Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 219

The air in the room suddenly felt dangerously thin.

Pierce's breathing grew heavy, and his heart inexplicably skipped a beat. This loss of control was entirely foreign to him, yet his body didn't reject the sensation in the slightest.

The cool touch of the sapphire necklace grazed her warm skin as his fingers expertly fastened the clasp.

"How is it? Does it look good?"

Phoenix turned around, beaming with a radiant smile as she showed off the dazzling jewel resting against her collarbone.

But Pierce's focus wasn't on the priceless jewelry at all. His gaze was hopelessly locked onto her blinding smile. No matter how magnificent The Secret of Venus was, it couldn't outshine the brilliant spark in her eyes right now.

"Pierce?" Seeing him space out, Phoenix waved a hand in front of his face. "I asked you a question. Does it look good?"

"Yeah. It suits you." Pierce snapped out of it, curling his fingers as he used his deep voice to mask his turbulent emotions. "Your design is truly remarkable. It elevates the wearer entirely."

"Thank you for the generous tip, Mr. Sterling!" Phoenix chuckled. She grabbed the pendant and happily headed toward her guest room. Halfway there, she paused and glanced back. "Since you gave me such an expensive gift, just let me know whenever you want pasta. The chef is always on call."

Pierce let out a soft scoff.

Trading a bowl of pasta for a hundred-million-dollar necklace—if word got out about this deal, he would be the laughingstock of the business world.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a deep sense of satisfaction swelled in his chest.

He sat back down at the dining table, his gaze dropping to The Celestial ring on his middle finger as he gently rubbed the metal, his mind entirely consumed by her radiant smile.

Frowning, a wave of frustration washed over him. What was wrong with him? Was he actually falling for her?

No. Impossible.

He took a deep breath, forcefully shoving the inappropriate thoughts aside.

Everything he did was just to maintain the facade of their marriage agreement. It was purely transactional. The gift was just a thank-you for the meal. Nothing more.

As for the hundred million?

To him, money was just a string of meaningless numbers. If it put him in a good mood, what did a hundred million matter? The only thing that mattered was that he considered it a worthy investment.

Pierce leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. Besides... the intelligence she had provided earlier was invaluable. This trade was a net positive.

He was only doing this so he wouldn't owe her any favors.

...

"We are racing against the clock, Yancy," Pierce's voice dropped an octave. "We must expose Silas's overseas contact before he figures out he's being played."

"Yes, Sir!"

Hanging up, Pierce rubbed his temples. His Uncle Silas was a cunning old fox. A single phone call might not be enough to completely erase his suspicions.

It seemed he needed to pay a personal visit to Riverside One. A little late-night intimidation would sell the act perfectly.

Pierce stood up and walked toward the entryway.

As he passed the guest room, he paused, his gaze lingering on the closed door for a fraction of a second. Pulling out his phone, he quickly typed out a message before stepping out into the dead of night.

Meanwhile, inside the guest room.

Phoenix sat cross-legged on her bed, the glow of her laptop screen illuminating her face. She was deep in the dark web, her fingers flying across the keyboard like a maestro conducting a silent symphony.

She was bypassing heavily encrypted channels to trace Quinn's location. After tearing through layers of firewalls, she finally secured the target.

Quinn was hidden inside a private hospital entirely controlled by Warren Prescott.