Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 169

Pfft—!

Not far away, Caspian, who had just taken a sip of champagne, almost spat it out on the spot.

"Cough, cough... Pierce, it seems your wife's little friend here is quite supportive of you." Caspian raised an eyebrow, sharply noticing that Pierce's tightly knit brows had actually relaxed a fraction.

"There's internal turmoil in the Miller family right now. Why don't you... exert a little effort and prop this little friend up?"

A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched Pierce's lips as he gently swirled the golden liquid in his glass. "I never meddle in other people's business."

Caspian rolled his eyes dramatically.

*Yeah, right. What you did for your wife before was 'not meddling'? You basically handled all her business!*

Meanwhile, on the other side of the banquet hall.

Milo Miller was smoothly mingling with the guests. His polite demeanor and eloquent speech earned him endless praise, with some guests even whispering that he was the most suitable heir for the Miller family.

Listening to the showering compliments, Phoebe locked her gaze onto Milo's spirited figure, her desire growing wildly like weeds.

She took a deep breath, adjusted her hair and gown, picked up a glass of champagne, and fixed the perfect smile onto her face before walking gracefully toward him.

"Milo, would you honor me with a drink?" Phoebe's smile was as radiant as a flower. Her exquisite makeup shimmered under the dazzling lights, making even the guests beside Milo look at her with appreciation.

Milo cast a faint glance at her and nodded with polite distance. "Phoebe, I'm truly sorry, but I don't drink."

The smile on Phoebe's lips froze slightly, and the wine glass suspended in mid-air suddenly felt awkward and out of place.

This wasn't about not drinking; he was clearly keeping her at arm's length.

She acutely noticed that Alistair's gaze was subtly sweeping in their direction. If her grandfather realized her relationship with the second young master of the Miller family wasn't as close as she had boasted, he would definitely grow suspicious again.

"Milo, no matter what, it was someone from the Prescott family who cured Gideon. A single glass of wine shouldn't be asking too much, right?"

She pivoted the conversation, hiding a needle in her polite words. Even though Phoenix was the one who provided the cure, she was forcefully twisting the logic to attribute the credit to the "Prescott family."

Milo frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment before finally taking a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray.

The baby switch back then was purely an accident. They were just infants at the time; what crime did they commit?

He sighed softly, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to her, his tone growing much gentler. "Phoebe, I'm sorry. I was rude earlier. Please forgive me."

Phoebe took the tissue, and as she wiped the corner of her eye, a flash of triumphant cunning darted across her lowered gaze.

This second young master of the Miller family was much easier to manipulate than she had imagined. All she had to do was show a little weakness, and it easily triggered a man's protective instincts.

Not far away, Phoenix caught the entire exchange. The moment she saw Milo hand over the tissue, she instantly saw right through Phoebe's "painstaking" performance.

Looking over at Alistair, the old man's cloudy eyes were gleaming with satisfaction, clearly enjoying the show very much.

"Phoenix, is Phoebe trying to seduce my cousin?" Meredith had also noticed something was off and immediately flared up in anger. "Look at him, my cousin has already been completely fooled by her. No, I have to go over there and rip off that two-faced bitch's mask!"

"What's the rush?" Phoenix raised a hand to stop the agitated Meredith, a half-smile curling on her lips. "She went to all this trouble to set the stage. If you tear it down now, how is the rest of this good show supposed to play out?"

Meredith paused for a moment. Catching the deep, icy chill in Phoenix's eyes, she instantly understood. "Phoenix, you want to crush them in one fell swoop right when they're at their most smug?"