Chapter 286
Raylan caught sight of Jamar and Reece looking annoyed and arched a brow. Then his eyes landed on Phoebe, who was up ahead, chatting and laughing with Maddox. It hit him pretty quickly; she was different around Maddox. There was a lightness to her, a kind of warmth she didn’t have when she talked to them. And Maddox’s attention was locked on Phoebe like she was the only person in the room. The guy looked like he would attach himself to her if he could. Yeah, there was no way he didn’t have feelings for her.
Once they got to the private room, Maddox headed back out to finish cleaning outside. Cain was clearly in a bad mood. Neither Phoebe nor Jamar had acknowledged him when they came in. Phoebe avoiding him was one thing, he got that, but Jamar not acknowledging him? That was pushing it.
Meanwhile, Sienna wiped down a table, her expression tight. She was clearly irritated. Just earlier, she had asked Maddox to help her move a table, and he completely ignored her. But the second Phoebe showed up, he was all over her, acting like the perfect gentleman. Maddox was the prized heir of the Hooper family, yet he was bending over backward for Phoebe. Sienna didn’t see what was so special about her. The more Sienna thought about it, the more it pissed her off. She had been working her ass off at the restaurant for hours. Her back ached, her feet were sore, and all Maddox did was throw snide comments at her and Cain. He had no problem throwing sarcastic remarks at her and Cain, saying they weren’t working hard enough, even telling them to quit if they weren’t willing to put in real effort. Otherwise, they wouldn’t deserve their pay. When they took a quick break, he accused them of being lazy. He didn’t ever think she might actually be exhausted. But Phoebe? She sat down all afternoon doing makeup, just using her hands, and suddenly Maddox was the most considerate guy in the world, telling her to rest. A double standard. As much as she hated to admit it, Sienna was jealous. She never realized before just how much Maddox was willing to lower himself for Phoebe. That woman definitely had a hold on him.
Meanwhile, inside the private room, Reece handed Phoebe the menu. “Here, pick out whatever you wanna eat.” Phoebe didn’t even look at the menu. Her tone was indifferent. “I’ll order when they get here.” She pulled out her phone, scrolling through the group chat with Andrea. Andrea and the others were on their way. They hadn’t done much today, just worked as extras. There was an old street in the city that production crews used for filming period dramas, and since they couldn’t find anything better, they went for it. It wasn’t much, but at least they each made 100 dollars. So, when Maddox offered to treat them to dinner, they didn’t hesitate.
Reese felt a little stung by Phoebe’s attitude. When Maddox told her to rest, she had no problem going along with it. However, when he offered to help, she barely acknowledged him. His smile froze for a second before he covered it up. “Alright, we’ll wait, then?” Phoebe didn’t respond, making it clear she wasn’t interested in small talk. Janet, seeing Reece crash and burn, wisely stayed quiet. After sending her message, Phoebe put her phone down and turned to Raylan. “You’re staying at the fun with us tonight, right?” Raylan nodded. “Yeah. The production team said I’ll be tagging along for the next week.”
Chapter 256
Phoebe tilted her head slightly. “You’re from here, right? So you must know this place pretty well?” Raylan shrugged. “Yeah, I grew up here. I know it better than the maps do.” She smiled. “So, aside from the usual tourist spots, got any recommendations? Hidden gems! Cool places that aren’t all over the internet?” She wanted to spend more time around him, get a better read on him.
Raylan thought for a moment. “There’s a night market tonight. It’s got a bunch of horoscope masters. If you’re up for it, I can take you. They don’t allow pictures or videos, so we won’t be able to stream it.” Phoebe hadn’t heard about this, but the fact that he brought it up meant he was probably already planning to take them. Her interest was piqued. “Sounds fun. Let’s go after the live stream.” Raylan nodded. “Alright. I’ll take you?”
Phoebe asked, “Is there anything around here where we can make some money? Like a game or something?” Kaylan, who knew the city like the back of his hand, answered right away. “There’s a polo competition the day after tomorrow. Tourists can join too. If you place in the top three, you win silver from the city. Around here, gold and silver are just as common as cash. You can spend the silver at any shop, or if you’d rather, trade it in at the bank for cash.” He added, “A lot of tourists exchange their money for silver just to feel more immersed in the city. Personally, I prefer using gold and silver.” Phoebe raised an eyebrow. “Sounds fun. Do you play? We should form a team.”
Polo was an old-school sport, riding on horseback while hitting a ball with a mallet. She used to play a lot and wasn’t half bad. Raylan nodded. “Yeah, I play. The competition is six-on-six, but they only allow people who actually know what they’re doing. It’s too dangerous otherwise. If we can’t get six players, we can join another team. But obviously, it’d be better to have our own squad.” He turned to Jamar and Reece. “You guys play?” They both shook their heads, looking a little let down. “Nope.” They clearly wanted to join, probably just to spend more time with Phoebe, but that wasn’t happening.
Just then, Maddox strolled in with a grin. “I’m in. I play all the time.” He loved riding and polo, played every chance he got. Behind him, Lexie, Sienna, and Cain followed in. Lexie smiled. “I don’t play, but I’ll cheer you guys on.” Kaylan nodded. “That works.” Then he looked at Sienna. “What about you!” Sienna flashed a confident smile. “Yeah, I play. Back when I was studying abroad, Cain used to take me out riding all the time.” She never thought polo, something she only learned to fit in, would actually come in handy. Especially now, with this new guest. The more she looked at him, the more fascinating he seemed. He had this timeless, almost regal aura, like he had stepped right out of an old painting. There was a quiet mystery about him, something that made him incredibly captivating. She had never met a man with that kind of presence before. It made her heart race. And once she felt that spark, she knew she had to chase it. Just like with Maddox, if she could get close to him, things would only work out in her favor. Which meant there was no way she was passing up this opportunity. Her gaze sharpened. This could be the key moment in turning everything around for herself. She had to make a statement. She had to outshine Phoebe.
Cain chimed in, “I know how to play. Count me in.”
Chapter 256
Back when he was studying abroad, some of his friends were really into polo, so he picked it up too. This was his shot. His chance to prove himself. And more than anything, it was a chance to put Maddox in his place…
Raylan nodded. “That makes five of us, then.” Right then, another group walked in. Phoebe introduced Raylan before asking Andrea and the others, “Any of you know how to play polo?” Andrea raised her hand. “I do.” She had trained for it before, though back then, she never understood why. But now, it suddenly made sense. She had been taught polo years ago, ten years, to be exact. Was someone already planned for us to end up in this city? The thought sent a chill down her spine. If that was the case, it was terrifying.