Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 21

Caspian Thorne nearly dropped his cigar. He muttered under his breath, "Holy hell... Ninth, that's not a thorny rose. That's a Venus flytrap."

He looked at Pierce Sterling, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and unprecedented gossip. "The kind that swallows you whole! Are you... are you really into this kind of thing?"

Pierce remained silent. His predatory gaze cut through the chaos like a hawk locked onto its prey, remaining fixed on the sharp, black-clad figure at the center of the storm below.

"Lock the doors!" Vinnie Rossi clutched his agonizing abdomen, his pale face twisted in venomous malice. His voice was as raspy as sandpaper. "Call for backup! Get The Dragon down here! Someone's disrespecting The Obsidian Syndicate!"

The heavy front doors were slammed shut by a group of vicious-looking thugs.

The heavy deadbolts dropped into place, echoing with a chilling, deathly thud. The air instantly tightened, feeling as though a single drop of ice water could shatter it entirely.

Right at this critical, explosive moment—

"Ms. Monroe!"

A deliberately raised voice, brimming with 'anxious concern,' suddenly pierced the suffocated air.

It was Julian Prescott.

Dressed in a tailored haute couture suit without a single hair out of place, he forced his way past the blockade of thugs, rushing into the venue with 'hurried' steps.

His eyes quickly swept over the trashed floor and the groaning Obsidian Syndicate members, but a flash of unconcealable excitement flickered deep in his eyes. Heaven was helping him.

This chaos was the absolute perfect setup for a hero-saving-the-beauty script.

However, his footsteps faltered slightly when his gaze landed on the familiar yet foreign figure standing next to Macy Monroe.

The woman... her profile was as sharp as a blade, and she was surrounded by an icy, deadly aura.

Phoenix Prescott?

His brief shock was quickly suppressed by his massive ambition.

His tone took an immediate, sharp turn as he pointed a venomous finger directly at Phoenix. "You want to protect the woman in the red dress? What about her? They're together!"

Julian whipped his head around, his eyes locking onto her with unmistakable shock and fury. "It really is you! Phoenix!"

The disgust in his voice spilled over, leaving no room for hesitation.

"Unbelievable! You just got out of prison today, and turning the house upside down wasn't enough? You come out and cause a disaster this big?! Do you think those four years in prison were too comfortable, and you want to go back for a few more?"

Julian waved his hand dismissively like swatting a fly, eagerly clearing his name to Vinnie. "Listen man, I don't know her! Besides, she has nothing to do with Ms. Monroe! Everything that happened today was entirely her doing! Go ahead and settle the score with her!"

Phoenix chuckled.

Not only was he trying to save the damsel in distress, but he was also throwing her out as a human shield.

"Shut up!" Vinnie was enraged by Julian's eager attempt to distance himself. The throbbing pain and humiliation in his lower abdomen made his voice shrill. "They were drinking at the same table! And you say you don't know her?!"