Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 465

Pierce let out a silent sigh, moving to sit beside her and gently pulling her into his arms. "I know you blame yourself. But your health comes first. If you destroy yourself in the process, finding them won't mean anything."

"Be good. Listen to me." He picked up the fork, scooped up a bite, and gently offered it to her lips.

Meeting Pierce's deep gaze, which was swimming with heartache, Phoenix's taut nerves relaxed slightly. She obediently parted her lips...

"Boss!"

The urgent sound of footsteps paired with Leo's shout shattered the quiet intimacy of the room.

Phoenix's eyes lit up. She pushed the food aside and sprang to her feet. "Did you find them?!"

Panting heavily, Leo shook his head.

Phoenix's soaring hopes instantly crashed back down to rock bottom.

"But we did get a lock on someone who might know something," Leo wiped the sweat from his forehead, reporting quickly.

"Who?"

"Jade St. Claire."

Phoenix narrowed her eyes, a vicious, icy glint flashing in her depths.

A spoiled, arrogant brat like Jade was the perfect weak link.

She grabbed the fork from Pierce's hand, took a massive bite of the food, swallowed hard, and made her decision. "Let's go. Time to have a chat with the St. Claire heiress."

Inside a luxury boutique downtown.

Jade was strutting around in her high heels, weaving between designer racks and swiping her card without a second thought.

Behind her trailed several bodyguards—some securing the perimeter, others weighed down by countless shopping bags.

"Hah, so what if we got kicked out of the family? I can still spend money like water," Jade smirked, admiring her fresh manicure with total smugness.

Spotting a limited-edition boutique up ahead, she strolled over at a leisurely pace.

However, the moment she stepped through the doors, she froze in her tracks.

"Phoenix Prescott?!" Jade stared at the figure inspecting a rack of clothes, a flash of shock crossing her eyes.

After a brief moment of surprise, a malicious sneer curled on her lips. She marched straight over and mocked her loudly, "Well, well, if it isn't my good aunt's successor. I heard your two star players went missing, yet you still have the mood to go shopping?"

She snapped her mouth shut, biting her lip so hard it almost bled, breaking out in a cold sweat.

She had almost let it slip!

Recovering her wits, Jade flushed with embarrassment before contorting her face into a nasty grin. "Oh, I get it. Phoenix, you're bluffing! Yeah, that has to be it."

Acting as if she had completely seen through the trick, she returned to her smug, arrogant self. "Everything you just said is a lie! You haven't found a single trace of them!"

"Sure, whatever you say. I didn't find them. Happy?" Phoenix rolled her eyes dismissively. She casually pulled a trench coat from the rack and held it up against herself in the mirror.

Her movements were far too natural. The casual certainty in her tone made it sound like she had just wrapped up a minor errand.

This completely unnerved Jade.

It was impossible! Her father had hidden them in a top-secret basement. The property wasn't even under their name; it was registered to a mistress.

No matter how powerful Phoenix was, even if she turned Highcrest upside down, she could never find that hellhole!

"Phoenix, you're still pretending!" Jade glared at Phoenix's face, desperate to find a crack in her flawless mask.