Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism novel Chapter 257

Gillian and Candy chimed in agreement, "Yeah, everyone stop complaining. Crab feasts aren't all that great; eat too much and you'll end up with gout!"

On the third day in town, Violeta visited the riddle guessing stall and noticed a change in the rankings.

Her previous score had been surpassed, pushing her to second place.

Since she was already there, she decided to try her hand at the riddles again.

After an hour of effort, Violeta boosted her score to over eighty points, overtaking the second place with just over thirty points, thus reclaiming her spot at the top.

She even won a small rabbit-shaped lantern.

In the afternoon, she tried her hand at shadow puppetry, which was a novel experience.

Hattie's plans to earn extra credits were thwarted by Violeta.

Consequently, on the third day, Hattie stayed put at the inn, spending the day watching variety shows.

...

The next day, they returned to Quinston.

A week later, the list of credits earned in the town came out. After verification, Violeta had earned a total of six credits.

Hattie, on the other hand, didn't earn a single credit and even faced a complaint from the riddle guessing stall owner.

However, such complaints didn't bother Hattie much; she was more concerned about the possibility of failing her finals, spending the next week in the library.

Through Zelena's connections, she privately arranged dinners with a few teachers, gave some gifts, and managed to secure her grades for the finals.

Zelena sold this favour to Hattie, who promised to take Zelena to Harbor City to meet Hannah during the winter break.

Zelena knew this was a turning point and wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Half a month later, the finals arrived.

Once again, Violeta secured the top spot in her field with the best grades.

After exams, classmates went their separate ways, and Toland University officially began its winter break.

...

Quinston started cooling down and snowing. Today's first snowfall was unusually slow in coming.

The fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm amber glow across the room where Violeta reclined on the sofa, engrossed in her phone. Outside, as the weather chilled, Tuna's fur thickened noticeably. Yet, indoors, where the fire blazed, he lay by the window, fixated on the world beyond.

As the year's end approached, Irene's schedule grew frantic, keeping her away from home for days on end.

At the theatre, preparations for the Spring Gala were in full swing, meticulously planned by Irene, the chief director, months in advance.

Meanwhile, Niall and Anton toiled long hours, commuting early and returning late daily.

Amidst the busy White household, Violeta found herself with the luxury of spare time.

Each morning, she rose when she wanted to, taking Tuna to the park, while Hera, off getting a custom headgear abroad, might not return until after the New Year.