Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 209

Back on the main floor, Padraig, who preferred quiet settings, exchanged a brief conversation with Phoenix before making a swift exit.

Phoenix was the undisputed center of gravity. Whether to gain favor through Padraig or driven by sheer awe at her talent, endless waves of socialites approached to shower her with praise. She, however, despised this kind of superficial networking.

Without much choice, she practically shoved Macy to the front lines. Thankfully, Macy was a master of social grace, handling the upper-crust elites with ease.

"No wonder she's the head of Ignis Global. Her networking skills are practically flawless," Meredith murmured admiringly as she watched Macy laugh effortlessly with the crowd.

Phoenix nodded, a flicker of warmth in her eyes. "She's helped me immensely. If she hadn't been managing Ignis Global from the outside, I wouldn't have had the leverage to set all this in motion the second I was released."

"How did you two even meet?" Meredith blinked, intensely curious.

Phoenix's gaze grew distant, tracing back through the years to the very beginning.

"We met at an orphanage. I was incredibly withdrawn and constantly picked on by the other kids. She was the total opposite—loud, radiant, like a little sun. Every time someone bullied me, she'd dive right in and throw punches in the name of justice."

"We became best friends almost instantly. Later on, I was adopted and moved to the countryside, so we lost touch."

"Years later, when the Prescotts brought me back to the city, Vanessa took me shopping for clothes. I ran into Macy on the street. She was passing out flyers in a massive mascot costume."

Hearing the story, Meredith's heart swelled. Their bond had survived the brutal tests of time and class.

Even after being separated for so long, they had picked up exactly where they left off. When Phoenix was wrongly imprisoned, Macy had never doubted her for a second, silently building Ignis Global to consolidate power for her return.

"You and Macy are going to be unstoppable," Meredith said, a mix of awe and sympathy in her voice.

"Silly girl. All three of us are going to be fine." Phoenix reached over and fondly ruffled Meredith's hair. "With Sebastian's studio and all those contracts shifting over to you, you're going to be swamped."

"Speaking of that, Sebastian actually laid some great groundwork." Thinking about business, Meredith's eyes sparkled. "I looked into his studio. His entire operation is geared toward expanding overseas, and those contracts are with major international brands. This is literally a gift from heaven for Lumina Jewelry."

Suddenly, a thought struck her. She stared at Phoenix in disbelief. "Wait. Did you have your eye on his studio and those contracts from the very beginning?"

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