Can't Keep It a Secret Anymore?

Brentley felt a wave of anxiety wash over him as he saw Jaxson appear at the entrance of the neighborhood. Although Brentley had previously mentioned to Phoebe that he was "Gone with the Wind" and had considered revealing his true identity to her, that had been a spur-of-the-moment decision driven by concerns for Phoebe's safety.

Now, Brentley had no intention of exposing his identity, nor did he want Phoebe to know about his complicated history with Jaxson. As Jaxson stepped out of his car and walked directly towards the neighborhood, he didn't notice Brentley right away, perhaps due to the angle.

Brentley hesitated for a moment before turning to hide behind a nearby car.

"Phoebe!" Jaxson suddenly shouted.

Phoebe upon hearing her name and slowly turned to look at Jaxson. Although she didn't know that Jaxson was the same "Sunshire City's Young Master Jordan" who had been opposing her on the streaming platform, she did recognize Brother Beck, who was with him.

Seeing these men, Phoebe's eyes flashed with panic. She instinctively looked towards the neighborhood entrance where she had last seen Brentley. She hoped he was still there and could help her.

But when Phoebe spotted Brentley, she was stunned and felt a wave of exasperation wash over her. From her angle, she could clearly see Brentley hiding behind the car, while Jaxson and his men couldn't see him.

"Yesterday, when Kirk got beaten up, Brentley just stood by and didn't dare say a word. Now these people are here, and he's hiding again. I must have been blind to ever trust someone like him!" Phoebe thought, her face full of disbelief and disappointment.

Phoebe sighed in disappointment, her expression clearly showing her frustration. Instead of running away, she walked steadily towards the exit of the neighborhood.

"You're Phoebe, right?" Jaxson asked softly, giving her a once-over.

"Yes, I'm Phoebe. I thought it over last night. As long as you don't bother me or my friends, I'm willing to sign with Young Master Jordan's agency in Sunshire City." Phoebe felt she couldn't fight these people. Though she was very reluctant, she saw no other option.

"Well, Phoebe, I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding," Jaxson said with a smile. "I'm Young Master Jordan from Sunshire City we've been in contact online!"

"You're Young Master Jordan from Sunshire City?" Phoebe's eyes flashed with confusion. She couldn't understand why Jaxson was suddenly being so polite, as if he were a different person.

"Yes, yes, that's me," Jaxson nodded gently. "I think there might have been some misunderstandings between us before. I apologize for everything that happened."

With that, Jaxson bowed deeply to Phoebe.

Phoebe was stunned. She couldn't understand why the same Jaxson who had threatened her and beaten up Kirk the night before was now here, apologizing to her.

Brother Beck and the others, seeing Jaxson apologize, also began to bow and apologize to Phoebe.

"What do you all mean by this?" Phoebe shouted, utterly bewildered.

"Miss Phoebe, we mean no harm. We're just here to apologize. If you had told us earlier that you knew Brother Logan, we wouldn't have dared to trouble you. Don't you agree?" Jaxson said with a cheerful smile.

"Brother Logan?"

Phoebe was utterly confused at this point, having no clue what Jaxson was up to.

"Miss Phoebe, here's $3,000. I heard that my men injured your friend yesterday. This is for the medical expenses. From now on, you can do whatever you want on the streaming platform. I won't interfere with you anymore, nor will I force you to sign a contract with me."

As Jaxson spoke, he handed her the money. Before she could react, he turned and left with his men.

Moments later, the black Passat disappeared from the entrance of the neighborhood. Phoebe held the $3,000, her face filled with confusion.

"Could it be Kirk who helped?"

After a moment of thinking, Phoebe couldn't help but mutter softly.

Not many people knew about the conflict between Phoebe and Jaxson Jordan, only Brentley Carter and Kirk.

Brentley had hidden when he saw Jaxson's men, so Phoebe was sure it wasn't him. If Brentley had helped her, he wouldn't have any reason to hide now.

If it wasn't Brentley, then it must have been Kirk. After all, Kirk had said last night that he would look into who was threatening Phoebe.

Thinking of this, Phoebe felt even more grateful to Kirk. She had been hesitant about becoming Kirk's girlfriend, but now she had her answer.

Kirk was handsome and had a great personality. Most importantly, he stood up to protect her in critical moments, unlike Brentley, who hid behind a car when Jaxson's men showed up. The thought made Phoebe laugh.

Initially, Phoebe had a good impression of him. Though he was poor, he seemed to be a good person. But now, she realized you can't judge a book by its cover.

After Jaxson's men left, Brentley emerged from behind the car, smiling and saying, "Weren't those the guys who threatened you yesterday? They've apologized now, so you should be safe, right?"

"Does my safety concern you at all?" Phoebe's voice was icy cold.

Brentley was puzzled by Phoebe's attitude. He thought she should be in a good mood by now.

"Why were you hiding earlier? Did you think those people were here to cause me trouble and you were scared of being dragged into it?" Phoebe shot Brentley a disdainful glance, her lips curling in contempt.

Brentley felt a pang of helplessness at Phoebe's words. He finally understood why she was still treating him this way. Phoebe had misunderstood him. Brentley had hidden behind the car earlier to prevent Jaxson from revealing his identity, but in Phoebe's eyes, it looked like he was hiding to avoid trouble.

"I wasn't hiding on purpose..." Brentley began to explain. But just then, a Mercedes pulled up to the curb. Thud! The car door swung open with a dull sound.

A stunning and elegant real estate agent, Caroline Brown, stepped out of the Mercedes. Her eyes scanned the area and, upon spotting Brentley, she walked over to him in her high heels.

Brentley felt a deep sense of resignation as he saw Caroline approaching. He had just managed to avoid Jaxson and now here came a Caroline.

"Looks like I can't keep this hidden any longer!" he thought to himself.

Brentley knew that if he wanted to hide now, it was already too late.

If Caroline started talking to him, Phoebe would definitely sense something was off. So, even if Brentley wanted to keep it a secret, he couldn't anymore.