Return of the Crowned Heiress novel Chapter 353

Felicia had clearly underestimated Mike's shameless persistence.

For someone who always seemed the perfect gentleman—polished, composed, and annoyingly polite—Mike had a hidden streak of stubborn audacity.

When Kerry tried to show him the door politely, Mike casually brushed it off and followed Felicia all the way into the storeroom.

Kerry hovered awkwardly nearby, unsure whether she should physically intervene. Ultimately, she decided against it. After all, this was Mike, not some random troublemaker. Still, she kept a watchful eye.

Felicia paid no attention to her unwanted guest, focusing on the colorful powders spread out on the table in front of her. The air was heavy with a strange, medicinal aroma.

"What's that?" Mike asked, leaning closer to the array of red, yellow, blue, and green powders. He reached out, curiosity getting the better of him. "It smells... interesting. Mind if I—"

"Poison," Felicia said with a faint smile, not looking up. "Deadly stuff. One touch and you're gone."

Mike's hand froze mid-air. His expression shifted from mild curiosity to wide-eyed shock, as though she had just told him the powder could explode. His hand snapped back to his side, and he instinctively took two steps back.

"Seriously?" he asked, swallowing hard. "You're out here whipping up poison like it's no big deal?"

Felicia finally looked up, her lips curving slightly. "Didn't you call me a 'tough girl' the first time we met? Just living up to the reputation."

Mike thought back to their first encounter—Felicia, alone and unarmed, taking on a group of street thugs like it was a casual Tuesday. He had been impressed back then. Now? He wasn't so sure.

Straightening up, he cleared his throat and tried to sound serious. "Okay, fine. But, uh... Are you upset because of that woman hanging around Stephan?"

Felicia paused her work, her hands still over the array of toxic powders she was mixing. It took her a moment to process what Mike had just said.

She thought, "There's a young woman with Stephan? Well, that explains a lot."

Instead of addressing his statement, Felicia tossed her own question back at him, "Mr. Lawson, can you tell me what Stephan is really looking for in Khogend? Don't tell me it's connected to the Fuller family?"