The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 23

Citrine froze, staring at Raymond in confusion. Wasn't he just telling her to get out?

Seeing the way the girl tensed up, Raymond's dislike for the Iverson family only deepened. Clearly, she'd been blamed for things she didn't do more than once in that house.

He knew she was sensitive, so his tone softened as he quickly explained, "No one's asking you to apologize."

Then, glancing at the red mark on Valerie's cheek, he asked in an even voice, "Did your hand get hurt?"

Citrine blinked, her large, beautiful eyes widening in surprise. "Aren't you going to ask why I hit her?"

Back at the Iversons', whenever something like this happened, Sawyer never cared about the reason—he'd just force her to apologize. Citrine had gotten used to it.

Raymond just shrugged, as if it were nothing. "You already told me she deserved it. That's good enough for me."

For a moment, Citrine's calm heart started to race with a strange spark of excitement. She looked at Raymond, eager for reassurance. "You really believe me?"

glittered like the

a sudden warmth in his chest as he met her gaze. "Of course I do. You're my

then added, "Right or wrong doesn't matter. What

you, you have every right to stand up

in Havencrest," he finished, a touch of

that of a madman— someone everyone wanted to stay on the good side of. He'd never cared about what

in a long time. The two of them, father and

to school himself before

expression stayed icy the whole time, but when he saw Valerie shouting at Citrine, the temperature in the room seemed to drop below

his office. "Tell Valerie not to come in tomorrow.

but then hesitated. "Mr. Carmichael, you personally brought Valerie onto the

Raymond frowned. "So what?"

she was an excellent asset," Adler

let out a sharp laugh. "She's good at her job, sure. But The Carmichael Group

not ones who don't know