Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 86

"Phoenix! Are you insane?!" Julian was the first to react, his voice distorted by extreme shock and fury. "We are a family connected by blood! How dare you demand a severance?! If this gets out, what will the entire upper-class society think of the Prescott family?! Do you care about our reputation at all?!"

"Reputation?" Phoenix let out a sharp laugh, the sound dripping with utter contempt and exhaustion. "What does the Prescott family's reputation have to do with me? Let others think whatever they want. It's none of my business."

She stood up, looking down at Vanessa from her commanding height. Every word she spoke was like a poisoned ice pick, driving straight in.

"Vanessa, you said it yourself—you are begging for mercy on behalf of your daughter, in your capacity as a 'mother.'"

She paused, her eyes freezing to the bone.

"So now, as the 'daughter' you have never acknowledged, I am demanding to sever ties with the 'mother' who has never fulfilled her duties! From this moment on, we are completely cut off. We will live out the rest of our lives as strangers!"

"Isn't this perfectly justified and reasonable?!"

Vanessa felt the room spin.

Sever ties?

The same Phoenix who had once desperately craved even a sliver of their affection was now actively demanding a severance?

However, meeting those icy eyes utterly devoid of warmth, Vanessa knew this wasn't an empty threat. It was an absolute ultimatum.

Phoebe goes to prison, or... severance.

"Mom, no!" Phoebe tightly grabbed Vanessa's hand, tears streaming down her face. "You can't sign! She is your flesh and blood; I'm just an imposter! Only if I leave will she let go of her resentment and stop hurting you..." Every word she spoke stabbed directly at Vanessa's softest spot.

"Phoebe, my sweet girl..." Vanessa affectionately stroked her hair, the hesitation from moments ago instantly replaced by absolute resolve. She took a deep breath, meeting Phoenix's gaze, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremble. "Fine, I... agree to the severance."

A cold smirk curved Phoenix's lips. At the snap of her fingers, Lawrence immediately stepped forward and presented a pre-prepared document.

The Deed of Severance!

Vanessa's pupils contracted. The title on the paper stung her eyes.

So, she had planned this all along! From the very beginning, this was her ultimate goal!

"Sign it!" Phoenix slammed the document onto the coffee table in front of Vanessa with a heavy thud. "Sign it, and from here on out, we walk separate paths."

She turned to the two police officers standing solemnly to the side, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Officers, I would appreciate it if you acted as witnesses to ensure this document holds full legal weight."

"We can do that." The two officers exchanged a glance and agreed in low voices. The twisted family dynamics and blatant favoritism they had witnessed had already left them disgusted.

She shifted her gaze, sliding The Deed of Severance over to Julian, who had remained silent. "You sign too."

Julian jolted, staring at her in disbelief. "You... you want to sever ties with me, your older brother, too?!" His voice carried a mix of shock, anger, and hurt.

"Not just you." Phoenix's gaze was as cold as ice. "Warren, and those two 'wonderful brothers' I haven't even seen yet—none of you are escaping this. As for family, Grandpa is more than enough for me."

That single sentence utterly crushed the last lingering shreds of Julian's illusions.

He had thought all her recent actions were ultimately a twisted cry for love and attention. He had never imagined she possessed this kind of scorched-earth ruthlessness.

Watching from the sidelines, Lawrence felt a profound shock. Just how deep did the despair have to be to kill someone's heart so completely? Beneath the young miss's tough exterior, the invisible scars from her four years of imprisonment made his chest ache.

"Sign!" Phoenix's demand was a final ultimatum.

Julian closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing. Finally, he picked up the pen and signed his name on the document that would completely erase him from her world.

The moment the pen lifted, an indescribable surge of bitter sorrow caught him off guard, a feeling so foreign he barely recognized it himself.

Was it... regret? The very thought sent a chill down his spine.