Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism novel Chapter 657

Violeta couldn't help but laugh at Aster's comment. "Can you imagine your mom finding out that her favorite actor from her youth is now dating someone younger than you? What do you think her reaction would be?"

Aster paused, considering the question thoughtfully for a moment.

"To be honest, I think she'd be taken aback initially, and then she'd let out a sigh and say something like, 'Oh, of course! Men always seem to go for younger women.' Haha!"

As Violeta tucked her phone away, another thought crept into her mind.

She had already forwarded the details about the blond waiter and the surveillance footage to Ophelia, but she hadn't received any updates from either Zelena or Ophelia.

This left her with two possibilities: either Ophelia had overlooked the anonymous tip she had sent, or she had found nothing of significance.

The first option seemed unlikely. Ophelia had to be fuming at whoever was scheming against her, so it was hard to believe she would ignore a potential lead.

That left the only conclusion that Ophelia had simply not discovered anything useful.

If Ophelia couldn't gather any information, even with clear images of the person involved, then her skills were indeed lacking.

Violeta's expression darkened as she pondered whether to offer Ophelia another assist.

Having wrapped up the event, Violeta considered her day complete.

The chatter on Facebook regarding Ophelia continued to escalate, but it didn't bother her at all.

When Violeta got back to Liberty Grove, she found Hayden already home from work.

He was lounging on the couch in a beige sweater, absorbed in a TV show. After taking a quick shower and slipping into comfortable clothes, Violeta joined him with her laptop, ready to surf the internet.

Before long, Gabriela entered with a bowl of yogurt topped with fresh fruits. The yogurt had a pleasantly tangy and refreshing taste.

It had been a while since Ophelia's drama had trended on Facebook, so Violeta decided to do a quick search for any updates but found nothing new.

Since the incident, Ophelia had been keeping a low profile, rarely making public appearances.

However, paparazzi were still on the lookout, capturing footage of Ophelia's manager hauling various items into her apartment. It appeared that Ophelia had withdrawn from the world following the incident.

Missing out on the Best Actress award at the Golden Rooster Award must have stung deeply. This was Ophelia's second nomination, and once again, she had left without the coveted prize.

Perhaps she was merely attempting to work on herself, biding her time for the perfect moment to make a comeback.

"What are you staring at?"

Noticing Violeta's intense concentration, Hayden leaned in closer.

Zelena had feelings for Nolan but had been unsuccessful in her pursuit; this scheme would not have only tarnished her reputation but also have jeopardized her chances of marriage.

Last year, Ophelia's scandal had sent shockwaves through the media, and AI-generated compromising images circulated widely. As a result, Hayden remained a silent witness to the chaos that ensued.

He wasn't the type to revel in gossip or focus on such trivial matters.

Yet, due to Violeta's involvement in the entertainment industry, he found himself swept up in all the drama.

What had occurred with Ophelia would affect anyone's life, and had someone else faced that situation, Hayden would have surely felt morally obligated to sympathize with them.

But if it had happened to Violeta?

He dared not imagine it—the mere thought made him seethe with fury.

"What did you say?"

"I believe Ophelia's incident was caused by her consuming that spiked drink."

Violeta gestured toward the wine glass in her hand from the surveillance footage, then began to elaborate on the situation to Hayden in detail.

Hayden's expression tightened as his brows knitted together. "So, who do you think is behind this?"