Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 350

Seeing this man, who had completely abandoned all his pride to stand before her in near hysteria, Phoenix suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

Without a single word, she stepped forward, went up on her tiptoes, and caught him entirely off guard with a kiss.

Pierce's eyes widened sharply, his entire body instantly turning as rigid as steel. His brain buzzed and completely short-circuited. Every trace of his rationality and panic dissolved into thin air, leaving him focused entirely on the cool, soft sensation pressing against his lips.

After a long moment, they parted.

"Phoenix, you..." Pierce's Adam's apple bobbed. He stared at the smiling woman in front of him with a complicated expression, a spark of pure hope reigniting in his eyes.

"Our contract ends here, Pierce." Phoenix's voice was still as crisp as ever, but it struck Pierce's ears like a sledgehammer.

"So, that kiss was just a goodbye?!" The light in Pierce's eyes instantly died out. He clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged. His massive frame trembled slightly, leaving it impossible to tell if he was consumed more by fury or pure devastation.

Phoenix rolled her eyes in exasperation and raised her hand, tapping him lightly on the forehead. "What are you thinking? Our partnership was a business deal, so we have to terminate it. But..."

She tilted her chin up, looking straight into his eyes. "If you really like me, then drop all the titles and contracts, and pursue me for real. Prove you mean it."

"You wouldn't want a relationship built on calculations and mutual exploitation, would you?"

Pierce's eyes instantly lit up, blazing back to life like a wildfire. He lunged forward, pulling Phoenix into a bone-crushing embrace, holding her so tightly he practically wanted to fuse her into his soul.

"Deal! The partnership is over!" he declared in a low, husky whisper against her ear, his tone thick with absolute obsession. "From this moment on, I'm going to put everything I have into chasing you. You are destined to be my wife, Phoenix."

Resting against his broad chest, Phoenix lowered her eyes, Yara's words flashing through her mind.

Maybe she really did need a shoulder to lean on, a place to rest when she was entirely exhausted, somewhere she could drop her armor and allow herself a momentary weakness.

Half an hour later, the Maybach glided smoothly through the night.

In the backseat, Pierce rested his chin on one hand, a goofy smile plastered across his face as he stared shamelessly at Phoenix. His typically unreadable eyes were practically overflowing with pure, unadulterated affection and joy.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Yancy caught a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror and nearly suffered a heart attack. After serving him for so many years, when had he ever seen his boss look like such a... lovestruck fool?

Clearly, love really could alter someone's entire personality.

"Did Silas get his hands on the money?" she asked.

Pierce nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "He moved much faster than we anticipated. It only took one day for the entire thirty billion dollars to hit his accounts."

He paused, his lips curling into an amused smirk. "But guess what interesting little detail I found when I tracked the origin of that massive transfer?"

Seeing Pierce's expression, Phoenix knew the rabbit hole went incredibly deep. "Was the money wired by someone we know?"

"Exactly!" Pierce snapped his fingers, letting out a sharp laugh. "They were extremely cautious. The funds were funneled through offshore accounts to wash them before the transfer. But they left a trail, and I managed to trace it straight back to the source."

He leaned in close, lowering his voice. "You're never going to guess who his secret backer is."

"Who?"

"Barrett Lowery."

Phoenix froze, a flash of pure shock crossing her eyes. "How is that possible? How could a crippled heir like Barrett pull together thirty billion dollars to back Silas?"