The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 120

After leaving the old mansion, Manley and Travis got into the same car. Both father and son sat in the back seat, each pointedly ignoring the other.

The gift from Citrine sat between them, a massive package that took up the space of an entire person, forming a physical barrier between the two.

Travis's eyes never left the oversized box. After a long silence, he finally asked, "Aren't you even a little curious what's inside?"

Manley lifted his gaze just barely, glancing at his so-called son. "Of course I'm curious."

"Then why didn't you open it back there?" Travis studied Manley's face, searching for a reaction.

"What's it to you?" Manley replied coolly, turning to stare out the window, his expression unreadable.

Travis couldn't shake the feeling that Manley's attitude toward Citrine was oddly different-distinct from how he treated anyone else.

For one thing, Manley had actually accepted Citrine's gift.

the Carmichael family. Whenever he lost his temper at their gatherings, he'd never spare anyone's feelings. Travis, in fact, had never seen his father

gifts from the Carmichaels," Travis said

his memory served, on Manley's last birthday both Vicente and Regina Carmichael had brought presents, and Manley hadn't even hesitated to toss their gifts out

could reply, Travis pressed on, "And you seemed a little

back was preceded by a fit of rage at home. But this afternoon, he'd been strangely calm-he hadn't thrown a tantrum, and had even volunteered to make the

it. Although they were father and son, he'd

back to Travis with a cold, venomous glare. "Listen carefully: stay

remotely joking in Manley's

was like a

see the day when Manley actually cared about someone." With that, he turned to stare out his own window, his face locked in icy silence. Back at the villa, Manley instructed the staff to carry the box upstairs. Only after the servants had left did he carefully open the

by surprise—though surprise wasn't the only thing he felt. There

years, but that didn't mean he didn't keep up

news.