Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 124

"Mind your own business!" Penelope snapped, her face burning with a mix of fury and humiliation. "Ian and I are in love! I'd die for him! What's a hundred million dollars compared to that?"

"Tsk, tsk. Now isn't the time to be proving your loyalty." The man's patience snapped. He grabbed her aggressively by the chin. "Shut up! Call your dad and get the money ready! Otherwise..."

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper. "I can't guarantee what we might do to you next."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, wouldn't I? I already dragged you into this hellhole. What makes you think I have any lines left to cross?" The man sneered. "Think about it. If your precious Ian finds out you've been... defiled, do you really think he'll ever look at you again?"

That threat struck Penelope's weakest nerve. Her mental defenses shattered instantly. "I'll call! I'll call!" she sobbed hysterically. "I'll do it right now!"

The man shot a glance at his partner, who immediately held up Penelope's phone.

Just then, a piercing ringtone cut through the dingy room.

Seeing the name flashing on the screen, Penelope practically vibrated with excitement. "Give it to me! Give me the phone! It's Ian!"

She thrashed against her restraints, desperately trying to lunge for the device.

"Ian... Prescott?" The man holding the phone read the caller ID and laughed mockingly. "Well, well. Looks like your true love is checking in."

"I order you! Right now! Give me the phone!" Penelope screamed. "He must be calling about an emergency! If I don't answer, he's going to be worried sick!"

The phone rang a few more times, then went silent.

"Listen closely, princess," the man growled, tightening his grip on the phone. "When I hand this to you, you are only calling your father for the money. If you try dialing anyone else, or if you try sending an SOS..."

He leveled a lethal glare at her. "I can't promise your precious boyfriend won't run into a little... 'accident' of his own."

Before he even finished speaking, the phone lit up again. It was Ian.

Panic completely overtook Penelope. Tears streamed down her face. "Please! I'm begging you! Just let me answer it! Just once! Ian never calls me twice in a row like this! He must be in terrible trouble! He wouldn't do this otherwise!"

Driven mad by fear, she began spewing wild promises. "I'll give you two hundred million! No! Three hundred million! If you just let me take this call, I'll give you whatever you want! I swear!"

The two kidnappers exchanged a look, utterly speechless. Just a minute ago, she was haggling over her own ransom. Now, she was willingly tripling the price just to pick up a phone call. The woman's brain was completely hijacked by this guy.

"Ahhhh! Give it to me! Give me the phone!" Seeing the men hesitate, Penelope lost her mind entirely. She violently thrashed in the chair, lunging forward to headbutt the man holding her phone. "He's waiting for me! He's waiting! He rarely calls me first! Two calls in a row means something happened! Or... or maybe he finally missed me!"

The man hadn't expected the spoiled heiress to launch a physical attack. Caught off guard, his instincts kicked in, and he backhanded her across the face with brutal force.

*Smack!*

"Ian, I swear to God you're basically my dad!"

Ian smirked in arrogant satisfaction, pulling a scantily clad hostess flush against his chest.

"Mr. Prescott~ Have a drink~" The woman purred, pressing a glass of premium liquor to his lips.

Ian blocked the glass with his hand, trailing a suggestive finger over her lips. "Drink? Sure. But... I want you to feed it to me... from here."

"Oh stop~ You're so bad~" She giggled, taking a mouthful of the liquor before leaning in to press her mouth against his.

Ian half-closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the lewd exchange as the room filled with raucous cheering and whistling.

"Damn, Ian! You really know how to party!"

"Who would've thought our superstar, the ultimate pure gentleman, was this wild behind closed doors! The contrast is insane!"

"When it comes to having a good time, no one touches you, Ian!"

Soaking in their endless flattery, the dark mood in Ian's chest finally began to lift.

Right then, a server approached holding a POS machine. He bowed respectfully. "Mr. Prescott, sorry to interrupt. Your total for tonight comes to two hundred thousand dollars. Will you be paying with card or...?"