Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 211 Unexpected Encounters

Violeta patted her shoulder. "This money was originally owed to you by Zelena. I promise I'll keep working on getting back at her, including ensuring you get your share."

Shirley, touched by Violeta's gesture, wiped away her tears before voicing her curiosity. "Why do you want revenge on Zelena too? Is there some personal issue between you two? Violeta lowered her eyelids, not revealing too much. She said, "Leave Quinston, gather your strength in another city, and return when you're ready and strong enough." "Okay, I understand. Thank you," Shirley replied.

That night, Shirley left Quinston on a late-night flight.

Violeta and Kaylee went to the airport together to see Shirley off. After watching the plane take off, they left together.

Under the night sky, they walked out of the airport together.

"It feels good to do a good deed," Kaylee remarked.

"Vio, you're a good person," she added.

Violeta didn't want to claim she was a good person because everything she did was aimed solely at Zelena.

"People have many sides, Kay. What you see now is just one part of who I am," Violeta replied calmly.

Violeta's intuition was right on target.

The next day, Zelena went to the nursing home to replace Shirley, only to learn from the director that Shirley had quit and disappeared without a trace.

Zelena came up empty-handed, thinking Shirley had left out of fear.

After some reflection, she couldn't rid herself of the sense that something felt off, though she chose not to linger.

As the weekend drew closer, the tension began to rise. The first round of the semifinals had concluded, resulting in the elimination of half the teams. For those who remained, this weekend represented a fresh start and a chance to prove their worth again.

Adding to the excitement was the initiation of the revival match, a lifeline for the eliminated teams. This round offered them an unexpected opportunity to re-enter the competition and reclaim their positions in the semifinal.

When Violeta and her team arrived at the sports arena for the competition, they were greeted with an unexpected and heartwarming surprise. A group of enthusiastic young fans had gathered at the front entrance, their excitement palpable as they saw her.

"Wow! It's Vio!"

The fans, primarily high school students, couldn't contain their excitement. They rushed forward, clutching MLSS merchandise and posters, hoping to get her autograph. Violeta was pleasantly surprised. "You guys are too much! Haha, I'm not a celebrity."

The high school students looked at her with starry eyes, their faces beaming with excitement and hope. "Vio, we believe you'll definitely become famous in the future!" one exclaimed confidently. For the first time, Violeta felt the thrill of being surrounded by fans and asked for autographs. In her past life as a minor figure in the entertainment industry, she had never received such attention. Violeta patiently signed autographs individually and exchanged a few kind words with each fan. Just as she finished the last autograph, two taxis pulled up to the curb. Out stepped Zelena and Hattie, who couldn't help but notice the scene unfolding before them.

Zelena felt a sharp pang of jealousy.

Who would have thought that Violeta would gain fans just by participating in one competition?

Hattie, too, was taken aback. She had to admit that Violeta's ability to attract fans was impressive. If Violeta successfully debuts, she could become a significant rival.

Without exchanging a word, Zelena and Hattie walked past Violeta, their faces expressionless, as they entered the arena.

As they walked towards the sports arena entrance, Hattie casually called out to Liam.

Liam has heard but has yet to respond.

Several high school students heard Hattie's words, turned their heads, and saw them. They were slow to react at first, then realised.

Excitedly, one of them said, "You guys are the captains of Eternal Warriors and Flame Vanguard, right!"

Zelena, catching on quickly, tried to maintain a polite smile. "Hi there," she greeted, hoping to connect with these enthusiastic fans.

Hattie also forced a smile at them.

Initially, Zelena entertained the idea of earning goodwill from these young supporters. However, their following words caught her off guard. "We've been following your matches," one of the students remarked earnestly. "You're good, but Vio is on another level."

"Yeah, Violeta comes from a major leaderboard player. You've done well to reach this level."

"Keep up the good work, though. There's still some gap to the championship, but don't be discouraged."

Zelena's and Hattie's expressions faltered.

They exchanged puzzled glances, unsure how to respond to the unexpected critique from these perceptive high schoolers. Damn kids, what are they saying!

This is so frustrating!

Zelena immediately lost all desire to continue chatting with them, didn't even want to maintain a smile, and turned away.

Hattie followed her and also walked away.

The high school students were straightforward and quick-witted. It's hard to tell if they were genuinely innocent or deliberately trying to provoke these two. Watching Zelena and Hattie leave, Violeta and her group couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Confused, the high school students asked, "What's so funny, Vio?"

"Oh, nothing," Violeta replied lightly. "We're heading inside for now."

"Okay! We'll cheer for you from the audience!"

After Zelena and Hattie went in, they were furious.

Their anger surfaced in small, futile gestures, like rough handling of their makeup brushes, almost breaking them.

Sure enough, nothing good happened when they encountered Violeta.

It's really frustrating!

Just wait. That woman will see what's coming to her.

The competition started promptly at 6 PM. Violeta's team was the third to play this time, and they sat in the lounge watching the live broadcast on their phones. The host introduced the first team to play.

"Look, it's Archer's team."

Archer's team was called 'Wind Riders.' After the first round, their team gained popularity, ranking in the top 10 popular teams.