Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 157

*Tap, tap.*

Two crisp knocks rang out, not overwhelmingly loud, but sharp enough to slice through the chaotic murmurs.

Phoenix pulled her fingers away from the mahogany table. She looked around the room, her gaze terrifyingly calm.

"You are all veterans of this company, and my seniors," she began, her tone perfectly even. "It's only right that I listen to your concerns. However—"

Her voice suddenly dropped, her eyes sharpening like unsheathed blades. "None of you want to see the company lose money, correct?"

"Exactly! We're protesting your appointment because we're protecting the company's bottom line," Lester scoffed, crossing his arms. "A smart person knows when they're out of their depth, wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course." Phoenix smiled, a dangerous, mocking light dancing in her eyes. "It's just a shame that I'm the only person qualified for this depth."

"Your arrogance is astounding..."

"Lester!"

Phoenix raised her voice, ruthlessly cutting him off, her tone freezing the air. "It seems someone 'forgot' to mention a minor detail. Both the Sterling Group and Ignis Global have written it into their contracts: I am the exclusive point of contact."

Dead silence gripped the room.

"Which means, without me, Prescott Group loses both deals entirely. I only accepted this crushing workload because I wanted to help the family. To be honest, I'm really not used to having a billion dollars resting on my shoulders so soon."

She flashed them a sickeningly sweet smile, though her eyes were absolute ice. "But since the board is so unhappy with my promotion, fine. I formally request a demotion to the mailroom. Naturally, I will immediately inform the Sterling Group and Ignis Global that I am stepping down, which voids both contracts... Whether you manage to salvage the deals after that will be entirely up to your own brilliance."

The air in the boardroom evaporated.

Warren, Julian, and even the perfectly composed Phoebe instantly went pale.

How could this bitch be so ruthless? Was she seriously using billions of dollars as leverage, threatening to burn everything down? Wasn't she afraid of provoking Alistair's wrath?

The board members backpedaled so fast it was dizzying. To these profit-driven vultures, the person printing the money was the person in charge. Phoenix's aggressive counterattack had struck them exactly where it hurt.

Hung out to dry, Lester shot Warren a venomous glare. *This bastard deliberately hid that information from me. Was he just using me as cannon fodder?*

Furious but cornered, Lester swallowed his pride and grabbed the lifeline they threw him.

"Enough."

Alistair finally spoke, his voice low but commanding. "This was my mistake. I should have clarified the specifics of the contracts earlier to avoid this confusion."

He looked around the table before letting his eyes rest on Phoenix. "Phoenix is right. She won these contracts on her own merit, and the partners specifically demanded her. Her position as Marketing Director is non-negotiable. As for her past, it's nothing to be ashamed of. If anyone tries to use it against us, the Prescott PR department will show them exactly how we handle slander."

"Absolutely, Mr. Prescott. We were just overthinking it," Lester quickly agreed, eagerly taking the out Alistair provided.