Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 265

Inside the tea room, sandalwood smoke curled through the air.

Alistair personally held the teapot, filled a cup with hot tea, and pushed it in front of Pierce.

Pierce lowered his gaze to the cup, a playful smirk touching his lips, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Alistair is pouring tea for me himself. As the younger generation, how could I possibly accept such an honor?"

"You must be joking, Pierce." Alistair waved his hand, a warm smile plastered on his face. "We are all family. There's no need for such formalities."

"Family?" Pierce's long fingers lightly traced the warm rim of the cup, his tone lazy. "Since we're family, why do I feel like you're playing favorites, Alistair?"

Alistair's pupils shrank, a flash of coldness darting through his eyes, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by the helpless demeanor of an elder. "Pierce, every family has its own difficult problems. At my age, I simply want the Prescott family to flourish and reclaim its former glory."

"Perhaps some of my decisions seem unfair, but my intentions are entirely for the greater good of the family."

Clack.

Pierce set the teacup down on the table heavily yet precisely. He looked up, his gaze meeting Alistair's like a blade. "Now that Phoenix is my wife, I expect you to take her feelings into consideration when you do things, Alistair."

He leaned forward slightly, his oppressive presence surging. "After all, as her husband, I can't stand to see my woman wronged. If she's upset, I'll be very troubled."

"And when I'm troubled, I tend to do extreme things. If that ends up causing you a headache, then I suppose I'll have failed my duties as a respectful junior."

Every word, every sentence, though phrased as an apology, was a naked warning and threat.

Alistair's grip on his teacup tightened abruptly, dark tides churning in his eyes. It seemed Pierce genuinely cared for the girl, otherwise he would never act so recklessly in front of him just for a woman.

He felt deeply frustrated, unable to fathom what kind of magic this wild country girl possessed to make the Reaper fall for her.

If he hadn't brought her back for the sake of bloodlines, she would probably still be struggling in the rural mud right now. She would never have tasted such power.

"Pierce, your grandfather and I go way back." Suppressing his rising anger, Alistair took a sip of tea and slowly played the emotional card. "When the Sterling family faced that crisis years ago, if I hadn't lent a helping hand, your family might not have survived. It was that very act of assistance that sealed the engagement between you and Phoenix."

"Tell me, if Phoenix hadn't been switched at birth, would today's situation be completely different?"

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