The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 146

At that moment, the man suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. Raymond could feel Citrine's whole body flinch.

He instinctively stepped in front of her, trying to shield her, but it was useless—neither of them could see him.

The man looked down at Citrine, a cold smile tugging at his lips. "I thought you were dead. Turns out you're still alive. Well then, get out there and make some money." With that, he turned and walked away.

The door slammed shut. As soon as the sound echoed through the house, Young Citrine scrambled to her feet.

But just as quickly, she collapsed back down, her legs giving out beneath her. Raymond reached out to catch her, but his hand passed right through her like she was made of mist.

He could do nothing but watch helplessly as blood began to seep through her socks, staining them red.

Young Citrine sat on the stairs, her face scrunched in pain as she gritted her teeth and yanked out several shards of glass from her foot.

When she finished, she limped upstairs, dragging a bulging bag of empty bottles and cardboard boxes down to the entryway.

Outside, everything was blanketed in white. The trees wore a fresh coat of snow.

The ground, though, was littered with garbage and streaked with dirty slush and mud. To Raymond, it looked so filthy he couldn't imagine stepping anywhere.

"It's freezing," Citrine shivered the moment she stepped out the door.

She was just a child; the cold bit at her delicate cheeks, turning them bright red within moments.

Still, Young Citrine pressed on through the biting wind, dragging her burden all the way to the recycling depot.

"God above, a little thing like you out in this weather—what kind of monster would send you out here?" The owner of the depot hurried over when he saw her, snatching the bag from her hands and grumbling curses under his breath.

"Thank you, sir. Could you weigh these for me?" Young Citrine just smiled up at him, her expression angelic and sweet.

"Of course. Come on in," the man said, unable to stay angry in the face of her smile. Inside, he weighed her recyclables. The total only came to a couple of dollars, but seeing how pitiful she looked, he stuffed a few extra bills into her hand before she left.