Chapter 16

Jamar came out and asked Phoebe to cook, which totally shocked everyone who had just walked in. Maddox and the others just stared at Phoebe. Jamar’s voice sounded like he knew Phoebe really well, and there was something intense about it.

“K for you?” Phoebe looked at Jamar and said, “Is this how you ask for help! Who do you think you are, telling me to cook for him?” She gave him a cold stare. Before they got there, Sienna had warned him not to reveal their connection with Phoebe, afraid she’d get upset and cause a scene.

Phoebe scoffed, “Jamar, is something wrong with your brain! I’m not your servant.”

Maddox was surprised by Phoebe’s reaction to Jamar, but he knew he had to back up his teammates. So he raised his eyebrows at Jamar and said, “Are you serious? Pheebs isn’t on your team. Why should she cook for you!”

Just then, the three people in the kitchen came out. Sienna looked at Maddox and apologized, “Sorry, I hurt my hand while cooking, and Jamar was worried, so he wanted to ask Phoebe for help,” she said, showing her red-spotted hand. “Jamar is just too concerned about me. Please don’t blame him,” Sienna looked at Phoebe and said.

Phoebe knew that Sienna was trying to show off how much Jamar cared about her and wanted to provoke her into saying something she shouldn’t. Phoebe raised her eyebrows and said, “You don’t have to flaunt your brotherly love in front of me. If he cares about you so much, why didn’t he help you cook! Instead, he asked me to do it. I turned him down, and here you are trying to make me feel like I can’t blame him.”

She added, “I remember I had nothing to do with you guys a long time ago. This is emotional manipulation.”

Sienna didn’t expect Phoebe to react so calmly. She thought, “Shouldn’t she be more upset and give me a piece of her mind?”

Sienna quickly shook her head and said, “That’s not what I meant.” Phoebe’s last remark made her a bit worried, fearing that Phoebe might reveal their relationship in public.

Now that Phoebe had cut ties with the Jenkins family, Sienna hoped that Phoebe would never have anything to do with them again. “Jamar’s sister can only be me,” Sienna thought.

So she immediately grabbed Jamar’s arm and said, “Jamar, I washed my hand with cold water, and it feels much better now. I can finish cooking the remaining two dishes, and you don’t have to ask anyone for help.”

Jamar really wanted to speak up again. He just couldn’t deal with Phoebe’s current attitude. She flat out called him a fool and accused Sienna of emotional manipulation. Phoebe used to do a lot of cooking for the Jenkins family to win them over.

But when he saw Sienna shaking her head at him, he held back. Jamar muttered, “Fine, I guess we’re not good enough for Phoebe.”

To which Phoebe responded, “Thank god, you finally see that. I really don’t know you that well, so keep your distance in the future.”

Now was not the time to spill the beans about their relationship. It would be so much better for everyone to figure out the truth themselves rather than Phoebe blurting it out. If she did, people would think she was just playing the victim for sympathy. It would seem like she actually cared about the Jenkins family. If the truth came out, everyone would think she was really suffering and couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Even though she didn’t need sympathy, she wasn’t going to turn down other people’s “kindness.”

Jamar’s expression darkened after being scolded. “Phoebe, don’t forget who you are.”

Phoebe rolled her eyes at him and said, “Unbelievable.”

Jamar was left speechless, thinking, Does anyone talk to their own brother like that? Why can’t she be as gentle and caring as Sienna? Sienna didn’t want them to keep arguing. She was worried that Jamar would accidentally spill the beans that Phoebe was his sister. So she exclaimed, “Oh no, the food I’m cooking is going to get burnt!”

She immediately grabbed Jamar’s hand and pulled him back into the kitchen, saying, “Jamar, come in and help.”

Phoebe watched Jamar being dragged away and clicked her tongue twice with deep meaning. “They hold hands even when they go back to the kitchen. How touching!”

Everyone noticed that Sienna was holding Jamar’s hand and heading back to the kitchen after hearing what Phoebe said. At the same time, there was also an indescribable awkwardness. Adult siblings being so intimate did feel weird.

Reece knew Phoebe wasn’t a pushover since they grew up together. But it seemed a bit much to keep going after Sienna and Jamar now. So he said, “Pheebs, maybe ease up a bit.”

Phoebe glanced at Reece with a cool look and replied, “They started it.”

Whenever Phoebe and Sienna clashed, the Jenkins family always seemed to side with Sienna. Now, even Reece was on Sienna’s side. It was no surprise he chose to rescue Sienna first when Phoebe and Sienna were both kidnapped. In the past, Phoebe put up with a lot for the sake of family, but now she had had enough.

Reece realized for the first time that Phoebe’s eyes could be so cold and indifferent, and it made him a little uncomfortable. He wanted to explain that he wasn’t blaming her. He just wanted her to be more composed.

Maddox chimed in, “Reece, they started it. Anyone can see whose fault it was just now. You can’t be so one-sided, can you?” Jamar was totally acting like he owned Phoebe, and that really got on Maddox’s nerves.

Reece and Phoebe have been friends since they were kids, but now he’s against her. “No wonder she wanted to break up with him,” Maddox thought. Then Reece gave Maddox a cold look and said, “If you don’t know the whole story, you shouldn’t speak up.”

What he really wanted to say was, Jamar is Phoebe’s brother. She shouldn’t have embarrassed him in public like that.

Phoebe knew Reece so well. She could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. She scoffed, “Reece, are you saying I should just follow orders and not speak up? Do you think I owe them something?”

Seeing Phoebe getting more and more distant, Reece was taken aback. “No, that’s not what I meant. I just…” He wanted to say, “You shouldn’t treat your brother like this,” but then he remembered that he promised Sienna to keep their relationship with Phoebe a secret.

So he stopped himself and said, “Forget it. I didn’t mean anything else. Don’t overthink it.”

Phoebe replied calmly, “Why would I overthink it? You guys always like to blame others.”

She really couldn’t care less about Jamar and Reece’s attitude. But not caring didn’t mean they had the right to order her around or blame her. They started it, and she wasn’t going to put up with it.

Reece pursed his lips and gave Phoebe a long look before turning back to the kitchen. He knew it wasn’t the right time or place to talk, but he had to find a way to have a proper chat with Phoebe.

Erika was totally caught off guard by how tough Phoebe was. Not only did she have the guts to call Jamar stupid, but she also left Reece speechless. She couldn’t figure out if Phoebe was just being too straightforward or just plain silly. This was a live broadcast. Maybe she’s just craving more attention, Erica thought.

She originally wanted to speak up for Jamar and get on his good side, but after seeing even Reece getting scolded by Phoebe, she felt pretty awkward and just headed to the kitchen.

James and Lexie were also surprised by how tough Phoebe was, and they found it kind of refreshing, to be honest. Jamar had gone a little too far earlier. Phoebe was not his servant. However, from the way Jamar and Phoebe were talking earlier, they felt like there was something more going on between Phoebe and Jamar.