All Chapters of Better Brother, Better Life: Chapter 381 - Chapter 390

As soon as Phoebe stood, her shoulders ached, and her head felt a little heavy. She rubbed her arms and shuffled out of the study, heading to the living room for water like always. Only then did she realize that the TV was still on.She poured herself a glass of water and drank half of it before collapsing onto the couch in a half-reclining position. She let her mind go blank, not wanting to think of anything.After a long grind, Phoebe always had these moments when she would crash for about ten minutes. She would totally shut down before she could muster the energy to shower and crash for real."Are you done for the night?" Gideon's low voice pulled her out of her daze. Her eyes, which she had closed to rest, flew open.He walked over with damp hair, wearing a loose black robe that hung open at the collar.Right. Gideon had moved in. Her boss was living in her apartment. There was an actual living, breathing man in her space. Even though they each had their own rooms and things t

Cynthia knew better than to pry. She was the type to stop at a hint. As a housekeeper, it wasn't right for her to dig into her employers' private lives out of idle curiosity.Phoebe spent the whole morning in the study running data again. Even with the small supercomputer at home, the computational load was still overwhelming, so progress was at a snail's pace. Without solid conclusions, her whole research was stuck in limbo.She decided it was time to head out to meet Alexandra.They had an unspoken understanding that only close friends shared. Alexandra happened to reach out to her just then. "Babe, do you remember that thing I mentioned last time? Brooke Shaw from Shaw Group just invited us. You in or what?""Sure. I actually need to see you, too," Phoebe said. Ever since the divorce, unless Alexandra was away for work, the two of them met up almost every week like clockwork."Perfect. Then let's meet at the alumni gathering tonight. It's just the computer science alumni subgro

Vanessa's contempt for Phoebe deepened even further. If Phoebe wanted to fight, then she could do it openly. Why did she have to sneak around, pretending to be innocent and detached? What a coward.Harry glanced at Jared and tried to smooth things over. "Is there some misunderstanding here? There's no need to get upset."Jared sneered. "Who's upset? I just feel sick because I've seen someone I don't want to!"Brooke looked thunderous. Jared ignored her completely and turned to Vanessa. "Shall we go?"He had zero desire to stay, and Vanessa had no reason to linger, either.Right on cue, Anthony pulled up, parked, and walked over. "Vanessa, you guys done here?"Phoebe recognized him as Alexandra's friend, an alumnus of the finance major. Beyond his androgynous appearance, she had zero impression of him.Alexandra had never known Anthony's real background, but anyone who ran in Vanessa and Jared's circle was an automatic red flag in her book. She had only gotten friendly with him i

Phoebe murmured, "That's a pretty delicate balance."Anthony was Hannah's young brother, but she would always be on her guard around him."At least on the surface, they look like the perfect siblings," Brooke said, glancing at Phoebe. "Some things are left unsaid. Open the box, and even the strongest sibling bond would shatter."Phoebe met her eyes, her gaze deep and steady.Brooke continued, "Last time, Ms. Cooper mentioned that you have a younger brother, too. Are you two really close?""Very." Phoebe thought of Flynn and couldn't help scrunching up her nose in that familiar mix of annoyance and affection. "He's a pain in the ass, but we're genuinely close."Alexandra reached over and patted her shoulder. "It's a tough job, Pheebs. It's not easy raising such a child-like grown-up at your age."Phoebe smiled. "Flynn would flip a table on you if he heard that.""Let him try. You think I'm scared of him?""It seems like you and your brother really do have a great relationship."

"I've thought this through very carefully before coming to you two. Success always needs a bit of luck, and sometimes you need to take a leap of faith. My gut tells me that partnering with you two means I'm going to win this wager," Brooke said.She was the kind of woman who carried quiet strength. She was gentle and meticulous, yet not lacking in boldness."I've made my choice. If the outcome isn't what I hope for, I'll own it. I take full responsibility for my choices. If I lose, I'll accept it gracefully." Her eyes sharpened with confidence. "But right now, we're only at the starting line. Everything's building momentum. I always stay optimistic, and I believe we'll get through whatever comes."Her open, self-assured attitude struck a chord with both Phoebe and Alexandra. They genuinely admired her."Ms. Shaw." Alexandra smiled. "I'll be the host tomorrow. I'll treat you to a meal, and I'll make sure it's a proper welcome. You have to come."Brooke knew this meant that Alexandr