The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 175

Raymond had always been a picture of boundless energy in Citrine's memory, so seeing him so worn out now took her by surprise. She frowned, unable to hide her worry. "What happened to you? You look terrible."

To get back as soon as possible, Raymond had worked almost nonstop, day and night, barely resting. On top of that, he kept having restless dreams about Citrine's childhood, gnawing away at him with guilt and regret. The stress had even sent him to the emergency room recently, leaving him in rough shape.

Not wanting Citrine to worry, Raymond forced a reassuring smile. "Just had a rough night, that's all. Nothing to worry about."

Citrine shot him a pointed look and scoffed, "How many times do I have to tell you? You need to take care of yourself."

Her tone was prickly as ever, but even she didn't realize just how much concern was hidden in her words.

Raymond, however, caught it instantly. For a moment, he was taken aback—then a wave of joy washed over him, banishing a good bit of the exhaustion that had weighed him down for over a month.

He grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Sounds to me like my daughter's finally starting to worry about her old man. That makes me happy."

"I am not worried about you!" Citrine's eyes went wide, bristling like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.

Raymond couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright, I must've been imagining things."

"Come on, let's go home," he said, reaching for her bag. Today, he'd come with every intention of taking Citrine back with him.

But before he could take another step, a booming voice rang out from upstairs.

"You're not taking my granddaughter anywhere!" Weston came hurrying down the stairs, his footsteps echoing through the old house.

If he hadn't been up late and overheard their conversation, Raymond probably would've spirited Citrine away already.

Weston's face was set in a scowl as he glared at Raymond. "Raymond, you can go home by yourself. Citrine's staying here with me."