Chapter 168

Maddox hadn't expected Jamar to actually drink the cocktails he'd mixed. He had claimed to have ordered the drinks under their table number, but Jamar could have easily denied it. After all, that excuse was flimsy at best and easily refuted. Maddox had even planned what to do if they refused to drink. However, Jamar just drank them without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Reece and Sienna, the ones Maddox had actually wanted to trick, hadn't touched a drop. Feeling a little guilty, he decided to punish himself with three drinks.

Jamar was surprised that Maddox admitted everything so openly. When he first saw the drinks, he had already guessed it was Maddox's doing, not something specially made by the bartender. Three hundred dollars a glass was a joke; the most expensive cocktail there was only forty dollars. And even if Maddox had really placed the order under their table, Jamar could have refused to acknowledge it. The owner wouldn't have forced them to pay; whoever ordered it was responsible. He wasn't stupid.

At the time, Jamar had simply thought that drinking them might make Phoebe feel a little better. And in the end, he had lost the bet fair and square. So, he willingly jumped into the trap. At the same time, he helped drag Joshua down with him, making Joshua see Sienna from a different perspective.

Now, seeing Maddox own up to everything, Jamar found him pretty straightforward. Any irritation he had felt earlier vanished. With a half-smile, he looked at Maddox and teased, “You’re finally acting like a decent person for once.”

Maddox chuckled. “Bottoms up!” He picked up a glass, held his breath, and downed it in one go. His own cocktail was truly terrible. He swore to never mix drinks again. Then, without hesitation, he drank the remaining two glasses. After finishing all three, he returned to his seat, joining the others in casual conversation and sipping normal drinks.

Their table was lively, filled with laughter and chatter. The other table, however, was heavy with tension. Joshua, looking dejected, silently picked up his glass and drank one after another. It was obvious he was in a foul mood. Reece sat there quietly, sipping his drink, occasionally glancing in Phoebe’s direction. Jamar had no interest in talking either. He grabbed his phone and mindlessly scrolled through an app. Sienna felt completely awkward. She wanted to say something, but no one was paying attention to her.

Finally, unable to bear the silence, she reached out and tugged on Joshua’s sleeve. “Joshua, stop drinking,” she urged.

Joshua forced a bitter smile. “I just want to drink right now. Don’t worry about it.” Then he continued downing his drinks. Sienna felt embarrassed and frustrated, so she gave up trying to stop him.

After a while, Phoebe and the others finished their game and left. Once both groups had left the venue, Reece suggested heading back to the hotel. Joshua, still unwilling to stop drinking, refused to go; Jamar forcibly dragged him away. The car ride back to the hotel was silent.

After checking in, Reece simply nodded in greeting before heading straight to his room. Sienna turned to Joshua and asked, “Joshua, are you okay? Should I get you some hangover medicine?” Joshua had been feeling a bit resentful, but hearing her concern warmed his heart.

12:14 PM

He shook his head. “Im fine. I’m not drunk, so don’t worry about it.” His expression softened as he reached out and ruffled her hair. “Go rest. You’ve got work tomorrow!”

Sienna let out a relieved sigh and flashed him a sweet, obedient smile. She said, “Then you should rest early too. If you don’t feel well, call me.”

Joshua nodded. “Alright.”

Still upset with Jamar, Sienna didn’t want to talk to him much. But since they were on livestream, she still put on a smile and waved. “Goodnight, Jamar.”

Jamar nodded. “Goodnight!”

Joshua was still mad at Jamar, so he ignored him and went straight to his room. Watching his brother’s retreating figure, Jamar let out a sigh. Josina got coaxed by Sienna so easily. Of course, he had once been just as foolish.

Like that time when Jamar was hooked up to an IV drip. Sienna had claimed she would stay with him. But in reality, she never really wanted to. So, when he told her it wasn’t necessary, she took that as permission to leave without a second thought. If it had been Phoebe instead, not only would she have stayed, but she would have also cooked oatmeal and prepared herbal medicine for him. And if it were her tonight, she would have remembered that Joshua couldn’t drink too much without hurting his throat. She wouldn’t have just said she would buy medicine. She actually would have bought hangover remedies and throat-soothing medicine and delivered them to Joshua.

Jamar thought for a moment, then turned around and walked out of the hotel instead of heading to his room. The cameraman, who was about to turn off the livestream, hesitated at the director’s cue and followed him. Viewers then watched as Jamar walked into a pharmacy and bought hangover medicine and throat-soothing remedies. This action left the audience stunned.

Especially Joshua’s fans, who had been flooding the chat with insults toward Jamar. Jamar’s fans, on the other hand, couldn’t resist clapping back. Compared to the so-called ‘dear little sister,’ Jamar is the real sibling. She only knows how to comfort with words, but he takes action.

This time, Joshua’s fans didn’t argue back. Many of them knew Joshnu’s throat was sensitive. Drinking too much alcohol or eating spicy foods would cause him pain. Although they had been furious earlier when Jamar and Maddox had tricked Joshua into drinking, in this moment, they couldn’t stay mad. Instead, they found themselves reflecting on how their idol had always protected and cared for Sienna. She had said she would buy hangover medicine, but she never actually did. She either didn’t know or had forgotten about Joshua’s throat condition. Which meant, deep down, she wasn’t paying attention to him. Compared to Jamar, who had just tricked his brother moments ago, Sienna’s so-called care now seemed laughable.

On the way back to the hotel, an assistant struck up a conversation with Jamar under Sebastian’s instructions. The assistant asked, “Mr. Jenkins, you’re really considerate. You bought the medicine because you knew Joshua would get a sore throat after drinking, didn’t you?”

Jamar smiled gently. “Compared to Phoebe, this is nothing. When she was still part of the Jenkins family, if something like this happened, she…” He went on to talk about all the ways Phoebe used to take care of both him and Joshua. Like how she made her own soothing throat lozenges or prepared medicinal dishes to help with inflammation.

12:14 PM

Chapter 168

Hearing this, Phoebe’s fans felt heartbroken; Joshua and Jamar’s fans also felt uneasy. They hadn’t realized just how much Phoebe had done for the Jenkins family. The ones who had constantly criticized her suddenly fell silent. If their own sister had treated them that well, they’d have to be insane to force her out of their lives and destroy their relationship. So really, Joshua had it coming. And Jamar wasn’t blameless either. He had been one of those who treated Phoebe poorly.

Phoebe’s fans sneered. [Now you all realize her worth? Too late!] With nowhere to vent their frustration, Joshua and Jamar’s fans turned their anger toward Sienna. They called her a hypocrite, pretending to be considerate. They said that even a straightforward guy like Jamar had done better than her. They accused her of stirring up conflicts between the two brothers, driving a wedge between them and their real sister. They also called her toxic, a troublemaker, and a homewrecker.

At that moment, Sienna had just finished showering. She looked into the mirror and let out a piercing scream. Her skin had lost its glow, her cheeks were dotted with faint spots, and her body’s complexion had darkened noticeably. This could only mean one thing: her faith-based fortune was depleting, and she was starting to suffer the backlash.

Sienna frantically reached for her phone to send a message. But the moment she grabbed it, she realized it wasn’t her phone. Her face twisted with rage. If this continued, she was doomed. She blamed all of this on Phoebe. Tomorrow, Sienna had to find a way to dodge the livestream cameras and borrow a phone to make a call.