The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 45

Citrine could feel the air around Raymond growing colder, bit by bit.

In this moment, it was as if they'd been transported back to their very first encounter—strangers to the core, each harboring nothing but suspicion and the worst intentions toward the other.

That felt right, somehow.

A faint, sardonic smile tugged at Citrine's lips.

Warm, sentimental family moments were never her forte; scenes like this were better left to seasoned performers like Jeanette.

Raymond, for his part, felt a knot tightening in his chest—he was completely at a loss for the first time. He couldn't begin to guess what was running through the girl's mind, but he knew one thing: this little troublemaker in front of him was just a prickly hedgehog desperate for affection.

He scoffed, shifting uncomfortably. "Kid, don't forget—you're officially part of the Carmichael family now. I'm your father."

"What could I possibly want from you?" he went on, voice gruff but not unkind. "I have everything I could ever need. I'm certainly not scheming against a scrappy kid like you."

Even if he was out of his depth, Raymond had no intention of stripping away her defenses by force. Someday, he believed, she'd let her guard down on her own.

Citrine stared at Raymond in quiet surprise.

Wasn't he supposed to be cold and dismissive? Wasn't that how he always acted around her?

Her eyes went wide and round, her whole body frozen like a startled penguin—adorable, though she'd never admit it.

Raymond reached out and gave her fluffy hair a firm ruffle, chuckling. "Kids are supposed to act like kids. Don't overthink things. The more you worry, the less lovable you become."

"I'm not a kid," Citrine grumbled, turning away with a pout. She certainly didn't care about being cute.

But in spite of herself, Raymond's words swept away the gloom that had been hanging over her.

Suddenly, Citrine remembered something and asked, "By the way, were you the one who got the trending story taken down?"

If her grandfather hadn't done it, maybe Raymond was involved.