Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 388

"Butler!!"

Just as everyone was lost in their own calculations, a sharp, authoritative voice echoed from outside the hall.

Cora and Phoenix stepped into the main hall together.

Cora's face was terrifyingly cold, radiating a furious, untouchable presence as she snapped her orders. "Go! Gather everyone in the Miller household—family members and staff—and bring them to the main hall immediately!"

"Cora, what happened?" Thaddeus was startled by the massive commotion and rushed forward. "Everything was fine. Why the sudden lockdown?"

Cora narrowed her eyes, her icy gaze sweeping over everyone in the room like a blade. She spoke with a chilling cadence. "Phoenix and I just went up to Merry's room and found that a priceless necklace is missing from her vanity. I suspect we have a thief working from the inside!"

"What?!"

An uproar instantly swept through the hall.

Everyone knew that even though Meredith rarely came home, her room was essentially a restricted zone.

Given how fiercely the patriarch and Cora protected the young heiress, absolutely no one in the household—aside from her dedicated cleaners—dared step within ten feet of that door, let alone walk in and steal something!

"Cora, could this... be a misunderstanding?" One of the collateral relatives swallowed hard and spoke up. "None of us even dare enter Merry's room casually. What thief would have that kind of nerve?"

"Misunderstanding or not, the necklace is gone. Until we find it, every single person in this house is a suspect!" Cora's stance was ironclad, leaving no room for debate. "Butler, what are you waiting for? Get everyone in here now!"

"Yes... right away!" The butler wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead and rushed out.

The atmosphere in the hall grew razor-thin. The Miller relatives exchanged nervous glances, deeply unsettled by the sudden chaotic shift.

Sitting in the seat of honor, Gideon exchanged a subtle, knowing glance with Pierce.

With their terrifying intellects, both men instantly saw right through the performance—the stolen necklace was entirely fake. It was nothing more than an excuse to gather everyone and root out the spy.

Pierce raised a brow, his deep gaze locking onto Phoenix with a loaded, meaningful look.

Meeting his eyes, Phoenix gave a practically imperceptible shake of her head. Without uttering a single syllable, the two of them synchronized perfectly.

"Since there's been a theft in the Miller household, and I happen to be on the premises, I will naturally cooperate with the investigation to clear my name," Pierce stood up lazily, spreading his hands in a relaxed posture that somehow still projected crushing dominance.

Meeting his lethal stare, the rowdy relatives simultaneously shivered. The protests lodged in their throats froze instantly, and no one dared squeak out another complaint.

"Enough, just cooperate," Gideon finally spoke, his voice rumbling with absolute authority. "As long as it's proven you have nothing to do with this, I will personally compensate you for the trouble. You all know exactly how much Merry means to me..."

His cloudy but razor-sharp eyes scanned the crowd, his voice dropping into a deadly register. "If I find out someone used their status in this family to steal from their own flesh and blood, I will show no mercy!"

With the patriarch laying down the law, the crowd went completely silent, obediently standing in their designated spots to await the search.

In the middle of the crowd, an unremarkable servant used the people in front of him as a shield. His palms sweating, he quietly slipped his phone from his pocket, his thumb hovering over the screen to blindly type a warning.

"What are you doing?"

A freezing, feminine voice suddenly exploded right next to his ear. Phoenix had locked onto him without making a sound.

The servant jolted violently. His hand spasmed, and the phone hit the stone pavement with a sharp clack.

His face drained of color as he scrambled to grab it. But Phoenix was faster. With a flick of her wrist, she snatched the phone right out of the air. "Heh, who are you in such a rush to tip off?"