Chapter 276

After the recording leaked, Lydia was dragged through the mud on trending searches. Then, the calls started. First, her family called to tear into her. Then her mother-in-law rang up just to give her an earful. Even in her social circles, people were stirring the pot. Group app chats lit up with not-so-subtle digs, some even tagging her directly, demanding to know how she could coddle her adopted daughter while throwing her real one under the bus. It was humiliating. Like getting slapped in public. So, she didn’t respond.

Already in a foul mood, she got even more irritated when Leon chimed in. She scowled. “What’s the point of talking about this now? Besides, Cain was the real idiot here.”

“And Phoebe—she knew exactly what she was doing; this was all to humiliate us. I don’t think Sienna had much to do with it. Stop taking it out on her.”

She had raised Sienna for over a decade, doting on her like she was her own flesh and blood. Sienna had always acted the part too, clingy, sweet, always running to her like a baby duck trailing after its mother. Sure, the way she interacted with the boys was too much. But Lydia wasn’t about to cast her aside. That would mean admitting she had made the wrong call all those years ago. So, while she had said she would send Sienna away, she never really meant it. That’s why, when her husband suggested keeping an eye on Sienna, she agreed without hesitation. She even went as far as hiring an etiquette teacher, hoping to clean up the mess.

Leon watched his mother and let out a slow breath. Lydia hadn’t been burned by Sienna herself, so it didn’t hit as hard. She still had a soft spot for her. Instead of blaming Sienna, she was blaming Phoebe for exposing the recording, for making them look bad. Leon didn’t bother arguing. It was pointless.

Meanwhile, Elliot was getting ripped apart by his father. He had always been the perfect son, but for the first time, the old man didn’t hold back. In the family group chat, Elliot was getting dragged; his grandfather’s brother, his uncle’s family, even distant relatives were taking shots. At work, it was no different. Shareholders kept giving him weird looks, and his phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with calls from “concerned friends” who were clearly just fishing for gossip. He was beyond frustrated.

On one hand, he was sure Phoebe did this on purpose. That old recording had resurfaced at the worst possible time, and now their whole family was trending for all the wrong reasons. She went straight for the kill. No hesitation. No mercy. Just as she planned, their family was getting ripped apart online and humiliated by relatives and so-called friends. But at the same time, he couldn’t deny it; Phoebe had the Jenkins family’s blood in her. Ruthless, precise, and calculating. If they didn’t cut ties with them, he would seriously consider bringing her into Jenkins Group. She had the kind of mind that could dominate the business world.

The whole thing was a mess, and he was tired of dealing with it. So, he told his secretary to book him a flight. He needed to get out of the country, officially for a “business inspection,” but really just to escape this disaster. At the same time, he ramped up the investigation into Sienna and those so-called horoscope hunters.

Chapter 276

Over at Jenkins Entertainment, Ollie wasn’t doing any better. First, his grandfather called to rip into him. Then, in the family group chat, his cousins, both close and distant, took turns mocking him. At work, it was just as bad. Everywhere he went, people were whispering, casting side-eyes, and pretending not to stare. It wasn’t just his brothers taking the hit; he was getting dragged into it too. So, he was not about to sit around and deal with that.

Ollie came up with an excuse, packed his bags, and left for a “business trip” in another city. He wasn’t coming back until the chaos died down. No way was he sticking around to be the laughingstock of the office.

As for Phoebe, his feelings were complicated. She was relentless this time. No hesitation, no holding back. She didn’t even try to save face for them. And Cain? He was just a complete embarrassment.

Over in Galuwa, Cain sneezed multiple times in a row. Yeah, no doubt, people were cursing his name left and right. Thanks to Phoebe, he was taking the fall for this mess too. Standing next to Sienna, his expression was dark, but he kept his mouth shut. The director, sensing the tension, quickly tried to lighten the mood. Meanwhile, the live-stream numbers hit an all-time high.

He grinned. “Alright, let’s get to it. I’m sure you all know Galuwa; it’s a city that preserves ancient culture. In a bit, we’ll be giving everyone a makeover and dressing you up in traditional outfits of your choice. Your task? To explore Galuwa with a fresh perspective and take the live-stream audience on a tour. As always, you’ll be responsible for your own food, accommodation, and transportation for the next week. We’ll also be giving you random check-in tasks, so stay ready. And of course, you’ll be working in teams again.”

Before he could finish, Maddox shot his hand up. “Can we pick our own teams this time! I wanna team up with Pheebs in Squad One.” Phoebe was way too popular; he had to call dibs fast. The others caught on right away and raised their hands too, “I wanna be in Squad One with Pheeba!” One after another, more people jumped in. By the end, almost everyone wanted to be on Phoebe’s team, except for Jamar, Sienna, and Reece. Not that Jamar and Reece didn’t want to, but they knew Phoebe wouldn’t want them around.

Sebastian laughed. “Well, looks like everyone wants to team up with Pheebs.” Then, he switched gears. “But I hate to break it to you, this time, you won’t get to pick your teams.” They had already chosen their own teams twice before. If they kept doing it, the show would get predictable. They needed something fresh.

Maddox groaned. “What? Why not?” He was dead set on teaming up with Phoebe, and now that wasn’t guaranteed! That sucked.

Sebastian smirked. “A lot of viewers suggested that we switch things up and decide teams by drawing lots. They think it’ll make things more fun and unpredictable. So, after discussing it, the production team decided to take their advice. This time, you’ll be drawing lots to form your teams.” This way, the final episode would be more exciting and keep viewers hooked.

Maddox and the others were stunned. Yeah, right. Like this was really the viewers’ idea. It was obviously the production team messing with them. Still, there was no way around it now. All Maddox could do was cross his fingers and hope he pulled the same number as Phoebe. Jattar and Reece were getting into it, silently hoping for a lucky draw.

Mados asked, “So, do we pick our own number!”

Sebastian un-irked. “Nope. This time, we’re doing a big…”

Everyone looked a little puzzled. “Big…?”

Sebastian motioned to his assistant, who quickly rolled out a massive spinning wheel mounted on a stand. The wheel had twelve slots, each labeled with a contestant’s name: Piurbe, Maddox, Milton, James, Lesie, Jimmy, Reece, Jamar, Sienna, Cain, and…

Chapter 276

But there was one extra slot. Instead of a name, it had the word “mystery” written on it.