Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism

Chapter 697 Their First Meeting

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.

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

to make a witty

Just one look.

friendship, Jasper understood immediately-Hayden was

all knew

had his eyes set on something, the rest of them never

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

and, without hesitation, canceled his lunch plans for the day. Normally,

someone

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

glance. "Got

kidding, man, just

into laughter, thinking nothing of

threw his drink at

mad. Even when people joked about his girlfriends, he always

But this time...

now drenched in beer, quickly set his cup down and

close friends tried

things over. "Come on,

l.ne

wasn't that serious. No need to get

belongs to en.kikiston

ruining the vibe," Jasper

after grabbing his

moment, it felt like

like a

the only son of

three, his mother, Cynthia, consulted a psychic

psychic looked at Jasper's picture and said only

road