Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 225 The Neon Bar Confrontation

Violeta was the only exception over the years, and she might be the only way in.

"If you want to convince Jasper to come, you might have to invite Violeta. If she goes, there's a good chance all four of them will come," Casey suggested. Lucy pressed her lips together.

She didn't like Violeta.

Maybe it was because Violeta's mentor, Grace, was a rival to her own teacher.

Or maybe it was because Violeta had managed to do what no other woman could: forcefully join the group of four guys and become the exception.

Ultimately, it might just be that Lucy was jealous of Violeta.

This jealousy prevented them from becoming friends, making them enemies instead.

But Lucy would never admit to being jealous of Violeta.

The idea of inviting Violeta to her birthday party was something Lucy just couldn't bring herself to do.

She thought about it some more...

"Is there no other way?" Lucy asked.

"If you want Jasper to come, besides asking Violeta, the only other option would be Hayden," Casey replied. Lucy fell silent.

That was out of the question.

Hayden was so aloof that she couldn't bring herself to approach him.

If she upset Hayden, it would be a big problem, and even her grandfather would have questions for her.

"Let me think about it some more," Lucy said.

"Alright," Casey agreed.

After a whole afternoon of work, Violeta finally found a lead.

She had traced an IP address to a bar called The Neon Bar on Southridge Avenue.

Without wasting any time, she decided to head out.

As she closed her laptop, she felt a sense of relief, as if she had just resolved a huge problem.

However, the moment she closed her laptop, she nearly spit out her coffee when she saw a man sitting across from her. "... Cough, cough...

Violeta choked, but managed to swallow her coffee.

"Hayden, when did you sit down in front of me?"

Hayden glanced at the small piece of paper in front of her, covered in several IP addresses Violeta had jotted down earlier.

She quickly snatched the paper away.

"I came to the library to borrow a dictionary. I saw you here and decided to come over. I haven't been here long," Hayden replied. "Oh, okay."

"I noticed you were writing down an address. Are you planning to go somewhere?" Hayden inquired.

Violeta stayed silent.

So Hayden had seen it after all.

Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Violeta replied, "I was just jotting down random stuff. Don't take it seriously."

Did Hayden have such good eyesight that he could read what was on her paper?

Violeta wanted to handle the black market issue on her own, without anyone else knowing. If Hayden discovered what she was up to, it would make things even more complicated. There was an anxious feeling about having her secret discovered.

If too many people knew a secret, it wasn't a secret anymore.

"I'm heading out. Kay's waiting for me."

"Alright," Hayden responded softly.

Violeta packed her laptop into her tote bag and left.

After leaving the library, she went straight to the cafeteria.

She had dinner with Kaylee and then left Toland University for the day.

...

Back at the White residence, Violeta told a lie, saying she was going out with Zoren and the others.

Since she often went out in the evenings, Irene and Anton didn't suspect anything and just reminded her to be back by ten.

She took a cab to The Neon Bar.

Although she had the exact address, the bar was located in a maze of alleyways.

The cab couldn't drive in, so she had to get out and walk.

The old alleyways, decades old, had no streetlights.

Violeta walked alone, the only sound being her footsteps.

At the end of the alley, a sign came into view.

It reads, "The Neon Bar."

"Found it," she muttered.

The bar's entrance looked like something from a nightclub in the last century-very old and emitting a cheap incense smell. Violeta pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The interior was decorated like a nightclub from the last century, complete with music that had a crackling, vintage sound.

A quick glance revealed no customers, but behind the bar was a middle-aged man with long hair, smoking a cigarette, and wiping his glasses.

"Sorry, we're closed."

"But it's only eight o'clock."

Seriously, what bar closes at eight?

Violeta stepped up to the bar. The man never looked directly at her. His eyes were fixed on the glass he was cleaning. The cigarette in his mouth bobbed with his words, dropping ash silently.

"We don't serve customers."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Why ask? Don't you understand human language?"

The man was getting annoyed, his narrow eyes glaring through his hair.

Violeta sat on a high stool at the bar, resting her chin on one hand, her gaze indifferent.

She smiled and said slowly, "I understand, just not yours."

The man fell silent.

The implication was clear: she was saying he wasn't speaking like a human, so she couldn't understand.

His irritation showed as he slammed the glass down on the bar.

Violeta quickly interjected, "Hey, hey, be careful. It'd be a shame to break a fine hexagonal crystal glass like that."