Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 413

"Alright." Phoenix caught her best friend's infectious energy, the tension melting from her brow.

She smiled and raised her glass, clinking it against Macy's. "You're right. First, a toast to today's victory!"

Pierce watched Phoenix in comfortable silence, his dark eyes swirling with a profound, unrelenting affection.

Seeing her bathed in the light—so radiant, confident, and poised—made his throat tight. He tipped his head back and downed the strong liquor in one smooth motion.

As the burn of the alcohol slid down his throat, he made a silent vow. No matter what kind of storm The Osborne Family unleashed, he would be her impenetrable fortress, obliterating every obstacle in her path.

"Speaking of which—" Macy's eyes darted between the two of them, a mischievous glint taking over before she pivoted the topic. "When are you two actually having the wedding? Look, Pierce, I know you and Phoenix already signed the marriage papers, but a wedding is the ultimate declaration. You can't let our girl settle for less!"

Hearing that, Phoenix instinctively glanced at Pierce.

She didn't say a word, but the slight flutter of her eyelashes betrayed a flicker of longing—perhaps every woman harbored a quiet hope for that grand, undeniable promise.

"I've been preparing for it for a while now." Pierce met her gaze and reached out, gently pulling her into his side. His deep voice carried an unshakable sincerity. "When the dust settles, I'm going to give Phoenix the wedding of the century. The whole city will bear witness."

"Good answer! Looks like my judge of character is spot on." Fueled by the alcohol, Macy slapped Pierce hard on the shoulder. "If you ever let her down, I will fight you until I'm bankrupt just to tear you apart!"

But before she even finished her threat, Macy's eyes abruptly welled up, tears spilling over her lashes.

Perhaps the champagne had finally broken through her rational defenses, allowing all the suppressed emotions she held for her friend to come crashing down like a tidal wave.

"Phoenix's early life... it was just too damn hard." Macy threw her arms around Phoenix, her voice shaking violently. "Growing up in that orphanage, she was so naturally kindhearted. She was like this fragile little lamb that everyone just walked all over."

"And then she grew up, and her biological parents finally found her. I thought the nightmare was over. I thought she finally had a real family, but I had no idea... it was just an even darker hell."

"The Prescotts never loved her! They only brought her back because of some hypocritical bullshit about 'not letting Prescott blood stay on the streets.' The love she wanted so desperately didn't just crush her—it threw her straight into an absolute nightmare."

Macy haphazardly wiped at her tears, took another massive gulp of her drink, and let out a broken laugh. "Funny, right? In a place designed to chew people up and spit them out, that's where she actually found the most genuine warmth she'd ever known."

"Macy, you're drunk." Phoenix gently rubbed her friend's trembling back, her voice soft and soothing. "Let me take you to lie down."

But that was the twisted irony of fate.

In the darkest, most brutal hell on earth, Phoenix had miraculously grasped onto a fierce, undeniable warmth—Coach Yara's ruthlessly demanding love.

It was a love forged in blood and tears, but Phoenix embraced it willingly because she knew better than anyone that Yara was giving her the tools to survive the inferno.

Pierce took a deep breath, his hands balling into tight fists at his sides.

Since someone else had been her shield in the past, from this day forward... it would be his turn.

"Phoenix..." Macy cupped Phoenix's face, her drunken eyes swirling with profound heartbreak. "You were so, so good. How did this messed-up world force you to become like this?"

"Do you know? When you were first locked up, I had nightmares every single night. I was so terrified... terrified you were going to turn into a cold-blooded monster."

"But then I understood. You didn't become a monster; you just forged yourself in the fire. Deep down in your bones, you're still that same soft-hearted girl. You just got smart. You wrapped your kindness in armor covered in spikes, and you only lower it for the people who actually give a damn about you."