Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 102

"Ahem, Macy, let's get down to business," Phoenix interrupted, her expression turning serious. "Did you find anything on what I asked you to look into?"

Hearing this, Macy's face grew serious as she nodded. "I did. Gideon Miller's condition doesn't require a kidney transplant at all. Someone is intentionally targeting Merry."

"Intentionally... targeting me?" Meredith's eyes widened in shock and anger. "Who is it?! I've already decided to cut ties with the Millers and give up on the inheritance. Why won't they just let me go?"

Phoenix reached out and patted her back to comfort her. "Let Macy finish first."

Macy looked at Meredith, her eyes filled with a complex emotion. "The reason is absurd but also very real—because you are Gideon's favorite granddaughter."

At those words, Meredith froze completely, as if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.

"Me? Gideon's... favorite granddaughter?"

...

...

Marcus woke up to a wave of agonizing pain.

The moment his consciousness returned, a massive sense of humiliation washed over him like a tidal wave.

He roared in fury, frantically smashing everything within his line of sight.

In all his years, when had he ever suffered such a pathetic indignity?

As the dignified Miller heir, he had been slapped around by two women and had his wrist bones literally stomped to pieces. Even without a mirror, the burning sting on his cheeks painted a vivid picture of his bruised, battered, and utterly miserable state.

"Marcus..."

A soft voice pierced through the chaos.

By the hospital bed stood a beautiful girl with a sweet demeanor, gently trying to soothe him. "The doctor said that although your wrist bones are shattered, thankfully no tendons were severed. With proper care, there won't be any lasting damage."

The girl's voice was soft and laced with obvious concern, acting like a sedative that barely suppressed the violence brewing in Marcus's heart.

"Mavis, who else knows about this besides you?" Marcus asked, panting heavily.

Mavis shook her head, looking utterly innocent. "When I came in and saw you unconscious, I immediately locked down the information and called the doctor. So far, no one in the family knows."

Like Meredith, she was Marcus's biological sister, but her personality was much milder and far more likable.

"Mavis, you're the only one who truly understands me." Marcus twitched his lips, forcing a smile that looked worse than a grimace.

If the family found out that he, the primary heir, had been beaten to a pulp and left paralyzed on the floor like a dead dog, countless people would immediately question his competence.

Now that Gideon was severely ill, countless eyes were secretly eyeing the massive Miller empire. The moment the old man died, those people would bare their fangs and fight frantically for control.

"The rightful heiress of the Prescott family? A country bumpkin who actually went to prison?!"

Marcus couldn't believe he had fallen at the hands of such bottom-feeding trash. But quickly, the fury in his eyes turned into suspicion. "Wait, if she really is just some worthless piece of trash, how could she order around Leo from The Obsidian Syndicate?"

He had only just realized in hindsight that the beefy man who laid a hand on him was actually the boss of The Obsidian Syndicate.

"Boss, the exact intel I gathered is that... this Prescott heiress is engaged to Pierce Sterling," Silas added cautiously from the side.

Hearing Pierce's name, Marcus's pupils shrank as it all dawned on him. "No wonder she's so arrogant and dared to look down on the Millers. She's latched onto him. But—"

He gnashed his teeth, his voice seeping through the gaps. "Does she think being engaged to him means she can do whatever she wants?"

"Marcus, about this... I think we should discuss it with Mom and Dad," Mavis said, looking troubled and worried. "After all, she has Pierce backing her."

"No," Marcus refused flatly, his voice dark. "Telling them when I'm in this state will only add to their worries. It's pointless and will just make me look incompetent."

Mavis frowned. "But what about Gideon? I heard Milo is already looking for someone to contact that legendary Azure Healer. What if he gets there first..."

Hearing his rival's name, Marcus's expression shifted slightly. He pondered for a moment, a glint of calculation flashing in his eyes.

"Mavis, your relationship with Meredith isn't as strained as mine. Go and test the waters with her." Marcus scoffed coldly. "That useless girl has always been soft-hearted. As long as you say the word, I refuse to believe she won't compromise."