Chapter 6

Jamar stepped out of the car first, looking sharp in a tailored suit. With a little extra flair, he held his hand out, as if inviting a princess to step forward. Sienna, wrapped in an elegant white dress that made her look like an ethereal fairy, took his hand and stepped out with all the grace in the world. The live chat went nuts the second she did.

[Are these two even real? They look like gods!] [I can't believe Marr actually put on a suit. Guess he's matching Sienna's vibe—top-notch big brother move.] [Sienna is a straight-up fairy queen in that dress!]

Phoebe stood off to the side, watching quietly. No one could deny it—Sienna was gorgeous, and the dress accentuated that sweet, fairy-like quality she loved to project. Honestly, they looked like they were stepping out for a red carpet, not rolling into some small-town show. Phoebe could already smell the drama brewing.

As they walked over, Erika Leach practically leapt forward, grinning widely and linking arms with Sienna like they were long-lost best friends. But Phoebe noticed Erika’s constant side glances at Jamar; the whole “we’re besties” act was just a front to get closer to him.

Lexie and James came over too, giving polite hellos, but with nowhere near Erika’s fake enthusiasm. Phoebe just gave them a quick, indifferent smile and let them go through the motions.

Sienna had practically thrown herself into joining the show, and Phoebe knew well why. Sure, part of it was the show’s popularity, but mostly, Sienna was here to play up her “angelic image” next to Phoebe’s. Phoebe was already expecting Sienna to pull every trick in the book—probably even drag in Jamar and Reece—to try and get under her skin on camera. If Phoebe so much as blinked wrong, the fans would turn on her, eating up Sienna’s “sweet sister” act and sidelining her completely.

Knowing how quick fans were to flip on live shows, Phoebe wasn’t about to play along. She wasn’t going to fake a smile or pretend to get chummy with Sienna and Jamar just for the camera. She was here to be real, and if that pissed people off, she could live with it.

Jamar caught Phoebe’s cold look and felt a flicker of annoyance. Ever since she’d walked away from the Jenkins family, they’d all had trouble adjusting. And he wasn’t about to be the one to play nice first. If she wanted to keep her distance, well, he sure as hell wasn’t crossing it for her.

The livestream audience was stunned by Phoebe’s reaction, and comments started flooding in.

[Damn, didn’t see that coming! Thought she’d be all over Marr, but she just backed off like it was nothing?] [Guess she realized Marr wouldn’t give her a second look, so she saved herself the embarrassment. Smart as hell.] [At least she’s got some sense.] (Or maybe she’s just playing hard to get. The night’s young—let’s see where this goes.)

A few minutes later, two more cars pulled up, crawling to a stop. When the door opened, Reece stepped out, cool as hell, surprising James and the rest. Phoebe noticed, though, that Sienna wasn’t surprised one bit; in fact, her eyes lit up. Clearly, she knew all along that Reece was the mystery guest tonight, confirming Phoebe’s suspicions that there was something going on between them.

Everyone stepped forward to greet Reece—everyone but Phoebe, who held her ground, silent. The second Reece got out, his gaze locked onto her, wondering how she’d respond. But Phoebe just stood there, cold and indifferent.

Erika, who never missed a chance to dig at women prettier than her, sneered and said, “Hey, Phoebe, what’s up? Aren’t you gonna say hi to Reece! Weren’t you two, like, besties as kids?”

Phoebe answered calmly, “That was ages ago. We don’t keep in touch.” She had no interest in rekindling anything. This was her perfect chance to lay it all out.

Her blunt response left everyone speechless. They couldn’t believe Phoebe didn’t hold back, not even on a live broadcast.

Erika’s eyes widened as she pressed, “Wait, you two had a falling out? Over what?”

Phoebe was just about to reply when Reece cut in, shooting Erika a sharp look. “That’s none of your business.”

He wasn’t saving face; something about all this just hit him in the gut. Erika hadn’t expected Reece to jump to Phoebe’s defense and stammered, laughing awkwardly, “I was just curious, that’s all.”

At that moment, the livestream chat blew up with people talking all at once.

[Same here—what the hell went down between them?] [Did Phoebe try to get with him, and he just shot her down?] [I dunno, Phoebe seems so chill. Doesn’t look like someone he’d cut off.] [Whatever it is, there’s a hell of a story there, but Reece shut it down real quick.] [Reece’s fans were seriously pissed.] [Can you believe the nerve of Phoebe? Saying she dumped Reece? Like anyone actually wants to hang with her.] [Exactly. Phoebe needs to stop flattering herself. Reece has been trying to get rid of that leech for ages.] [She’s obviously playing hard to get, just wait—she’ll be glued to Reece all damn show.] [Oh, so they’re done, huh? Let’s see her act all cool when she’s chasing after him later.] [Just watch. She’s gonna make a complete fool of herself.]

Just then, a tall guy stepped out of the car behind them, wearing sunglasses and carrying himself with a cocky, devil-may-care confidence. Even with the shades, one could tell he was a looker: fair skin, sharp nose, and sculpted features. Definitely someone who turned heads.

Phoebe, who’d already seen this scene play out in her past life, knew exactly who the mystery guest was: Maddox Hooper, from one of Solara City’s top elite families, the kind that made the Jenkins look small-time. A former esports champion and streaming superstar, he was worshipped by fans as the “Mad King.” After winning the world championship, he injured his hand and walked away from esports, just for fun, to dabble in entertainment. With millions of fans behind him, killer looks, strong skills in singing and dancing, and all the resources he could want, Maddox had blown up in less than a year. Since stepping into entertainment, he’d attracted a massive girl fanbase who called him “Maddie.” His appearance on this show was clearly his agent’s move to rake in even more fans.

Phoebe remembered Maddox because he was the only one who didn’t give a damn about Sienna and didn’t hesitate to let her know it. When everyone realized the second mystery guest was Maddox, the shock hit even harder than when Reece showed up. Maddox had a hell of a reputation in the industry—cocky, wild, and brutally honest. He said what he wanted and couldn’t care less who it offended. With serious backing behind him, most people didn’t dare mess with him. Maddox wasn’t one to throw punches for show, but if one provoked him, they’d regret it. His fanbase, mostly “mom” and “sister” types, were just as fierce, always ready to defend him with that same sharp edge.

The production crew was already sweating. Maddox would be enough of a handful on his own, and if anything got dicey on the livestream, they knew better than to even try holding him back.

The second Jamar saw Maddox step out of the car, his expression soured instantly. Those two had never seen eye to eye, always managing to piss each other off. And what really got under Jamar’s skin was the memory of that last party. Sienna had gone up to Maddox, and he’d just blown her off, practically making a joke out of her.

273 3:13 PM Chapter 6

It wasn’t just that Maddox ignored her; he’d treated her like she was some random nobody trying to hit on him, throwing out cold, dismissive words like he was too good to show even a shred of respect.

When Sienna spotted Maddox, surprise flickered in her eyes for just a second. The director and production team had kept their secrets well—hadn’t even suspected that Maddox would turn out to be the other mystery guest. Recalling Maddox’s cold shoulder and the reputation he dragged around, Sienna tightened her grip on her dress. But she quickly shook off the nerves. Maybe him being here could work to her advantage. She’d show him what he’d overlooked, turn his impression around, and maybe—just maybe—make him see her in a whole new light.