Chapter 279

The group changed into their ancient costumes: women with their hair tied up, men wearing wigs. When they reached the city gate, they saw a line of people waiting to enter and joined it. As expected, they attracted a lot of attention. Tourists stopped to watch and snap photos, but the production team had security in place, so no one dared get too close.

While waiting, they noticed soldiers in ancient armor standing on either side of the entrance, gripping long spears. Nearby, staff members were handing out entry tokens. Each of them received a small wooden token with the date carved into it. Holding it made the whole thing feel even more real.

After attaching the tokens to their clothes or tucking them away, they stepped inside. The city looked straight out of history. The streets were lined with antique-style buildings, and everyone was dressed in period clothing. Carriages and oxcarts rolled by, carrying people as if it were just another day. And they weren’t just for show; they actually worked, designed to function like they did back in the day.

Fares started at six dollars, depending on the distance, but no one was ready to spend their limited cash on a ride just yet. Maddox turned to Phoebe. "Theebs, wanna team up to make some money?" He wasn’t looking for a free ride; he just figured they would do well together.

Before Phoebe could answer, a staff member stepped in. “No can do. Mr. Scott said once you’re in your groups, you can only earn money with your teammates. No teaming up with others.” Made sense. Splitting them up would’ve been pointless otherwise.

Phoebe sighed. “Guess we’re on our own, then. But we can still meet up for meals and breaks.” Maddox was a little bummed but nodded. “Alright, let’s keep in touch in the group chat. We’ll grab a meal later.” He turned to the staff. “We can use the money we make to treat each other, right?” The staff nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

From the other group, James smirked. “Alright then, we’ll hustle too. Maybe we’ll join you for a meal.” The other three nodded in agreement, and the staff member said, “You can split up now.”

Maddox shook his head. “Let’s not rush off just yet. We’ve each got thirty dollars; might as well find a place to eat first and get some energy before we start working?” Really, he just wanted to have his first meal in the ancient city with Phoebe. He sighed internally, cursing his luck.

The others immediately jumped on board. “Yeah, good call. Let’s eat together first, then we’ll figure things out.” Normally, they wouldn’t have even considered sitting down for a meal with Cain, Sienna, Jamar, and Reece. However, since they were stuck in the same group, there wasn’t much of a choice.

Jamar, surprisingly, was all for it. “Sure, let’s eat together.” Reece added, “Yeah, sounds good.” Honestly, as long as Phoebe was there, he didn’t care what they did. Sienna looked like she wanted to argue, but the majority had already decided. She swallowed whatever complaint was on the tip of her tongue.

Chapter 229

They found a restaurant and booked a private room big enough for eleven people. The menu matched the old-timey setting: antique-style dishes, traditional plates, and classic tableware. Maddox grabbed the menu and immediately passed it to Phoebe. “Ladies first. Pick whatever looks good.”

After picking their dishes, Phoebe handed the menu back to Maddox. “You guys order a few, too.” Maddox also didn’t even look in Sienna’s direction. Instead, he passed the menu to Juming after choosing one. Jimmy made his picks, then kept passing it along until it landed with Cain, who finally handed it to Sienna. But not before throwing in a single jab. “Go ahead, Sienna. Pick something. Not like everyone here remembers their manners.”

The table fell silent as everyone turned to look. Maddox raised an eyebrow. “Who exactly are you talking about?” Cain narrowed his eyes at Maddox. “You seriously don’t see the problem? We’re in the same group, but instead of handing the menu to Sienna, you passed it to other female celebs. That’s not exactly gentlemanly, is it?”

Sienna stayed silent, but she agreed with Cain completely. Maddox had pissed her off the moment he ignored her. Maddox put on an exaggeratedly nervous face. “Oh no, I wouldn’t dare give it to your precious sister. I mean, let’s not forget, first episode! She got caught sneaking off with Reece and cozying up to Jamar,”

“Second episode? Sat on Joshua’s lap and got caught hugging her manager, Leon, at some bar. If I even breathe near her, I’ll probably end up in some scandal too.” He shrugged. “Seriously, I’m keeping my distance.” Every time Sienna saw him, she clung on like a dog chasing a bone. He wanted no part of that. Even if they were stuck in the same group, that didn’t mean he had to actually interact with her.

The whole room and everyone watching the livestream hadn’t expected Maddox to say all that so openly. However, when they thought about it, it made sense. Sienna had a track record. If she started hovering around Maddox, the biggest scandal of the episode would probably be about them. Sienna’s face turned red. She bit her lip, shooting Maddox a sharp glare. He really just put her on blast like that, making her sound desperate and shameless. The humiliation burned inside her, but she had no way to—

Cain’s jaw tightened. “Fine, then stay away from her! But you’re all over Phoebe. Why don’t you keep your distance from her too?” Keece and Jamar exchanged a look, thinking the same thing. “Yeah, why doesn’t this asshole back off from Phoebe?”

Maddox leaned back in his chair. “You think Phoebe and your sister are even in the same category?” He scoffed. “Seriously? Embarrass yourself. The difference is huge.” The fact that this was a live broadcast didn’t faze him at all. Sienna wasn’t even worth comparing to Phoebe.

Cain clenched his fists. “How is it any different? They’re both female celebs. You have double standards.” Maddox smirked. He was speechless. Maddox was really out here saying whatever he wanted on a live broadcast. A feeling surged in her that she sat believe how Maddox made it sound like she was nothing compared to Phoebe. It was really that bad. There had to be something wrong with his judgment. But the more he ignored her, the more she wanted his attention.

Trying to keep her cool, she lightly tugged Cain’s arm. “Cain, let’s just—

Chapter 279

There was no point in arguing. Maddox was too good at twisting words. If she kept pushing, she would just embarrass herself even more. And besides, this way, she could show Maddox that she was mature and understanding. Cain, still annoyed but unable to come up with a comeback, just nodded. “Alright, go on.” Sienna quickly picked a dish, which meant everyone had now chosen one.

The portions weren’t that big, so by the end of the meal, all eleven dishes were wiped clean, nothing wasted. With lunch done, the teams finally split up. The other two teams went off to make money, while Phoebe’s group set out to find the mystery guest.