Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 231

A reward?

Did she consider that kiss just now a reward?

Pierce Sterling locked his deep gaze onto Phoenix Prescott's eyes. They were impossibly bright, hiding hooks that made a man's heart skip a beat.

"Sharp-tongued," he finally squeezed out through gritted teeth after a long pause.

With a cold scoff, his gaze slid down uncontrollably, landing on her crimson lips once more.

The sensation of their lips locked together still lingered, carrying a faint, sweet, and seductive scent—the lingering taste of Black Forest cake.

"However..."

His eyes darkened abruptly as his thumb swiped heavily across her lower lip, almost as if trying to erase an eyesore. The motion carried a hint of punishing release.

Phoenix winced, her brows knitting together. "What are you doing?"

Withdrawing his hand, Pierce glanced down at the smear of red on his fingertip and leisurely pulled out a handkerchief to wipe it away. His tone was full of disdain, yet a searing, hidden fire burned in his eyes.

"I don't have a sweet tooth. Next time you finish a slice of cake, remember to wipe your mouth. It's too sweet, makes me sick."

She paused for a moment, instantly catching the undercurrent in his words. For a rare second, the tips of her ears grew warm.

Was this man reminiscing about their kiss?

He claimed to be disgusted, yet he hadn't pushed her away at all just now.

"Since Pierce finds it too sweet," Phoenix took a deep breath, quickly masking her reaction and returning to her usual lazy, provocative demeanor. She leaned in a fraction closer, her breath brushing his skin. "How about a different flavor next time? Say... strong liquor?"

Pierce's hand halted mid-wipe.

He lifted his gaze to the woman mere inches away, his eyes swirling with a predatory intensity.

This woman was an absolute siren.

"Phoenix." His voice dropped to a gravelly warning. "Don't play with fire. There's nothing in our agreement that says I can't turn this fake act into reality."

The air seemed to freeze the second the words left his mouth. The veiled desire in his statement was far too explicit, leaving even Pierce with a flicker of regret.

Before Phoenix could respond, a sudden ringtone shattered the thick, heavy tension between them.

Glancing at the caller ID, she immediately pressed her index finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet, and answered the call.

...

...

Prescott Group, Planning Department Manager's Office.

The air pressure was abysmally low, feeling almost suffocating.

Julian Prescott sat behind his desk, his brows furrowed tightly as the pen in his hand nearly tore through the documents.

The winds within the corporation had drastically shifted recently. The employees' loyalties were wavering, almost entirely leaning toward Phoenix. Meanwhile, he—the former heir of the Prescott family—had been demoted to a mere department manager with a single piece of paper, his position in the power pyramid now incredibly precarious.

If he didn't produce some concrete results soon, those profit-driven shareholders would likely take their complaints straight to The Patriarch. When that happened, his dream of controlling the company would become a fool's errand.

Irritated, Julian yanked his tie loose and forcefully shoved the towering pile of files off his desk.

"Garbage! It's all garbage! In a massive corporation like Prescott Group, can't we find a single decent project?"

The proposals scattered across the floor were either shockingly high-risk or offered pitiful returns. Compared to the two gold-mine projects in Phoenix's hands, the difference was staggering.

"Phoenix Prescott..." Julian narrowed his eyes, a somber darkness lurking within. "If it weren't for your interference, the partnership with Ignis Global would have been mine." Out of habit, he blamed all his failures on his sister who had just gotten out of prison.