Chapter 65
Reece felt irritable and distressed. Sienna, nestled in Jamar’s embrace, wasn’t happy either. From Reece’s words, it seemed he was eager to distance himself from her to reconcile with Phoebe.
“Could it be that he really preferred Phoebe?” No, that couldn’t be true. Reece was just trying to placate Phoebe so she wouldn’t cause more trouble, Sienna thought.
Online, Leon teamed up with Linda, directing their PR team to steer public opinion, claiming Phoebe was intentionally deflecting the blame. Reece and Sienna were innocent, not at all like what Phoebe had alleged. Phoebe simply disliked Sienna and was deliberately trying to tarnish her reputation. Leon even personally stepped in, using his verified Twitter account to post a statement.
Gold Agent Leon: Before the live show, I did ask Reece to take care of Sienna. I never intended for Phoebe to misunderstand. That was my mistake, and I will explain it to Phoebe, my other sister, asking her not to let anyone be misled.
With Phoebe’s relationship with Reece now publicly scrutinized, Leon stopped hiding the truth. His post seemed sincere, and combined with the teams on both sides hiring online influencers to guide the narrative, many began to believe them.
Seeing this, Reece’s fans turned around and resumed attacking Phoebe. Others argued that Phoebe shouldn’t take her disdain for Sienna out on Reece, making him appear a playboy. In reality, Reece was simply helping Leon look after his sister, and there was no need for such an exaggerated reaction. Some even mocked Phoebe, suggesting that her pettiness stemmed from her fear of losing someone as great as Reece, which made her overly sensitive and insecure, leading her to create drama. The breakup might merely have been a performance, as Phoebe’s true goal seemed to be to entice Reece back through manipulation. By leveraging this controversy, Phoebe not only shifted the blame onto Sienna but also might prompt Reece to come crawling back for reconciliation.
Soon, public sentiment turned in favor of Reece and Sienna, leaving Phoebe as the target of criticism once more. Maddox’s team observed the shift with admiration, realizing Phoebe’s strategy had been astute. After posting some photos in their group, they had already coordinated with the hired influencers and contacted a well-known account dedicated to exposing scandals.
However, just as they were about to act, Phoebe messaged them, requesting a slight delay. She wanted to wait until Reece and Sienna’s PR team had fully discredited her before releasing the photos, ensuring the backlash would be more intense and damaging for them. Phoebe had everything calculated perfectly. Once the timing was right, they began to unveil evidence one by one.
First, the influencer tweeted a post: Gossip Line: Is Reece really just taking care of Sienna because of Leon’s request? I don’t buy it. Don’t ask why. I’m about to release photos.
Then, a series of nine images followed, all screenshots and photos of Sienna and Reece alone together. Crucially, in the nine photos, the two were seen in four different outfits, indicating they had met privately on four separate occasions. The last three photos were particularly striking. The first showed Sienna pressed against Reece. The second captured them leaning together, both smiling while looking at a phone. The final image featured Sienna whispering in Reece’s ear, appearing as if she was about to kiss him, her eyes half-closed, creating a suggestive atmosphere.
As soon as these photos were released, the click count skyrocketed. The hashtag [#Reece’s Affair with Sienna Confirmed] had hit the trending list. Reece’s fans, who had finally calmed down, were now disappointed and eager to tear Sienna apart. The gossiping crowd, always on the lookout for drama, was once again taken aback by this twist.
[Today’s gossip is dropping one after another. It’s too fast to keep up!] [Reece really knows how to play the game. He just came out to refute the rumors, and now he’s been blindsided by undeniable evidence.] [He said he was only caring for Leon’s sister, Is this really how he does it!] [The two look so cozy. Sienna is practically glued to Reece. Is this a pure relationship?] (Sienna is such a bitch. She’s all over Reece, whispering in his ear while hugging and kissing Leon too.) [Is Sienna’s innocent persona about to crumble? This looks more like a socialite scandal.] [Does Sienna have a different understanding of friendship than normal people?] [I also think so. She just tweeted that Reece is her friend, so does that mean she gets this close to all her ordinary friends?] [So they’re all boyfriends now?] [Poor Phoebe! Her brother and ex-boyfriend have both become Sienna’s boyfriends. No wonder she’s being set up.]
The online comments were full of ridicule. Linda and Leon were astonished by the reactions. They quickly instructed the tech department to verify the images. The results confirmed that the screenshots and photos had not been edited. They were indeed authentic. The two felt like they were about to explode. They had no idea that Reece and Sienna had been interacting so closely. The photos revealed not only that they had met in private but also that their relationship was quite intimate. At this point, Linda wished she could confront Sienna, slap her a few times, and scratch that bitchy face of hers.
Reece, who was usually calm and composed, had gone to such lengths for Sienna. Now, they had just managed to clear up the rumors about their relationship, only to be faced with undeniable evidence against them. It was just like when Reece had tweeted about being together with Phoebe, only to be embarrassed moments later by Phoebe’s announcement of their breakup. With such a series of twists, everyone would definitely not trust Reece so much in the future. It would cause a crisis of trust.
At this moment, Linda was sitting in Leon’s office. “What should we do now? Not only did our PR work go to waste, but it also benefited Phoebe,” Linda continued, her face serious. “Didn’t you say Phoebe left Jenkins Entertainment and was blacklisted by you! Yet now it’s clear someone is assisting her with PR!”
“Who’s behind her? And everything seems premeditated. Right after we cleared their name, Phoebe’s men released the photos, almost as if they were waiting for us.”
Leon’s face darkened. Since entering the industry, he had never been so caught off guard before. And this first time was courtesy of his own sister. Leon spoke through gritted teeth. “I underestimated her.”
Initially, Leon had only wanted to force Phoebe to return and admit her mistakes, to make her regret her resolute actions that day. Leon intended for Phoebe to stop competing with Sienna and obediently act as the noble young lady of the Jenkins family, following his lead. From her brother’s perspective, he would arrange some resources for Phoebe to clear her name. Leon had been indifferent to Phoebe’s departure from Jenkins Group, believing that no matter how she acted, she would eventually return home. Now, it felt like he had been slapped across the face by her. Leon wanted to ask where Phoebe had gotten this PR team and where the photos had come from. However, it wasn’t the right time to investigate that.
Leon thought for a moment and furrowed his brow. “Let’s have the online team refute this, claiming the angles of the photos were intentionally misleading. And emphasize that this wasn’t a private meeting. I was there with Sienna for dinner with Reece.”
For now, that was the only way to manage the situation.