Novel & Cerita Phoenix Independent Bookstores

"Let us go meet her." Chicago was a five hour drive. Liam drove. Anna sat in the back. I navigated. The rain followed us the whole way. Grey skies. Grey roads. Grey everything. The bookstore was called "Pages." It sat on a corner between a coffee shop and a flower store. The windows were full of bestsellers. A sign on the door said "Open." We walked in. Bells jingled. The smell of paper and old wood wrapped around me. Shelves stretched to the ceiling. A cat slept on a pile of romance novels.

The people were writing their story at the Phoenix Center. The library at the Phoenix Center was like the heart of the building. It had arched windows that looked out at the North Slope. The green light from the vineyard poured in. Lit up the shelves. The shelves were filled with books about farming, old legal papers and handwritten notes about the soil. The air smelled like the cedar beams and the coffee that Sarah had brought from the Nairobi highlands.

“I met Phoenix today, and his birds brought useful news, but he needs assurance before confiding anything.” Phoenix is another mob leader who operates in Westchester, the Bronx, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Wolf briefed me about him and the others. Phoenix is one of the oldest among the eight and operates a large multibillion-dollar enterprise of smuggled guns. He also runs a loan shark and illegal gambling operation. I see nothing else interesting about them, but I must hear what Wolf has to say. “I need assurance too, Jason,” I say firmly. “These people are the real criminals.”

Gold swallows hard, focusing on his painting. He started this artwork more than two weeks ago. The lack of time hinders him from painting it perfectly, though as stated, at least it's done. "This is Phoenix in the Fire." He tells everybody, still looking at his work. The portrait is greatly inspired by the polaroid picture he took the first night he and Kolya slept together. The canvas size is 38"W x 75"H, it's big and he can't believe that he's showing this to the public.

I accepted them absentmindedly. “Thank you,” I said quietly, still trying to understand how I had somehow ended up here—in a hospital with people I am not even related to. “You know the businesses underground, right?” Phoenix asked casually as he ate beside me, his tone deceptively light. I nodded. “I knew it,” he muttered, letting out a deep sigh, the frustration he’d been holding back finally seeping through. “There was no way it would work.” “What work?” I squinted at him, confusion settling in.

“What are you talking about?” “Well…. I own the Phoenix' agency and if you're asking for a collab, you'll have to follow out rules… strictly” The shock on both their faces was both amusing and satisfying to watch. “You can't just…” Seraphina began. “I already did”, Cassian cut in, locking a stern gaze at her. “And from now on, every spotlight, banner and tour will hear The Phoenix first. She takes the center stage and leads the show while the rest of you can just stand at the sides. And it's non-negotiable”.

They were made up of drug addicts, gamblers, people who had made the same mistake I made of borrowing from a loan shark. "Isabella, I need to tell you something," I said. "Something I saw today." "What?" Isabella struggled to sit up, wincing as her injured leg moved. "I was working in the financial district today," I began. "Near those big office buildings." "And?" Sophia asked. "I heard some business people talking about a company called Phoenix Advisory." Isabella shrugged. "So? What's that got to do with us?" "They said it's a financial consulting firm," I continued. "The CEO is making millions of dollars helping companies recover stolen money."

So to confirm it, he asked, “What is your age Phoenix?” Harry asked on which what Phoenix said cleared Harry’s doubt that Phoenix is Sebastian’s split personality. “I was born on the day when I lost mom,” Phoenix said. Harry who heard this thought, that maybe Phoenix would tell him that what happened that day, because Sebastian told nobody about that day. “Phoenix what happened that day?” Harry asked on which Phoenix, who heard this, went from there saying nothing. From that day, Harry came to know that Phoenix is the only one who was saving girls/women by attacking those rapists and drug addicts. Harry told everything to Sanjeev and Lavanya, Lavanya who heard this said,

“I really like to get this start, because I do have other things to do tonight.” “Like that party I heard about?” “Well, it is Raven birthday, and he is my VP also I close friend. That’s not why I’m here and you know it.” “Why are you here for Phoenix?” “Don’t you dare play stupid; you know I got a hold of some information about you selling people on the black market and you’re going to stop.” “You really believe you’re going to be that person to put a stop to this. Just because you’re called Phoenix that you have what it takes to make me do anything.”

“Do you think the bookstore next to Wixon still has it?” Valencia leaned on the kitchen counter near the sink, tapping her fingers on the ceramic surface. “Yeah, trust me the last time I visited that bookstore down on 2nd street was 2 days ago. it was a recent visit so I’m sure they still have a few left in the Non-fiction section.” The voice on the phone said.