Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism

When the three entered the hall, they found it divided into two smaller sections. On the left was Grace's, seemingly representing her affiliation with the left-wing faction of the dance world. On the right was Vivian's, symbolizing her affiliation with the right-wing.

After Violeta, Hazel, and Nydia entered together, they found that there weren't many people present yet. They went upstairs with their gifts to congratulate Grace.

Grace was socializing on the second floor, dressed in a light blue dress.

When Violeta handed her the Hetian sapphire bracelet and the knot tied necklace, Grace was thrilled. She immediately put them on, showing how much she liked them. "Come, let me make some introductions.

"This is Violeta White, my last disciple. Vio, meet Taylor Johnson, my junior ...

Violeta greeted Grace's friends one by one.

They were all very friendly and they exuded the aura of dancers themselves.

"

Upstairs, they discussed next year's Lotus Competition, while Violeta listened quietly on the side.

When the time was right, the guests downstairs started arriving.

Grace went downstairs with the other disciples.

But as soon as they arrived downstairs, they saw a group of people gathered around, with a middle-aged woman in a white windbreaker standing in the center, exuding elegance and charm. Her hair was up, and she also wore a sapphire bracelet on her wrist.

Hazel whispered to Violeta on the side, "That's Vivian."

Actually, Violeta didn't need Hazel to tell her.

Who else would be so rude? This was clearly Grace's banquet venue, yet there was Vivian, acting all big and important, as if she owned the place, totally ignoring Grace.

It was incredibly disrespectful!

Grace's eyes narrowed, and the atmosphere around them turned chilly.

Someone nearby couldn't take it anymore and blurted out, "Vivian, what are you doing here?"

People downstairs heard the voice and turned to look towards the stairs, spotting Grace and the others standing at the corner, staring down at them.

Vivian's well-maintained face showed no signs of aging. Despite being forty, she looked like she was only thirty.

"Oh, it's you guys." Vivian smiled at them.

The person next to Vivian unexpectedly said, "Isn't that Grace? I saw a sign outside. It's her fortieth birthday too. Looks like you two decided to celebrate on the same day."

Vivian chuckled and covered her mouth. "Oh, no, actually, today's not my birthday. It's just that my husband has a business trip tomorrow. He didn't want to miss my birthday, so we decided to celebrate today." "Aww, you two are so sweet even after all these years of marriage!"

Vivian's marriage was blissful.

In contrast, Grace, now in middle age, still hadn't tied the knot.

Compared to Vivian's happy marriage, Grace's life felt even lonelier, especially after losing both parents to illness in the past few years.

Their laughter at that moment felt really irritating!

Taylor butted in, "If you wanna laugh, go do it somewhere else. What's with all the giggles here? Is this your place?"

Vivian hesitated for a moment, then glanced around the scene.

The people nearby also seemed a bit puzzled. "Isn't this supposed to be Vivian's birthday party? Come to think of it, what are you doing here?"

It was pretty hilarious.

Hazel chimed in, "Seriously, are you guys blind? Didn't you notice the sign at the entrance? Your spot is over there!"

The ground floor hall was divided in two.

Grace's was on the left.

Vivian's was on the right.

Who knows if they genuinely missed it or if they were just playing dumb to annoy people.

Hazel's outburst made the faces of those below look uncomfortable.

After all, she was just a youngster, while the people below were all big shots in the dance circle. Vivian, leading the pack, was practically a legend in the dance community. Being scolded by a junior was quite embarrassing.

Even if they had genuinely made a mistake, it wasn't Hazel's place to speak up.

Grace gently scolded Hazel. "Hazel, step back."

Hazel pouted and stepped back beside Grace.

The people below naturally didn't want to miss this golden opportunity.

One of them spoke up, taking a jab at Grace, "Grace, we know she's your disciple, but for those who don't, they might think you're her disciple instead. Is this how you teach your students? So sloppy!" Grace stood on the stairs, looking down at Vivian and the others. She replied, "I don't need you to tell me how to teach my students. But you're right, I haven't taught her well. When uninvited guests show up, we should just give them leftovers to eat. That's how a host should act, so people don't think we can't even afford a meal."

"Grace! You're going too far. Who do you think you're calling freeloaders?"

"With a mentor like you, it's no wonder your disciples lack manners."

Grace asked, "What? You're not freeloaders? Then why are you still here expecting me to serve you food and drinks?"

As they spoke, the hotel staff hurried over and whispered, "Ms. Montclair, your table is over there. You've come to the wrong place."