The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Ever since their unpleasant conversation the night before, Raymond had noticed that his daughter was clearly avoiding him—or, at the very least, keeping her distance.

Aside from mealtimes, she barely spent any time in the living room.

Raymond had tried to explain himself on several occasions, but she never gave him the chance.noveldrama

That evening, he planned to finally have a proper talk with her. But just as dinner was about to begin, his phone buzzed-Adler was calling with bad news. There was a serious issue with a client overseas, something complicated enough that Raymond would have to catch a flight out of the country immediately.

Hanging up, he turned to Citrine. "Citrine, something's come up at work. I have to travel abroad for a bit."

She hesitated, remembering how tense he'd looked while on the call. "Is it serious?"

Her concern brought a small smile to his face. "It's nothing I can't handle," he replied, trying to reassure her.

"How long will you be gone?" she pressed. Since joining the Carmichael family, this would be the first time Raymond had to leave her alone.

He paused, forcing a lighthearted tone. "Not long. I'll be back as soon as I've sorted things out."

The thought of leaving her for any length of time tugged unexpectedly at his heart. After a moment's silence, he said quietly, "I'm not comfortable leaving you here alone. I'll have you stay at the old manor for a while."

Even though there were housekeepers at home, the idea of her being by herself didn't sit right with him.

"Alright," Citrine agreed without complaint.

After dinner, she quickly packed her things. Raymond, reluctant to part ways, insisted on driving her to the manor himself and gave her a long list of reminders before finally heading off.

A week passed, and Raymond still hadn't returned.

Each day after school, Citrine found herself either being roped into a game of chess with Grandpa Weston or dragged off to go fishing with him.

She didn't quite know what to make of it. If the old man played chess seriously, it wouldn't be so bad but every time she was about to win, he'd shamelessly try to take his moves back. It was enough to drive her crazy.

One afternoon, as Weston was pestering her for another round of chess, Salome arrived at the manor.

"Aunt Salome!" Citrine's eyes lit up at the sight of her, as if she'd just spotted her savior.

"You again?" Weston's lips tightened in a deep frown. He didn't bother to hide his annoyance.

"What do you mean, ‘again'? Honestly, how can you say something so cold?" Salome retorted, unfazed. She'd been visiting the manor almost every day to check on her niece, and by now, Weston's grumpiness barely registered.

Salome used to be genuinely intimidated by her father, but seeing Citrine's pleading puppy-dog eyes completely melted her resolve. Steeling herself, Salome declared, "Dad, let Vicente play chess with you for a change. Stop monopolizing Citrine—she's coming to hang out with me."

Weston stared at his daughter in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe she'd dared speak to him that way.

Salome braced herself, expecting a lecture, but to her surprise, Weston only grumbled, "No way. That kid's terrible at chess. I'm not wasting my time on him."

From the corner, Vicente offered a weak smile. "My skills just aren't up to Citrine's level, Grandpa. I wouldn't be much of a challenge."

Salome ignored him; she'd never cared for either of the orphans Weston had adopted.

Remembering that the Everly family's house was empty that day, Salome beamed at Citrine. "What do you say, Citrine? Want to come over to Aunt Salome's place for a bit?"

"Sure." Citrine glanced at the chessboard, already set up for another round, and agreed without a second thought.