The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 91

Cool water trickled down Sebastian's stomach, making his whole body tense up in an instant.

He opened his mouth to stop Citrine, but she pulled her hand back before he could say a word, leaving him with a strange, indescribable sense of loss.

"Come with me to the kitchen," she said, grabbing his uninjured hand and tugging him along before he could protest.

"Hurry. You need to get that burn under cold water," Citrine insisted. She turned on the faucet, lifted his arm, and held the burned patch under the running water. Only when she was sure enough time had passed did she let go.

"I saw you burned your stomach. Are you sure you didn't get burned anywhere else?" Citrine asked, her fingertip gently tapping the red mark as she studied it seriously.

Sebastian's face turned scarlet, though he wasn't even sure why. "No, it's—It's nothing. I'm fine, really. I can handle it myself," he stammered.

Citrine just looked at him with that calm, unfazed expression of hers, while Sebastian silently cursed himself for being ridiculous.

Feeling awkward, he scratched his head and muttered, "Why don't you wait outside?"

Citrine thought he was acting a little odd—actually, kind of cute compared to his usual self—but she didn't dwell on it. She simply stepped out of the kitchen as he'd asked.

Left alone, Sebastian quickly ran some cold water over his stomach to wash the burn. He didn't go out right away; instead, he waited until the flush in his ears faded, then finally composed himself and strode back out.

By the time he rejoined Citrine, he'd put his usual mask back on: gentle, polite, but always holding the world at arm's length.

"Let's go to the hospital," Citrine said as soon as she saw him, reaching for his hand.

Sebastian flinched at her soft touch, caught off guard for a second. But when he remembered she was just a kid, he didn't pull away. Instead, he tried to reason with her, "I can't just leave. I'm still on the clock."