Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 497

Having laid everything bare, Caleb sat back quietly against his chair, giving Zoe enough time to process.

Zoe's expression shifted continuously—a tangled mix of shock, struggle, and sheer disbelief.

How could a chubby girl like her, who had grown up being mocked and carelessly trampled upon, be cherished so deeply by Caleb?

It was completely beyond her comprehension.

Meanwhile, in a hidden spot outside the cafe.

Phoenix, Macy, and Meredith were poking their heads out, playing the role of eager spectators.

Through the glass, they could clearly see the fiery, desperate look in Caleb's eyes.

This normally reserved man was clearly putting everything on the line today.

"Phoenix, do you think Caleb's confession will actually work?" Macy kept her voice low, her face brimming with curiosity.

Phoenix shook her head thoughtfully. "When it comes to matters of the heart, who can say for sure? Caleb suppressed his feelings for far too long. Now that the dam has broken, his emotions are bound to be intense, maybe even a little crazy. That kind of heat will either completely melt Zoe or... scare her off entirely."

"Speaking of which..." Meredith frowned, utterly baffled. "What exactly did Zoe ever see in Julian? Given how terribly Julian treated her in the past, how is she not angry about it?"

Phoenix shrugged, indicating she was just as clueless.

Back inside the cafe.

Zoe finally recovered from the massive shock, a faint blush creeping across her round cheeks.

"Caleb, thank you for telling me all this, for letting me know... that I'm actually worthy of being loved." Her eyes stung slightly, but she shook her head firmly. "However, the person in my heart is Julian. Even though he's in prison now, I... I still can't let him go."

The curve of Caleb's smile froze, a surge of intense frustration welling up in his eyes. "Why does it have to be him?"

"Because... I owe Julian my life," Zoe looked up, her gaze more resolute than ever. "When I was six years old, I accidentally fell into a pool. Julian was the one who ignored the danger and saved me."

"From that moment on, I swore to myself that I would never marry anyone but him."

"What did you just say?!"

"The one who saved me... wasn't Julian, it was you?"

Caleb took a deep breath and slowly stood up. "Zoe, I didn't tell you the truth to blackmail you into accepting me. I just... I just don't want anyone else comfortably taking credit for saving your life anymore."

Outside the window, Phoenix sharply sensed the sudden shift in the atmosphere inside and lowered her voice. "Look at how devastated Zoe is. Caleb definitely dropped a massive bombshell. There's absolutely some huge drama hidden in there."

"Wow, the suspense is killing me! What exactly did he say?!" Meredith stamped her feet in frustration, her inner gossip burning wildly.

"Ugh, huge mistake. If I had known, we should have worn disguises and sat at the table right next to them. Now it's like watching a silent movie. We can't hear a thing," Macy sighed in regret.

Just as she finished speaking, the cafe door pushed open, and Caleb walked straight toward their hiding spot.

"What happened?" Phoenix stepped forward, studying Caleb's expression. "Did the talk break down?"

Caleb didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gave her a solemn bow. "Phoenix, thank you for going out of your way to create this opportunity for me today. If it weren't for you, I probably would have taken those words to my grave and regretted it for the rest of my life."

"Caleb, what kind of ultimate move did you pull in there? Why did Zoe suddenly look like she lost her soul?" Meredith couldn't hold it in any longer and fired off her questions.