The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 215

Elbert could feel his blood pressure spike just thinking about his wayward granddaughter.

That girl-barely a teenager and already running wild. Instead of studying, she insisted on hanging around with those no-good troublemakers outside of school, pretending to be some kind of gangster queen.

Recently, she'd even dyed her hair a flaming red. If today weren't his birthday celebration and he hadn't insisted she wear a wig, she'd probably have shown up with that ridiculous hair, making a spectacle of herself and him both. He could already picture the laughter behind his back.

Elbert shot a sidelong glance at his disappointing granddaughter, his tone thick with exasperation. “Leila, you should take a page from Regina's book. Look at her -hardworking, responsible. If you put half as much effort into your studies, you wouldn't have to worry about getting into a good university."

Leila and Regina both attended the prestigious Westbrook Academy-one was top of her grade, the other dead last. Elbert never missed a chance to compare the two.

She'd heard this speech so many times, her ears might as well have grown calluses.

But Elbert's health wasn't what it used to be; he was too old to handle too much excitement. Leila shot Regina a venomous glare, grinding out a perfunctory, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Regina, meanwhile, had Elbert eating out of the palm of her hand, his booming laughter ringing throughout the room.

From start to finish, Elbert hadn't spared so much as a glance for Citrine, who stood quietly beside Weston, as if she were invisible.

least. She was perfectly

to make introductions. "Elbert, this is

mother's a mystery," Elbert finally deigned to look at Citrine, his

at her and

replied evenly, picking up immediately on his hostility. Her voice was as cool and detached as

face darkened, his brows drawing together

decency to call him Mr. Elbert, but this girl? She called him by his first name, as if she'd never

Weston, his voice sharp with mockery. "Weston, you really ought to send your granddaughter to finishing school. Teach her some

was no longer just

scene unfold, barely able to hide her glee. The bigger the scandal, the

instant as soon as his granddaughter was

looked Elbert straight in the eye, her

who could use a lesson in manners, Elbert. I'm young, maybe a little ignorant, but I treat people the way they treat me. If you think I'm

was livid,

all he could manage was, "Sharp-tongued