Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism



When Zoren returned with his phone in hand, Jasper gave him a smirk.

"So, he turned you down, huh? Haha."

Zoren took a sip from the beer on the table. "Guess what? Hade agreed."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "What? He actually agreed? Not bad."

Of course, Zoren wasn't about to tell them what kind of deal they made. "Yep!"

Just then, Jasper's phone rang. He glanced at it but didn't answer right away. "Alright, that's it for today, I'm heading out."

Liam nodded. "Got it."

When Jasper first laid eyes on Violeta, she wasn't at all what he had expected.

"Hade, are we just going to wait here? I feel like we're too early. Zoren's cousin probably isn't even downstairs yet."

Jasper's voice trailed off as he spoke.

His eyes locked onto a figure ahead, a girl in a simple dress.

Violeta was standing right in front of them. Jasper's gaze unintentionally met hers-her eyes were calm, emotionless, neither happy nor sad.

In that instant, the vague image he had of her suddenly became much clearer.

Hayden spoke calmly, "She's standing right there."

Jasper had a brief moment of regret.All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

If he had known, he wouldn't have been so quick to refuse Zoren's request.

Zoren was about to make a witty comment when Hayden shot him a look.

Just one look.

After years of friendship, Jasper understood immediately-Hayden was interested in the girl.

They all knew what that meant.

When Hayden had his eyes set on something, the rest of them never competed. There was no need for that.

Jasper slung an arm around Liam's shoulders, and the two of them quietly retreated to the back, trailing behind the others as they headed toward the cafeteria.

Without drawing attention, Jasper's eyes flicked briefly toward the hem of Violeta's dress. He pulled out his phone and, without hesitation, canceled his lunch plans for the day.

Normally, Jasper never ate at the cafeteria. But that afternoon, he stayed and ate with the group.

Later that evening, someone teased him about it.

"Hey, Jasper, what's up with you this semester? You're acting differently. Cafeteria food? That's so not like you."

Jasper shot the guy a glance. "Got nothing better to say?"

"Just kidding, man, just kidding!"

The group burst into laughter, thinking nothing of it.

Suddenly, Jasper's expression darkened. He threw his drink at the guy. "F*ck off."

Everyone froze. Jasper never got mad. Even when people joked about his girlfriends, he always shrugged it off. But this time ...

The guy, now drenched in beer, quickly set his cup down and slunk away.

Comp Wolo

One of Jasper's close friends tried to smooth things over. "Come on, Jasper, it wasn't that serious. No need to get worked up."

"You too, shut up. You're ruining the vibe," Jasper said and stood up.

He left after grabbing his jacket.

From that moment, it felt like something had shifted.

Who doesn't like a generous man?

Jasper was the only son of the Weekleys.

When he was three, his mother, Cynthia, consulted a psychic in the mountains about his future.

The psychic looked at Jasper's picture and said only four words.

"A rocky road in love."

When Jasper, in his rebellious teen years, heard about this, he found it laughable.

What century are we in now?

How can people still believe in stuff like that?

But by high school, Jasper had started dating early, much to his family's frustration, and by college, he was still giving his parents plenty of headaches. Cynthia had worried about him endlessly.

"Does Hade like Vio?"

"It's clear, isn't it?"

Zoren idly twirled a tennis racket in his hands as he brought up the topic during a casual conversation.

Jasper was leaning against the metal railing of the bleachers, sipping water.

Dressed in a white casual shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his dark eyes were fixed on something across the court.

Liam, who was sitting slouched in,

།

the bleachers with his legs crossed, was scrolling his phone lazily looking completely unconcerned.

UMS

"If Vio and Hade end up together," Zoren mused, "does that mean I'm his cousin too? Haha, imagine that!"

Liam didn't even glance up.

"You wish. I don't think they're that compatible."

Zoren blinked in surprise. "Why not?"