Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 116

"So what if I hit you?" Phoenix scoffed coldly, rubbing her wrist. "Let me tell you a secret. Warren and Phoebe... have caught my hands plenty of times too."

"What?!" Ian's pupils shrank in utter horror. Whether Phoenix was telling the truth or not, the woman standing in front of him had clearly lost her mind.

They had all assumed that prison would grind away her rebellious edge, but looking at her now, the place had only forged her into a far more vicious, untamable beast.

"Ian, if you see me in the future, I suggest you take a detour," Phoenix's voice was as cold as ice. "Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back from slapping you again."

"Ah!! Ian!!" Penelope finally snapped out of her daze and shrieked, lunging forward like a madwoman.

Phoenix delivered another backhand slap without missing a beat. The movement was perfectly fluid.

"Slap!"

The force spun Penelope around in place. She stood there, completely stunned.

"You... you actually hit me?!" Penelope covered her rapidly swelling cheek, staring at Phoenix in sheer disbelief. "I am a Sterling heiress..."

"Shut up!" Phoenix frowned, thoroughly annoyed. "I hit you because you're a pathetic doormat! You could have just been a proper heiress, but no, you insisted on acting like a desperate dog. Get out!"

"Didn't you hear her? Ms. Prescott told you to get out!!" Leo stepped forward, bellowing fiercely.

Forcing down his towering rage, Ian grabbed Penelope, and the two of them practically fled the scene in humiliation.

"Pfft, hahaha!!" Watching them run away like beaten dogs, Meredith finally let out a roaring laugh. "I can't take it, this is too funny! That Sterling girl wanted to show off for her crush, ended up paying for us, and got slapped in the face for her trouble!"

"That's what you get for being a doormat. Talk about pathetic."

Phoenix's lips twitched, the murderous aura around her finally fading. "The Sterlings from that branch are nothing but distant relatives. Other than riding on Pierce's coattails, they are completely useless."

She could have easily ruined Penelope and Ian even further.

But there was no need.

Now was not the time to completely rip off the mask with those two.

"Exactly! Daring to provoke Ms. Prescott, they clearly have a death wish." Leo curled his lip in absolute disdain. "Ms. Prescott is Mr. Sterling's woman. A slap is letting them off easy."

"Hahaha... Wait, what?!" Meredith's laughter abruptly died. She turned her head stiffly. "Leo, what did you just say?"

As the sky darkened, Phoenix drove the mobile vault—one of only fourteen in the world, worth eighteen million dollars—taking Meredith to Cloudhaven's most exclusive restaurant. They turned heads every second of the drive.

After parking, Phoenix stepped out and immediately received a text message.

It was from Pierce Sterling.

[When are you coming back?]

Phoenix paused. The question felt entirely random.

She thought for a second and replied: [Going back to the Prescott Estate tonight.]

On the other end, Pierce frowned slightly when he saw the message, but it quickly smoothed out. He spoke to Yancy in the driver's seat, "Cancel dinner preparations for tonight."

"Yes, Boss." Yancy observed Pierce's expression through the rearview mirror and asked carefully, "Is the Madam... not returning to Starlight Heights?"

Pierce gave a low hum of agreement, then suddenly ordered, "Look into what Phoenix did today."

Yancy was extremely efficient and quickly produced a report. As he read through the findings, his brow furrowed. "Boss, the Madam went to the hospital today and beat up Marcus Miller."