Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 96

Phoenix plunged into an absurd dream.

In it, she and Pierce were sharing a bed, their bodies entangled in an uninhibited, passionate affair.

She felt neither resistance nor joy toward the dream; her heart remained entirely unfazed.

Had it been her past self, she might have yearned to meet her destined soulmate, hoping for someone to leave a light on for her.

But now, she had grasped an absolute truth—men would only slow down the speed at which she drew her blade.

Her earlier flirting was purely for entertainment. Falling in love was entirely out of the question.

Phoenix opened her eyes groggily, stretching out lazily like a cat, and glanced around in a daze.

The room was completely empty.

"Did Pierce actually go sleep in the guest room?"

She rolled her stiff neck and slid out of bed.

As she walked toward the bathroom, she casually stripped off her clothes.

Her stunning, curvaceous figure stretched out brazenly in the unfamiliar space, looking like a wild rose blooming in total isolation.

The water cascaded down.

Phoenix closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the warm water wash over every inch of her skin.

Steam billowed, blurring her reflection in the mirror. Enveloped in the mist, she exuded a mysterious allure that begged someone to clear the fog and uncover the truth beneath.

Ten minutes earlier.

Pierce had sat up all night, keeping watch over Phoenix.

As the first light of dawn broke, he rubbed his temples and headed to the living room. Seeing that Arthur had finally returned to his own room, Pierce let out a long sigh of relief.

Thank god the old man hadn't stayed up the entire night. If Arthur had caught him looking like a wreck after roughing it on the sofa, an intense interrogation would have ensued.

If Arthur's razor-sharp intuition had picked up on the fact that he hadn't laid a finger on Phoenix all night, the consequences would have been disastrous.

Pierce poured himself a glass of cold water and took a sip to soothe his dry throat.

Suddenly, a faint noise came from the direction of the guest room.

Pierce's eyes darted sharply—it was Arthur waking up.

The older man required very little sleep and was notoriously an early riser.

Still holding his glass, Pierce practically sprinted back toward the master bedroom.

Just as his hand grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, a snow-white, entirely naked figure stepped out of the bathroom, crashing straight into his line of sight without any warning.

The visual impact was so intense that Pierce's breath completely hitched.

"Pierce, you're up early," Arthur's booming voice rang out right behind him.

Reacting with lightning speed, Pierce slammed the door shut behind him, completely blocking the view.

"Yeah, Phoenix was thirsty, so I grabbed her some water." He glanced down at the glass in his hand, nodding seriously, his tone flawlessly natural.

In the same breath as closing the door, he called out loudly, "Phoenix, put some clothes on before you catch a cold."

"In that place, external appearances meant nothing. Dignity was all that mattered."

Her voice suddenly dropped, carrying the heavy, haunting weight of someone who had weathered unfathomable trauma. It felt like an invisible hand had just dragged Pierce straight into the abyss of her emotions.

For a split second, he hallucinated seeing a naked woman huddled in a dark, damp corner, silently enduring countless cold, malicious stares.

"Hey?"

"...Yeah."

Pierce snapped back to reality. He pushed himself up and immediately turned his back to her.

"Get dressed and come out to greet Arthur."

Leaving those words behind, he walked swiftly into the bathroom and splashed a handful of freezing water over his face, desperately trying to extinguish the restless heat in his chest.

Phoenix shrugged and took her time changing into a set of loungewear.

By the time she finished getting ready, Pierce walked out of the bathroom, his expression back to its usual icy calm.

They locked eyes, exchanged a silent look of mutual understanding, and walked out of the room side by side.

The moment they crossed the threshold, Phoenix naturally hooked her arm through his, a sweet, gentle smile blossoming across her face.

Watching her transition her emotions so flawlessly, an inexplicable ache twisted in Pierce's chest.

Just how many masks did she have to wear to survive that purgatory?

Otherwise, how could she perform this hypocritical act with such terrifying perfection?