The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 19

Raymond sat alone in the empty living room, his mind wandering. He suddenly remembered that, back at the office, the kid had always been on her own.

She must have felt scared, right?

For a moment, he'd actually wanted to press her, to demand exactly where she'd gone. But he forced himself to let it go.

After all, to her, they were little more than strangers bound by paperwork. If he started interrogating her now, she'd probably end up resenting him.

Still, Raymond couldn't help but worry. He dialed Adler's number.

At that very moment, Adler was tangled up with his girlfriend, their goodbyes dragging out with reluctant kisses. Just as things got heated, his phone buzzed on the nightstand, making both of them jump.

The interruption instantly killed the mood. Adler's girlfriend groaned, "Who the hell is it?"

Adler glanced at the screen, jaw clenched. "Damn corporate overlord," he muttered under his breath, the light in his eyes flickering out.

He groaned, half to himself, "I swear I'm quitting tomorrow. I'm done with this."

But as he grumbled, his body betrayed him he was already pulling his shirt back

on.

A few seconds later, he answered the call, suddenly all meek politeness. "Hello, Mr. Carmichael."

dripped with

Raymond said curtly,

hour later,

Crestwood. Beyond that, I couldn't

frowned, his expression growing

someone must have gone out of their

home, she found Raymond stretched

walked over and realized his eyes were shut, his face flushed with

man now looked oddly fragile in his illness. "Raymond?" Citrine

pressed the back of her hand to his

"Damn, he's burning up."

been like this all

this week, so the only ones home

hit 104,

tucked it snugly around him on the couch, then dampened a towel and

headed to the kitchen to make

she'd lived with the Iversons, Aline had never given her an allowance. Whenever Sawyer was away, it was normal for Citrine

had instructed the staff not to cook for her, and no one dared

herself in the kitchen, and her cooking

barely conscious. Citrine managed to coax only half

keep an eye on him, Citrine simply grabbed

in the morning, Raymond's fever had finally broken. The fog