Lahat ng Kabanata ng Better Brother, Better Life: Kabanata 441 - Kabanata 450

The tranquil courtyard garden was seriously stylish. Leona walked in wearing an expensive, athletic look, carrying none of the stereotypical vibe that people her age would have.She moved like someone half her age—loose, confident, and carefree—but there was still this quiet, grounded steadiness underneath it all.The balance was subtle, something only time and experience could bring. As the saying went, "A mountain was just a mountain". Things hit differently when one was young versus when one grew older.Leona spotted Phoebe and Gideon right away. Her eyes flicked over both of them in one quick sweep, then she strode straight toward the private room with a woman who looked the same age keeping pace right behind her.Gideon had already told Leona about June. She was Leona's right-hand woman. Her demeanor was gentle, but it was the kind of soft, warm energy that radiated from within. It came with real strength.When Leona picked up her pace, June matched it without missing a beat.

Phoebe was genuinely stunned. She looked at Gideon with somewhat dazed eyes."Keep it," he said."I… I can't…"Leona laughed. "If I knew what you liked, I wouldn't just give you money. But I'm too lazy to rack my brain for something else, anyway. Money's the easiest. Phoebe, just take it."Phoebe had seen how cold and harsh Amelia could be. The contrast with Leona was huge."This is just how I am. I usually throw money at Gideon when I want to appease him," Leona added, chuckling.Phoebe knew that she couldn't refuse. She accepted the bank card for now and thanked Leona."There's no need to thank me. Now that you're with Gideon, you can't be short on spending money." Leona turned to Gideon and asked, "Have you been spending on your girlfriend?"Gideon shot her a look. "…I'm not a kid anymore.""Ha. What's with that attitude? This is the first time in 28 years you've ever dated anyone. You have no experience and no clue what you're doing. Don't act like you're an expert in this

Gideon answered without the slightest hesitation.Leona was incredibly surprised. She searched his face for any sign that he was lying.In the past, when her methods of disciplining him had been a little extreme, he would put on an obedient act so she would let things slide. After deceiving her many times, she'd occasionally been able to pinpoint when he was just going through the motions.But at that moment, she didn't see even a hint of falsehood in his eyes. This wasn't some defiant jab meant to provoke her.She clearly hadn't expected this. After a while, she frowned. "One month together, and she's already the love of your life? Don't sound so sure of yourself, Gideon. You know people change, right? Can you guarantee that you won't fall for someone else later?"Gideon's expression stayed blank, his gaze cold and heavy. "I won't."Leona snorted. She didn't fully believe him, but she didn't mock him, either. She just eyed him curiously. "Did you fall for her long before this?"

When Phoebe heard Gideon say he was worried about her, everything clicked into place. The things Leona had said to him in private would have been pretty hurtful if she had said them right to Phoebe's face.Gideon didn't have a great relationship with Leona; he wouldn't have lied to her otherwise. To him, he probably thought Leona was highly likely to say those things to Phoebe. That was why he was worried.Phoebe understood the situation. She said, "This money is meant for your real girlfriend."Gideon's gaze darkened for a second. He almost wondered if she'd overheard everything, but there was nothing off in her expression.From what he knew of her, even if she hadn't heard a single word, she still wouldn't have accepted the 100 million dollars. She wouldn't sweat the small stuff with him, but when it came to big sums like this, she always had a solid reason to refuse.He didn't argue and just quietly tucked the bank card away. He still had plenty of gifts he hadn't given her yet

Vanessa got home from work. She now lived in the apartment Connor had bought for her. It was spacious and luxurious.When she first moved in, she figured that Connor would come over all the time. He was divorced now, so staying the night wasn't out of the question. Given how much he seemed to like her, she thought that they would get together soon enough.But reality turned out to be completely different. Aside from the day he'd bought the apartment, he'd never set foot in the place again. That meant that after the divorce, his contact with her had just… faded.Vanessa had no idea what had changed. Connor had still brought her a gift from his last business trip, and they'd hung out once after he got back. But it wasn't the same.She'd already planned to attend Philip's birthday banquet with Connor. He'd even mentioned it himself. If that was still the plan, he should've done what he did before the Salazar family's charity gala. He should've taken her shopping for a dress and jewelr