The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 103

Raymond couldn't help but find it amusing—Weston, usually so smooth-tongued, was left speechless for once. He also had to admit, Citrine was one gutsy kid.

But the amusement faded quickly when he remembered that Citrine still refused to call him "Dad." A pang of disappointment welled up inside him.

Just then, someone called out to Citrine from behind.

"Citrine!" The man's voice sounded urgent.

As she turned, Citrine saw Sawyer approaching, Jeanette trailing behind him. Her brows knitted in irritation.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, taking a few steps back as if afraid he might contaminate her with whatever filth he carried.

Sawyer's expression soured, but after what he'd just witnessed, he couldn't help himself. "Citrine, what's your relationship with the representative from CICI Group? You seemed pretty friendly with her just now, like you two were old friends."

He looked at her, hope flickering in his eyes.

"None of your damn business." Citrine's voice was ice-cold, her patience gone.

Sawyer stared at her, stunned. "How can you talk to me like that?"

She met his gaze, unflinching. "I've cut all ties with the Iversons. Why should I keep pretending to look up to you?" The memory of how deferential she'd once been made her feel sick.

Sawyer's tone turned low, tinged with irritation. "Citrine, enough with the tantrum. That's all in the past—do you really have to keep dragging it out?"

"Bastard."

Raymond stepped forward, yanking Citrine behind him. Without hesitation, he landed a punch square on Sawyer's jaw. "If you've lost your mind, Sawyer, go get yourself checked into a hospital. Don't come here and act crazy."

The Iverson Group was tanking, and Sawyer hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. With everything going wrong—including Citrine's hostility—something inside him finally snapped.

Sawyer's heart plummeted; his fists stilled in the air. At the same moment, Raymond drove a boot into Sawyer's gut, sending him crashing to the floor.

But Sawyer didn't look at Raymond. Instead, his eyes shot to Citrine, disbelief etched on his face. "What did you say?"

Citrine ignored him. She knew he'd heard her.

She went on, voice steady as steel. "Sawyer, you may look like a kind man, but you're colder and more ruthless than anyone I know. Your heart's made of stone."

"Because I'm adopted, you always held it against me. On one hand, you wanted me to get along with Jeanette so I could help her take over the Iverson Group. On the other, you were terrified I'd compete with her for the family's inheritance, so you kept me away from anything to do with the business."

"You've always played favorites. To the extreme."

Citrine stared Sawyer down, every word landing like a knife.