Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 449

Although the patriarch was older, the ruthless aura of a man who had held power for decades completely suffocated her.

In that dead silence, Duncan suddenly stood up, a strange smile twisting his lips. "Benedict, I actually think there is a third option."

Instantly, every eye in the massive hall snapped to him like spotlights.

"Duncan, do you really think you have the right to speak here?" Standing beside Benedict, Lowell Lancaster glared sharply, firing back without hesitation. "As the head of the St. Claire family, you were supposed to use this opportunity to rise up. Instead, you chose a suicide mission by going head-to-head with Ms. Prescott."

"It seems Yara made the right call back then. A short-sighted fool like you is entirely unfit to lead the St. Claire family!"

The smile on Duncan's face froze, quickly morphing into something vicious and distorted.

He gritted his teeth and sneered. "Lowell, you're just a junior in the Lancaster family. You should be addressing me with respect! Furthermore, I don't see anything wrong with my choice."

With that, he pulled out his phone and displayed an encrypted message to the room. "I just received some insider intel. The head of the Quincy family has already sent out a warning to every major faction in the city: absolutely no one is allowed to have any contact with Phoenix Prescott!"

"In other words, Quentin Quincy is issuing a total boycott to completely isolate this outsider!"

Hearing this, Benedict furrowed his brow, his fingers gently tapping the armrest of his chair as he silently weighed the risks.

The Lancaster family had originally intended to hitch a ride on Phoenix's rising ship.

After all, she was the chosen successor of the legendary Yara. If she could secure a foothold in Highcrest, the Lancasters would inevitably soar right alongside her.

But the biggest variable now was whether she could even survive this first wave of coordinated attacks.

Quentin was a ruthless, seasoned predator sitting at the absolute pinnacle of Highcrest's elite, commanding immense influence.

Since he had issued the order, the opportunist families would blindly fall in line.

Once Phoenix was left completely isolated with zero support, it was only a matter of time before she was forced out of the city.

"Benedict, given Quentin's status, you know better than I do exactly how much weight that boycott carries." The smile on Duncan's lips grew even more cruel. "So, no matter how aggressively Phoenix threw her weight around at the banquet, in the face of true, absolute power, she is nothing more than a clown who will be crushed in a few days."

If they won, the Lancaster family would skyrocket to the top.

If they lost, they would be completely ruined.

"Hahahaha!" Duncan suddenly erupted into manic laughter. "Lowell, Lowell... you are far too naive! My sister's legacy cannot be replicated. Not just any stray dog can pull off what she did!"

"Phoenix is nothing more than an amateur who crawled out of some small-town slum; she has absolutely no right to step into our circle! By dragging the Lancaster family down with her, you're just pushing your own family off a cliff!"

Duncan's mockery immediately shook the Lancaster family members who had just felt a surge of ambition. They exchanged worried, uneasy glances.

Ultimately, all eyes shifted back to Benedict. The key to the family's survival still rested entirely in the old man's hands.

Benedict remained silent for a long time, complex emotions swirling in his aged eyes, before finally letting out a long sigh. "When I first took over as head of this family, I was just as spirited and arrogant as you. I truly believed that as long as I fought hard enough, I could take this family to the very top."

"But the longer you sit in this chair, the more fears you develop. Those fears become invisible chains, completely shackling your ambition and forcing you to bow your head just to play by their rules."