Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 414

"When it comes down to it, we really owe Meredith for that." Macy scrunched her nose, a tearful smile breaking through. "She might be a bit naive, but in a hellhole like that, if you hadn't had someone with a heart that pure sticking by your side, you probably would have turned into an unfeeling killing machine."

Macy's words were like a key, instantly unlocking Phoenix's suppressed memories.

The years she spent in that living hell rushed back to her.

Under Yara's iron-fisted training, she had nearly pushed herself to become a weapon devoid of pain. She had used her blood-stained fists to ensure that everyone who ever trampled on her paid a devastating price.

During her darkest days, she truly believed she had mutated into a monster.

No joy, no sorrow—only violence. She was a runaway freight train, ruthlessly crushing every obstacle in her path.

That was until Meredith stumbled into her world, acting like a tiny sliver of light that slowly pieced her shattered humanity back together.

She still clearly remembered how that frail girl had looked at her with red-rimmed eyes:

"You're not a monster. You're a good person... because you just protected me."

In that moment, the earnest devotion in Meredith's eyes looked as if she were gazing up at a legendary hero.

It was that exact look that snapped Phoenix awake. The lethal skills she had bled to learn were never meant for destruction—they were meant for protection.

To protect Yara, to protect the women in the prison who had shown her kindness, to protect Meredith, Macy, and now... the man standing right in front of her.

Macy rambled on until she finally passed out, completely dead to the world.

Phoenix settled her comfortably in the executive suite's rest area. The moment she stepped out and closed the door, she collided with a broad, incredibly warm chest.

"Phoenix, you are never going to be alone again." Pierce wrapped his arms around her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head. His voice was low but resonated with absolute certainty. "I will always be your safety net. When you need to defend, I'll be your shield. When you need to attack, I'll be your blade."

"Mhm." Phoenix leaned against his chest, murmuring softly. "Honestly, after leaving that place, I never expected to find someone I could actually rely on. When I first approached you, I just wanted to use your power to tear the Prescott family apart."

She tilted her head up, a playful glint in her eyes. "I just never imagined the infamous CEO Sterling, who acts so ruthless and cold, was actually such a romantic underneath it all."

Pierce chuckled softly, his dark eyes swirling with a burning intensity. "I can't help it. You're like the only spark of light in a pitch-black night. You're so radiant I can't look away."

"Change how?"

"I owe you my life. The only way I can possibly repay that is by giving you all of me."

Pierce laughed openly, a bright, undeniable warmth lighting up his features.

The last lingering question that had plagued him for so long vanished into thin air.

No wonder he had felt such a fateful sense of familiarity the very first time he laid eyes on her. Now, it all made perfect sense.

They had brushed past each other on the fragile line between life and death.

Even though the flames had burned his eyes and blurred his vision that day, the bond etched into his soul had never faded with time.

"Wait a minute." Pierce suddenly caught himself, furrowing his brow. "If you were the girl from back then, why didn't you just tell me when we reunited? If you had played that card right away, we wouldn't have had to bother with a fake marriage contract."