Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism



"Alright."

Turning around, Skyler noticed Mandy standing at the door.

After a moment's thought, Skyler signaled the supervisor to let Mandy go up.

"Her? She's never been there before. I'm worried she might offend him."

Skyler smirked. "She's different from the others."

It was the perfect chance.

If Mandy messed up, she'd be fired right away.

If Jasper liked her, she could potentially become someone who could approach him in the future.

Either way, everything rested on how well she seized this opportunity.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.

The supervisor nodded and made the necessary arrangements.

Mandy made her way to Room 303, not knowing that it was all a test set by her superior.

Carrying the tray of wine and fruit, she knocked and entered the room, unaware she was being used as bait.

Inside, Jasper sat on the couch, smoking and distracted by his phone.

At first, he didn't pay attention to who had entered until Mandy set the wine on the table and said, "Your wine is here. Do you need anything else?" Upon hearing her voice, Jasper looked up.

"It's you."

After seeing her twice before, Jasper now recognized her.

Mandy smiled softly. "You recognize me this time."

Jasper put down his phone, signaling her to pour the wine.

Bending over to pour, she finally caught his serious gaze.

Mandy was wearing Mystique's men's uniform, which made her stand out.

"Don't Mystique have women's uniforms?"

"Yes, but I requested to wear the men's uniform," she said, briefly pausing before explaining further.

With his legs crossed, Jasper looked at her with a playful expression. "Why? I thought you were supposed to be a greeter. Why are you up here?" His memory was good.

The first time they met, Mandy had been outside, welcoming customers and seeing off drunken customers.

She wore a man's uniform, probably to avoid serving customers upstairs.

After finishing pouring the wine, she stood respectfully to the side and answered, "It's because of personal reasons. It's more convenient for me to wear it this way. Skyler had me come up today."

Jasper took a sip from his glass, then asked, "What's so

inconvenient? No wonder your

manager has you doing random te

naver

jobs. Bosses usually don't like employees who act on their

Especially in their line of work-service.

Mandy's expression stiffened slightly.

After a moment of hesitation, she bent down and rolled up her pants, revealing several twisted scars running along her slender legs. "That's why I don't wear skirts."

Jasper glanced at her legs, his eyes briefly flickering, but his tone remained even. "How did this happen?"

"I got burned when I was a kid, playing near a fire."

Jasper gave a small nod, took another sip, and motioned for her to pour more.

Whiskey, with its complex flavors, was typically enjoyed in small amounts. Too much alcohol at once could be damaging.

"This is 60-proof whiskey."

"I know," he said.

Mandy said nothing more as she continued pouring.

The room was quiet, so Jasper struck up a conversation as they drank.

"How old are you?"

"Just turned 20."

"You're not from Quinston, are you?"

"No, I moved here for school."

"Won't working at Mystique affect your studies? Won't your parents care?"

Mandy lowered her gaze. "They won't. I don't have parents."

Her work didn't interfere with her studies-in fact, she needed the job to support herself.

Before coming to Mystique, she had

worked other jobs, but Mystique

ne

offered the best pay. So, after a year of struggling, she decided to take it.

When survival was on the line, things like reputation took a back seat.

As long as she stayed true to herself, that was what mattered.

Jasper's gaze softened with a trace of pity when she mentioned her parents.

"You can leave. I don't need your service here."