Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 501

Facing Zander Vaughan's acerbic remarks, Caleb Prescott didn't even bat an eye. "I admit, an alliance between our families would greatly benefit the Prescott Group right now. But..."

He paused, his tone unwavering. "It is also true that I have genuine feelings for Zoe."

"Dad, did you hear that? He just admitted he's only proposing for the sake of the company!" Zander fumed, eagerly fanning the flames. "We cannot let him play us for fools!"

Dominic Vaughan had already recovered from his initial shock, his shrewd eyes narrowing slightly as he rapidly calculated the pros and cons in his head.

Caleb didn't push him. After exchanging a knowing glance with Ethan Prescott beside him, Caleb sat back down in the guest chair, completely at ease.

A moment later, Dominic spoke in a low voice. "Gentlemen, I decline this marriage proposal. Our family might not be at its peak, but compared to the sinking ship that is the Prescott family, we are more than well-off. To put it bluntly, you trying to marry my daughter right now is you punching above your weight."

"Vanessa..." Ethan turned to Vanessa Prescott, who had been silent the whole time, trying to play the emotional card. "We used to be family, after all. Wouldn't it be nice to use this opportunity to mend fences?

The Prescott family might be fractured right now, but this is a chance for a rebirth.

As long as the company stabilizes, the future is limitless. You know Caleb's capabilities."

Vanessa frowned, her gaze complicated.

The Prescott family, the place where she once took her husband's name.

But ever since Warren Prescott passed away, that home had completely fallen apart.

Her own flesh and blood—some were in prison, some were on the run, and one was even locked up in a psych ward.

"I don't know..." Vanessa closed her eyes in agony and shook her head. "I just want to live the rest of my life in peace. That's enough for me. I don't want to get involved in anything else."

"Ethan, stop playing the emotional card!" Dominic slammed the table and yelled. "My sister married into your family, and look at the broken home she ended up with! And now you want to drag my daughter into that same mud pit? Keep dreaming!"

"Dominic, the past is the past, and right now..."

"Shut up!" Dominic brutally cut Ethan off, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation. "Caleb marrying my daughter is completely out of the question!"

"Enough!"

He stared at Zoe's stubborn profile, a dark, burning intensity flaring deep in his eyes.

She had given him all her trust and put everything on the line for him; how could he possibly let her lose?

"Dominic, please give me a chance to prove myself." Caleb stood up, exuding an undeniable aura of confidence and sharpness. "The current Prescott Group has completely severed ties with the rotting entity it used to be. It is independent now. As long as you give me time to revitalize the company, the returns your family will reap in the future will far exceed your imagination."

He paused, his gaze softening as he looked steadily at Zoe. "Furthermore, like I said earlier, I genuinely care for Zoe. To prove my sincerity, I am willing to unconditionally transfer thirty percent of the Prescott Group's shares to her name."

As soon as those words fell, Zoe's pupils shrank, and she stared at the man beside her in sheer shock.

In this profit-driven world, all the sweet talk in the world couldn't compare to the decisiveness of cold, hard cash.

Thirty percent of the shares meant she would become the second-largest shareholder, right behind Caleb.

This unreserved trump card was the equivalent of handing over more than half of his business empire—and his very own vulnerabilities—right into the palms of her hands.