Chapter 326

Phoebe had been thinking it over, and she figured Lydia was probably coming to see her for one reason—Cain. And that could only mean one thing. Jamar, seeing the reply, couldn’t help but laugh. He thought, ‘As expected, Phoebe is sharp. She figured it out right away.’

He sent a voice message, repeating the words of the head of the Horoscope Association: Lydia wants to borrow your horoscope artifact to help suppress Cain.

Phoebe replied: Tell her not to waste her time.

Jamar knew right away Phoebe wasn’t going to lend it. He thought, This was as I expected—Phoebe can decide to be… [We tried to talk Lydia out of it, but Elliot can’t stop her. Sigh.] No one could get through to her when Lydia’s temper flared.

Phoebe shrugged: [Let her come.]

Phoebe thought, I’m not going to give her any favor, no matter what.

Jamar remembered the conversation Elliot and Lydia had at the hospital. He decided to give her a heads-up: [Lydia’s been getting close to Ophelia lately. She might be influenced and come after you.]

Phoebe found it amusing: [She has a mind of her own. If she refuses to listen, how will she be influenced?] She thought, Just like when Lydia unquestioningly trusted Sienna and always blamed me. Both have such twisted logic—no wonder they get along so well.

Jamar was at a loss for words. He thought, So, Phoebe’s saying Lydia’s not thinking clearly? Great, now I’ve got a headache!

In her room, Phoebe had just finished chatting with Jamar and was examining the seal Percival had given her when there was a knock at the door. Phoebe thought, I don’t even have to guess—it’s Lydia at the door? She couldn’t be bothered to answer, staying seated without moving. Lydia and her assistant knocked for a while, but when no one answered, she reluctantly returned to her room.

An hour later, the knocking came again. Phoebe still didn’t get up to open the door. Lydia, determined, asked around and found out Phoebe hadn’t left. She thought, I bet Phoebe is purposely ignoring the door. I’m so angry, and it hurts a little too. I’m her mother—how could she treat me like this? She spent the rest of the night tossing and turning in frustration, hardly getting any sleep. Meanwhile, Phoebe slept soundly, completely unaffected.

The following day, Phoebe woke up feeling refreshed and energized. She headed straight to her workout before going to the dining room to join the others for breakfast. As they sat down, Jamar asked, “So, what’s our plan for making money today?”

Since arriving in Oriar, he and Reece had mainly been tagging along. Phoebe paused for a moment before turning to Raylan. “How about we try fortune-telling to make some money!” Phoebe thought, This could be a good opportunity to test him, too! Raylan smiled and nodded. ‘Sure, sounds good. It’s like getting… bu…’ Januar and Reece exchanged looks of frustration. They thought, Here we are again, stuck with something we can’t do?

“So, what about us?” Jamar asked, clearly disappointed. Phoebe shrugged casually. “We’ll split the tasks. How about you two try being waiters?”

Chapter 326

Jamar grimaced, clearly dreading the idea. “Is there any way we can skip the waiter part?” He lowered his voice, trying to negotiate. “How about we help by bringing in customers or moving tables?”

Reece thought, I don’t want to separate. It’s not about following her around, I want to be near Phoebe, even if it’s just from a distance.

Phoebe was nonchalant. “Do whatever you want.” She thought, I’ve never expected anything from these two. I couldn’t care less about them as long as they don’t cause trouble. Hearing this, both Jamar and Reece breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, the other groups were still figuring out how to make money that day.

As they were about to leave the breakfast table, Lyslia entered with her assistant. Seeing Phoebe’s rosy complexion, Lydia felt a surge of frustration. She had tossed and turned all night, but Phoebe looked utterly refreshed. It was clear that last night’s events weighed only on her mind.

Lydia approached Phoebe with a forced smile. “Phoebe, I need to talk to you for a moment.” Phoebe looked at her coolly. “Lydia, there’s nothing to discuss between us.” Lydia’s smile faltered, caught off guard by Phoebe’s refusal. She gritted her teeth, keeping her temper in check. “It’ll only take a few minutes. I have something important to say.”

Phoebe sat back in her seat, unfazed. “Fine, go ahead.” Phoebe thought, The livestream is on, so this is intentional.

Just as Lydia was about to speak, her assistant whispered something in her ear. Her expression shifted, and she subtly turned her body, blocking the camera. Turning back to Phoebe, she asked, “Can we speak privately?”

Lydia thought, I was so focused on finding Phoebe, I nearly forgot about the livestream. I don’t want to be on camera, especially not discussing that with her in front of everyone.

Phoebe refused, “If it’s important, you can say it here.” She added, “If you don’t want to, don’t bother.” Lydia’s face darkened. “Because it’s important, we need to talk in private.” She emphasized, “Discussing this on the livestream is inappropriate.”

Phoebe smiled lightly. “Unless it’s something you’re ashamed of, what’s the issue with saying it in front of the camera!” Lydia’s face lightened. She thought, Is Phoebe implying that what I want to say is something shameful?

I’ve already been holding in so much anger, and it’s only worsening. How can Phoebe be this infuriating! Like Ophelia said, daughters like Phoebe are here to torment us. Lydia could tell Phoebe wasn’t going to step outside to talk. With the camera on them, she gritted her teeth and said, “I want to talk to you about Cain.”

Phoebe shook her head. “There’s nothing to discuss. I don’t want to hear it.” “And, Lydia, let me remind you, we’ve already cut ties: So I don’t have a brother named Cain anymore. Please remember that from now on.”

Lydia thought, I never expected Phoebe to humiliate me like this, making me seem so insignificant in front of everyone and the camera. “How can you be so cold-hearted?” Lydia’s voice cracked with disappointment. “No matter what, you’re still blood relatives, siblings!” Her face was a mix of sorrow and frustration. “Cain’s already in such a terrible state, how can you just stand by and watch, doing nothing to help?”

Lydia thought, Let’s see if Phoebe can be that heartless and ignore Cain in front of all these people on the livestream. We may have severed our ties, but our blood will bind us. Ploche scoffed. “When they were cruel to me before, why didn’t you remind me that we were blood siblings then?”

“Lydia, Cain’s misery is thanks to Sienna. You should be talking to her.”

Phoebe smiled knowingly, “Sienna is a true reflection of what you’ve taught her?” “They love playing the innocent card, twisting the truth, and using guilt to manipulate others.” Phoebe thought, I never realized how much of a hypocrite Lydia is. No wonder she gets along so well with Sienna—birds of a feather?

Phoebe shrugged, feigning indifference. “Too bad, I’m not buying into any of it.” Lydia choked on her words, her frustration mounting. Phoebe’s words stung like a slap. Lydia thought, What does she mean… pretending to be innocent? Is she talking about me?

Lydia’s voice quivered, “Are you this cold-hearted?” Phoebe nodded, her eyes cold. “Yes, I’m that heartless.” “What I have in my hands, if I don’t want it, I’ll throw it away. I won’t lift a finger to help Cain.” “After all, I learned to be just as ruthless as you.”

Phoebe thought, I’ve been given a second chance at life and plan to live it on my terms. No one is going to control me or manipulate me with guilt. Her gaze hardened as she looked at Lydia. “So, you can save your little schemes for someone else.”

With that, Phoebe stood up, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation, leaving Lydia utterly humiliated. Lydia thought, I’ve never been so publicly humiliated before. And the worst part is, it’s Phoebe doing this to me.