Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 281

In private dining room 2105, Yolanda let out a satisfied burp.

She rubbed her stomach and leaned lazily against the back of her chair, a look of pure contentment washing over her face.

"Elysian Manor truly lives up to its reputation. This Mock Crab Royale is absolutely divine. It's just a shame the portion is so small—it was gone in two bites."

Even though the portion of the signature dish was modest, the other delicacies on the table had been equally exquisite.

As a result, Yolanda had stuffed herself to the brim.

She checked the time and frowned slightly. Ms. Prescott had been gone for over an hour. What exactly was she doing?

While she waited, servers had come by to refill her tea, but she had turned them all away. Her instincts told her that not a single detail of their presence here should be leaked.

"Looks like you brought a good appetite," a cool voice suddenly drifted into the room.

Yolanda jumped, scrambling to her feet as she watched Phoenix step out from the connected inner suite.

"Ms. Prescott, you're back," Yolanda offered a sheepish, awkward smile.

Phoenix found it highly amusing to see her assistant looking like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar. "There's no need to be so tense. I ordered this food for you."

"Ms. Prescott, earlier you..." Yolanda was practically bursting with curiosity. Her face was an open book of sheer intrigue. She desperately wanted to know what her boss had been doing for the past hour.

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Just remember, we came here to eat. Nothing more."

"I apologize, Ms. Prescott. I overstepped." Yolanda ducked her head in a panic, silently berating herself. Why did she have such a big mouth? Why did she have to poke into sensitive matters?

"It's fine. Just be mindful in the future." Phoenix didn't make things difficult for her. She glanced at the plate of Mock Crab Royale that had been polished clean and asked, "Is the crab dish really that good?"

Yolanda's eyes lit up as she eagerly nodded. "It really is, Ms. Prescott. The texture is incredibly smooth, and the sweetness of it is unforgettable. Its only flaw is the portion size."

"I didn't realize you were such a food critic," Phoenix chuckled.

Yolanda rubbed her nose in embarrassment. "Honestly, I don't have many hobbies outside of hunting down good food. If you ever need to know the best spots to eat in Cloudhaven, I can easily list a dozen for you."

"Oh, right. You haven't eaten anything yet, Ms. Prescott. Should I... have them send up another order of the crab?"

This was the first time Phoenix had ever seen him look so thoroughly defeated and disheveled.

Ever since Julian had taken over his new position, he had failed to produce any impressive results. Now that Ethan and his son had returned to the company, Julian was running out of time. With this botched deal involving the Langley Group, it was only a matter of time before he was tossed aside as collateral damage.

Desperate to avoid being entirely discarded by the family, he had resorted to begging Mr. Langley not to terminate his partnership with the Prescott Group.

"Julian, are you really this blind to the reality of the situation?" Alastair Langley shook his head, looking down at him with blatant disgust. "On the surface, the Prescott Group might still look like a titan, but it's rotting from the inside out."

"Ever since your sister, Phoenix, returned, every single plan you and your father laid out has completely fallen apart."

"I'm a businessman. It's in my nature to seek profit and avoid risk. Right now, your company's future is incredibly bleak. Naturally, I have to cut my losses and pull out while I still can."

Every word Alastair spoke hit the nail on the head, leaving Julian entirely unable to argue.

He was only just now realizing the catastrophic impact Phoenix's return had inflicted upon the Prescott Group.

They had been continually outplayed and humiliated by her at every turn, alienating countless business partners in the process. At the end of the day, business was about success—why would anyone willingly chain themselves to a sinking ship piloted by losers?