Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 427

Highcrest, The Osborne Family estate.

The atmosphere in the study was suffocating.

Emmett Osborne sat rigidly behind his marble desk, his brow furrowed as his sharp gaze cut across the documents in his hands.

The oppressive weight of a man accustomed to absolute power filled the room, making the air feel stagnant.

Barrett Lowery, who had once paraded around Cloudhaven like a king, now stood awkwardly before the desk.

His eyes were lowered, and he kept his breathing perfectly shallow, looking like a prisoner awaiting execution.

"Smack!"

A thick stack of files slammed onto the desk.

Emmett slowly looked up, a cold sneer twisting his lips. "Barrett, Quentin may have planted you in Cloudhaven as his eyes on that woman, but you'd best remember who actually gave you that status."

"I'll never forget your kindness, Mr. Osborne." Barrett bowed his head even lower, his voice trembling with submission. "Without your backing, I'd still be a rejected outcast from a minor family."

"Since you haven't forgotten, your performance has been incredibly disappointing." Emmett rubbed his temples in frustration, his anger seething through his words. "I poured endless resources into this, expecting an absolute monopoly over Cloudhaven's EV market."

"And now? It's been months, and the Osborne Family hasn't even scraped the edges of Cloudhaven! Do you know how those old foxes in the Sovereign Circle are laughing at me? They say I raised a toothless dog that can't even secure a foothold in a tiny city like Cloudhaven!"

He leaned forward abruptly, locking eyes with Barrett. "Tell me, how exactly am I supposed to win my dignity back?"

Barrett clenched his fists tightly by his sides, his knuckles turning pale.

"Mr. Osborne, Cloudhaven is entirely dominated by Draco Enterprises and Wildfire Group now. The two have joined forces and monopolized the EV market like an iron fortress. Everyone in the city has to answer to them."

He swallowed hard before forcing out the rest. "Unless those two back down... the Osborne Family won't be able to make a single move."

Phoenix and Pierce were simply too ruthless.

Working together, they had struck like lightning, absorbing all the relevant industries in Cloudhaven and forging an unbreakable alliance.

Without their approval, no one in Cloudhaven dared to accept the Osborne Family's olive branch.

"Heh, Draco Enterprises, Wildfire Group... those local snakes do have some weight. Their reputation has even reached Highcrest." Emmett sneered, tossing a highly classified document right into Barrett's face.

"Besides, with Quentin's massive ego, why would he ever take someone like Phoenix seriously?"

Barrett frowned, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.

Only someone who had actually fought Phoenix knew what kind of terrifying monster she really was.

Four years ago, she was a pathetic punching bag; four years later, she rose from the ashes as a flesh-eating demon.

It was this reborn phoenix who single-handedly dragged the Prescott family into the abyss.

Even a self-proclaimed mastermind hiding in the shadows like him had been rooted out and skinned alive by her.

Emmett turned around, picking up an exquisite invitation card from the desk and holding it out. "Tomorrow, the St. Claire family is hosting a welcome banquet. Phoenix and Pierce will both be there. You will go as the representative of the Osborne Family and figure out exactly what they're plotting."

Barrett took the invitation with both hands. Staring at the glaring gold-stamped letters on the cover, it felt as heavy as a mountain.

Back in Cloudhaven, he could hide in the dark and pull strings; but now, he was being shoved into the spotlight, forced to face those two terrifying reapers head-on.