Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 280 Speculation

Wade detailed, "Afterwards, I told him that the leading female lead had to be Violeta, so he gave me Veilmist Lake for free as a filming location." Niall was surprised to hear this.

Hayden would never do that.

Could it be...

Does that guy have a crush on his precious little sister?

Niall's eyes flashed with intrigue. After finishing the tea, he politely bid farewell to Wade.

The production team spent the next two weeks preparing.

The drama officially began its auditions, set building, and other preliminary work.

Although Violeta was very excited to join the production, she suppressed her feelings and attended school for another week before taking a leave of absence.

Zelena was thrilled when she heard that 'The Quiet Ode' was holding auditions.

She thought her chance had finally come.

Just as she started to prepare for this, she was struck by the news that Violeta had already been cast as the female lead.

Jealousy nearly drove Zelena insane.

And the media was somehow aware of the casting decision. It was reported on Facebook that the female lead of the drama was personally chosen by Wade, a campus belle from Toland University named Violeta Blake.

Many people claiming to be from Toland University commented below the post.

That's definitely Violeta! I can't wait to watch the drama!'

Violeta is absolutely stunning. She's even more beautiful than in the photos.'

Debuting and immediately working with a veteran like Wade Howell is incredible. I'm a freshman in the performing arts department at Toland University. I'm hoping I can have the same luck as Violeta someday! Zelena was fuming when she saw all the positive comments.

She opened an alternative account and furiously typed.

Everyone knows about Violeta's character. It's clear to anyone with eyes why Wade chose her. Those comments are definitely from Violeta's paid fans.'

After posting the comment, Zelena continued on her alternative Facebook account. She wrote, 'Violeta's debut is a disaster for the entertainment industry. Who doesn't know about her nasty deeds?' Soon enough, the power of the internet became evident.

As the online buzz around 'The Quiet Ode' grew, people started noticing Zelena's posts and messaged her for more information.

Sis, did you have any dirt on Violeta? I'm not from Toland University; can you tell me more?'

Zelena received many such messages and replied to each, slandering Violeta.

I heard she stole the life of an

innocent eighteen-year-old heiress.

She's a fake heiress herself, and she treats the real heiress horribly,

constantly beating and scolding her. After getting into Toland's elite circle, she never visited her foster parents again. She has a terrible character and has even bullied the real heiress at school!'

There's more if you don't believe me, you can check out Toland University's forum. You'll replace posts about her. There's no way Wade Howeth would choose someone like her without some dirty dealings involved. You know what I mean.'

Rumours spread rapidly online.

The drama had created quite a stir on the internet before filming had even begun.

There were both positive and negative discussions about Violeta's role as the female lead.

The more these comments spread, the more they affected Violeta's public image. Zelena was extremely active online. She used various alternative accounts to spread rumours and make negative comments.

All these comments were prefaced with 'I heard' or 'A friend of a friend is in her class' or 'I'm not sure, but someone said'.

In short, as the rumours spread, Zelena managed to get those slanders circulated online.

Soon after, Violeta's name began to trend in the top twenty on the popular search list for several days.

However, there were pros and cons. Curious internet users flocked to Toland University's forum for more gossip and discovered that Violeta had been the captain of the championship team in the MLSS

high school competition, like

was

also the female lead in the MV on the MLSS official website.

Given the game's popularity, though not everyone watched the high school competition, at least 80 out of 100 young people played MLSS.

Violeta had never intended to hype herself as a 'gamer girl', but she accidentally benefited from it. Her mixed reputation led to thousands of new followers on Facebook.

Zelena had unintentionally helped Violeta gain popularity. She was so angry that she couldn't sleep.

Far away on set, Hattie heard about Violeta's upcoming role.

She made time to call Zelena.

"Violeta's not in class anymore? That was quick."

Hattie was surprised. A show's preliminary preparations usually took time, even if the script was ready. They still needed to secure funding.

This speed necessitates prior arrangements.

However, Hannah hadn't heard any industry buzz about this. Otherwise, she would have tried to get Hattie into Wade's show.

Of course, Wade's show was highly coveted. If the female lead audition was public, it would be extremely competitive.