Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 417

"Fine, I can give the Sterling family a way out." Pierce ground his teeth, forcing out the most venomous curse he could muster. "But I want you to do exactly what you did to Silas. Cut your own tendons and turn yourself into a complete invalid!"

His eyes burned with manic ruthlessness and years of suppressed resentment.

Standing beside him, Phoenix could clearly feel the hatred rolling off him in waves. But this time, she didn't speak up to stop him. She chose to stand there in silent support.

Advising someone to be forgiving comes from a good place, but pushing too hard crosses the line into hypocrisy.

She hadn't lived his trauma, so what right did she have to demand he let go of his hatred under the guise of "doing what's best for him"?

"Done!"

There was zero hesitation. No struggle whatsoever. Percival spat out the word with absolute certainty.

His unbelievable compliance caught Pierce completely off guard.

Pierce had made that deranged demand purely to vent his anger and provoke the man.

In his mind, Percival was the ultimate selfish coward. There was no way he would ever agree to something like that.

But now... the situation was spiraling entirely out of his control.

Percival turned and picked up a brand-new, gleaming dagger from the coffee table.

His calm demeanor made it seem as if he had anticipated Pierce's demand from the very beginning and had come fully prepared.

"Percival—"

Arthur's voice was hoarse, his eyes shaking violently. The deep wrinkles on his face were etched with unspeakable anguish.

Percival gave him a fleeting glance and gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.

An unspoken understanding and an invisible barrier seemed to exist between father and son, forcefully cutting off whatever Arthur was about to say.

Pierce stared at him, his brow furrowed, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Percival, however, offered him a smile of profound relief.

The next second, he flipped his wrist, driving the razor-sharp blade toward his own forearm without a hint of hesitation!

In a flash, a figure lunged forward, grabbing his hand in an iron grip.

"Enough!" Pierce glared into Percival's eyes, his voice as rough as sandpaper. "Whether you actually ruin your hands or not, I will never forgive you."

"If you won't forgive me, then..." Percival lowered his eyes, murmuring softly. "I'm tired of carrying a debt I can never repay."

"Pierce..."

Pierce stumbled back again and again, his eyes locked on the horrifying sight of the gushing blood. His mind went entirely blank, leaving only a deafening roar in his ears.

"Pierce!" Phoenix rushed forward, firmly catching his swaying body.

"Why?" Pierce lifted his bloodshot eyes, staring intensely at the dying Percival. "Why?! Weren't you the selfish one? You abandoned everything and hid overseas just to escape reality!"

"Someone like you... what gives you the right to throw your life away like this?!"

"That's not true!" Arthur let out a low, guttural roar of pure agony. "Pierce, your father was never selfish! It was exactly because he loved your mother so much—because he loved *you* so much—that he had to hide away like a coward!"

"Dad, don't..." Percival gasped weakly, his face as pale as a sheet.

The pristine white suit he wore was now heavily stained with blood. It was as if he had worn it specifically for this moment of sacrifice.

"No, I have to say it! Even if the Sterling family is destroyed today, I'm going to make this right!"

Arthur wept openly, the toxic secret he had harbored in his chest for years finally being violently excised. "I have done so many wrong things in my life. The two worst mistakes were pushing you away, and pushing Pierce away."

"I was too soft. I wanted to protect that animal Silas, and in doing so, I personally shoved the Sterling family into the abyss!"

"Pierce..." Arthur looked at his grandson through blurry eyes, every word coated in grief. "The truth about the car crash... your father figured it out a long time ago. The killer... was Silas."