head-patting emoji.)

Her words were full of affectionate teasing, which made Joshua, Jamar, and Reece feel even worse and more jealous. Phoebe was spoiling Maddox too much. No wonder Maddox was getting so cocky.

[Pheebs is night.] [I just realized Pheebs is so spoiled toward Maddie.] [JOh my god, it kind of feels like they’re a couple now.] [I’m starting to think they match so well. I want to be their fan.] [Maddie never showed off before, but now wherever Phoebe is, he’s showing off.] [Yeah, he wants to show off. By the way, being carried by Phoebe, living the easy life. How nice.] [How much Phoebe spoils Maddie! She’s indulging him in everything. So sweet!] [Are they following a different script? It feels like now Phoebe is the one spoiling Maddie, and Maddie is always relying on her.] [Did you guys notice? Maddie looks at Phoebe with eyes full of adoration.] [I’ve noticed. Maddie never speaks badly about Phoebe. He doesn’t have that arrogant, cocky vibe he usually has. He’s like a well-behaved big puppy, which totally fits his usual style.] [This is love.] [Maddie just needs a queen to tame him.] [Phoebe is so strong and amazing, she’s not suited to someone cold like Reece, Maddie, on the other hand, can make her happy every day, living off her. That’s the better match.] [So sweet.]

At this moment, everyone overlooked Maddox’s impressive family background and his noble status, and instead, they all felt that he was so happy because he was relying on Phoebe. Joshua and his fan group couldn’t hold back from criticizing Maddox for being too much, saying he should be thrown into a sack and beaten. The three of them couldn’t help but be jealous, thinking how great it would be if Phoebe were with their idol instead.

Phoebe and the others slept in the afternoon. The other two groups still had to struggle to make money. James and Lexie had already predicted that Phoebe’s group would take a different approach. They were in a good mood. After consulting with Jimmy, they went to find a part-time job. Singing and dancing were off the table.

The three of them got help from an Epunian in Darmechia, who helped them find a temporary job handing out flyers. They worked for three hours, wearing mascot costumes, and each earned two hundred dollars. In Darmechia, physical labor like this paid pretty well. Of course, it was all thanks to the Epunian’s help. If they had gone on their own, it would have been hard to find and not as well-paying.

Sienna and her group had lost interest in performing for money. It was too exhausting and not worth it. Sienna suggested they try finding temporary work at a high-end restaurant, such as playing the piano or violin. She had graduated from a music academy, and she was skilled with various instruments. This would show off her talents. The other three didn’t disagree.

They were lucky. Just then, a musician at a local upscale restaurant had fallen ill. They managed to get a job playing the piano and violin. Sienna and Joshua could do both, while Reece and Jamar could play the piano. Plus, the three of them had some fame, and a lot of Epunians came to the restaurant. The restaurant manager was happy to hire them.

However, the production team had rules. They couldn’t use their fame to get ridiculous pay. So the manager offered them 500 dollars per hour each. Compared to their previous performances, it was a lot better. Joshua couldn’t resist and posted a message in the group chat to show off.

As Phoebe and the others had woken up and gathered, they saw Joshua’s post. Phoebe grinned at the two of them and said, “How about we go to this restaurant for dinner!”

The contrast couldn’t have been stronger. I hope Sienna doesn’t end up crying because of this, she thought.